Naguib Mahfouz- Half a Day

Naguib Mahfouz short story Half a Day was easy to read.  I found it interesting and straight to the point because it was very short.  The kid in the story had the same feelings about school that I have that the first day was awful I cried and I wanted to leave and the kid in the story did not want to go to school. I found it weird how at the end it was an old man looking back at his school days and I didn't really understand that, that was what the short story was about.