Suman was limping hastily towards the school gate. He was late today. His crutches made sounds of 'click' and 'clack' while he dragged himself in a hurry. All his buddies who got off the bus with him were already inside. He tried to walk faster but one of his crutches met the wrong piece of ground, making him fall flat on his face.
He fell. A roar of laughter erupted, from the group of other latecomers who were walking behind him. Some good fellows came running to help him. But he refused. He got up. The uproar of laughter became louder when he helped himself in that weird fashion, which was the only way he could get up by himself. He did not cry.
Each of the latecomers received two rounds of the vast playground as their punishment. He was spared from the running and was given imposition of writing I will not be late two hundred times. Because, he knew, just because he was a cripple.
Life was different before. When he had legs. Two strong, beautiful legs. He used to jump two stairs, when ever he climbed the staircase. School was different. But things changed after the accident. It was all sympathy from everywhere at the beginning. Then the things started changing. People accepted him as a cripple before he could even accept himself. He was the favorite toy of bullies, who would take away his crutches, and leave him slithering on the ground helplessly. Life without legs is difficult.
A regular day got over. Bullies had punched his face blue today. He limped back to his bus and got into it.
When he reached his home, mother saw his face "You fought again today?" He did not say anything. "I told you beta, you know you can't fight them, you should avoid them", mother said kissing his face.
The evening passed in completing the homework, and watching other children playing football and then a few of his favorite cartoons.
At night, he was lying tucked in his bed. He looked at the clock. 12:30. He knew mom and dad must've slept. He quietly sat up and reached his crutches standing near the corner of the bed. He slowly click-clacked his way up to the terrace and walked near to the edge. He stood there and looked down at the hard ground below and then up at the sky. Dropping his crutches, he flew away into the vast night sky.
He fell. A roar of laughter erupted, from the group of other latecomers who were walking behind him. Some good fellows came running to help him. But he refused. He got up. The uproar of laughter became louder when he helped himself in that weird fashion, which was the only way he could get up by himself. He did not cry.
Each of the latecomers received two rounds of the vast playground as their punishment. He was spared from the running and was given imposition of writing I will not be late two hundred times. Because, he knew, just because he was a cripple.
Life was different before. When he had legs. Two strong, beautiful legs. He used to jump two stairs, when ever he climbed the staircase. School was different. But things changed after the accident. It was all sympathy from everywhere at the beginning. Then the things started changing. People accepted him as a cripple before he could even accept himself. He was the favorite toy of bullies, who would take away his crutches, and leave him slithering on the ground helplessly. Life without legs is difficult.
A regular day got over. Bullies had punched his face blue today. He limped back to his bus and got into it.
When he reached his home, mother saw his face "You fought again today?" He did not say anything. "I told you beta, you know you can't fight them, you should avoid them", mother said kissing his face.
The evening passed in completing the homework, and watching other children playing football and then a few of his favorite cartoons.
At night, he was lying tucked in his bed. He looked at the clock. 12:30. He knew mom and dad must've slept. He quietly sat up and reached his crutches standing near the corner of the bed. He slowly click-clacked his way up to the terrace and walked near to the edge. He stood there and looked down at the hard ground below and then up at the sky. Dropping his crutches, he flew away into the vast night sky.
