i know this story about a little boy...
he was the happiest little boy in the whole world. he had a mommy who loved him very very very much and a daddy who loved him equally (he never figured out who loved him more). he had other wonderful little children as friends both at school and near home as well whom he loved very much. he was a bright little fellow who was always up to fun and mischief (or that's what his teachers told me) who simply never had enough of playing with all his friends all day long. he loved his friends and his friends loved him.
then one day his daddy called him aside to speak to him. he said,
"because you have been such a wonderful little boy who has always behaved the way he is supposed to, your mommy and I have decided to give you a little present. come outside and see what you have earned yourself."
the little boy was very excited and he ran out to see what was it that he
'had earned for being such a wonderful little boy'. Oh there it was! a bright new bicycle. it was a blue bicycle with a silver bell that rang
'tring tring tring'. the happiest little boy in the whole world was a lot more happier that day and all the days after that.
the little boy loved his new bicycle. he rode it to school everyday. he rode it back home from school everyday. he washed and cleaned his bicycle everyday. he rode it around the house everyday evening with all his other little friends. they took turns riding the bicycle and ringing the bell that went
'tring tring tring'.
then one day as the little boy was riding his bicycle to school he had an accident. he did not remember what happened. his mommy and daddy did not know what had happened. the doctors did not know how it happened. but it happened. and the little boy was hurt. he was hurt bad (at least that's what the doctors told me). the doctors told the little boy to stay at home for a long long time. his mommy told him that he could not go to school. his daddy told him he could not go out to play. the little boy was sad. the little boy was hurt. the little boy was in pain.
the days passed by one by one. the little boy waited and waited for the day when finally he would be allowed to go back to school. the day when finally his every evening question of, "can i go out and play with my friends?" would be answered in an affirmative. the little boy waited for the day he would be healed.
then one evening mommy came into little boy's room. she sat down next to little boy on his bed and hugged him. she said,
"tomorrow you will go to school. but there is one condition. you cannot ride your bicycle again. not tomorrow. not ever."
the little boy asked,
"but why mommy? i love riding my bicycle. i want to ride it everyday. to school. back from school and also in the evening with my friends."
to this all that mommy could say was,
"cause the doctor says so and we don't want you hurt again. that's why my wonderful dear son."
the little boy who was the happiest little boy in the world and a lot more happier despite being hurt and in pain was a little sad that day and all the days after. but he was excited. he was going back to school. he was going back to his friends.
the next day the little boy got up early in the morning. he got ready and went to school (in the school bus). in school the little boy was suddenly the center of all the attraction. the teachers were extra nice to him and all his friends surrounded him. they had missed him. he had missed them. they were happy that he was back. he was happy that he was back. they could all go back to playing all the games that they had played before the little boy was hurt (except riding the bicycle). the little boy played all day long that day in school. the little boy went back home and asked his daddy,
"can i go play outside with my friends?"
daddy said,
"yes, you may go. just be back in time for dinner."
the little boy was ecstatic. his friends were ecstatic. he played all evening long with his friends and came back in time for dinner.
but later that night the pain in the little boy's hurt came back. the little boy was in pain, but he didn't say a word to anyone. not to mommy. not to daddy. not even to God in his prayers. he wanted to go back to school. he wanted to go back to his friends. the next day he quietly got up and got dressed. he had his breakfast. kissed his mommy goodbye and went to school (again in the school bus). he went back to his friends and their games. he went back to what he loved.
the little boy did this everyday for a few days. he went to school and to play. and then every night the pain came back. the little boy could not sleep. the little boy was getting tired. the little boy was getting sick. the little boy did not know what to do. the little boy was torn and confused.
then one day the little boy's grandfather came to visit. he brought along so many presents. oh! was the little boy happy to see his grandfather or what? he stayed home that day. he did not go to school. he did not go to play. he stayed at home all day with his grandfather. that night the pain did not come. the little boy said a 'thank you' prayer and slept. the next day too the little boy did not go to school and to play. again the pain did not come back. once again the little boy said a 'thank you' prayer. the next day he went to school, but he just went and took his test and came back. he did not play. in the evening he did not go out to play. again the pain did not come back. this time the little boy lay in bed thinking.
now the little boy was a bright little boy (his teachers always said so). and so soon he figured out that every time he played with his friends the pain came back. he played in school the pain came back. he played in the evening outside his home, the pain came back. so the little boy decided not to play anymore. he was sad that he would not be able to play anymore with his friends, but he was also tired of hurting and being in pain all night. the little boy knew what he had to do.
the next day he went to school. but he did not play. his friends asked him why. he said that he was not feeling well. he came back home. in the evening he did not go to play. again his friends asked,
"why?"
again he said that he was not feeling well. that night there was no pain. the little boy did the same the next day and the next and the next. he stopped playing. his friends kept on asking him,
"why won't you play with us anymore? don't you like us anymore or what?"
the little boy replied,
"i love you all the same but i can't play with you anymore. my hurt pains if i do so."
his friends replied,
"but that hurt was healed a long time ago. the doctors healed you. of course you can come play with us now. you are not our friend. you won't come play with us. you don't like us anymore. you are just making a story about being hurt and in pain."
the little boy didn't know what to say to that. how would he explain that the hurt was never really healed. somewhere deep down inside it was still raw and that the doctors could do nothing about it. mommy could do nothing about it. daddy could do nothing about it. on top he was healed, but underneath he was still hurt. he still felt the pain. so the little boy said nothing.
the little boy learned to read books instead of playing. he read a lot of books. he became a very smart and intelligent little boy. the pain never came back and the little boy could sleep at night. mommy and daddy were happy. the teachers were happy. they all thought that that little boy was growing up and learning new things. but the little boy was sad. he missed his friends. he missed playing.
his friends too missed him at first. for a long time they kept on coming to him and kept asking him to come play with them. but when he always said no, they soon began to stay away. they still came for his birthday party when invited by mommy and daddy, but things were no longer the same. the little boy was just
'a friend' and not
'the friend'. it was not the little children's fault. it was the little boy's fault. even though he still considered them as his friends he was the one who did not want to play anymore. he was the one who stayed at home and read books. little kids are supposed to be out playing with their friends. if they do not do so then they are not
'friends'. that is the simple rule of childhood. the little boy broke that rule.
...i do not know the end to the story. i'm sorry. but all i can say is that the little boy who broke the rule was not a good little boy. no. good little boy would not have broken the rule. good little boy would not have 'not played' with his friends. that is what bad little boy's do. yes, that's what he was;
"he was a bad little boy."
