The Boy on the Side of the Road

I first noticed him walking alone along a rural road.

His head was down.

His clothes were torn.

His hands showed signs of a struggle he seemed unwilling to explain.

When I stopped and spoke to him, he gave the answer many hurting children learn to give.

“Nothing.”

Yet pain has a way of revealing itself, even when words try to hide it.

Gradually, pieces of the truth emerged.

School had become a place of fear.

Cruelty had become routine.

And the burden he carried was far heavier than any child should be expected to bear alone.

The Burden He Tried to Carry Continue Reading ⬇️