“Righting the Wrong”

A boy is left alone on a bench, while students are passing by without realizing. At that moment, the boy felt something thwacking inside his heart. In the blink of an eye, everything swirled around him, the past, the present, the future. Soon, he woke up on a bright morning.

Three years later, the air was uneasy, and the cloud was shivering cold. Pale and shrunk up, another boy was sitting alone on a bench. Five minutes and one story away from his ninth-grade class, his presence created an awkward cacophony with his surroundings. At that moment, subtle and unexpected footsteps approached him. Those footsteps discovered the traces of feelings, the feelings of isolation, resentment, and desperation. The conversation started with a sudden tap on a shoulder.

“Hey, are you okay? Why are you sitting alone here?” the voice came from the aisle.

“I am…sitting alone here…because I do not want to hang out with my peers.” the boy cried loud. “I have problems in my heart, but nobody wants to understand me. I felt frustrated, so I came here to catch some fresh air.”

However, the bench was no longer alone by the time the conversation began.

“I understand that you have been through difficulties. Do you mind sharing me what feelings and experiences have you been carrying these days?”

“I feel very frustrated these days because I have hard time controlling my emotions whether I am home or in school. Most of the time, I just need some space and time to think about myself. My teachers think I am a troublemaker because I do not listen well to them. I do not get along with my peers because everybody thinks I am stupid.”

“These must have been very difficult to you. I am sure that you worked hard by yourself to get control over these circumtances, but the situation was just not enough.” The hand naturally patted the boy, relieving him from the anxiety.

After a short pause, the boy spoke more about his experiences. These days, he felt more comfortable alone with his video game. He did not trust people because he did not have good memory with them.

This time, it was neither the injustice nor the urgency that rang the bell of this mysterious helper to lend his hand to the boy. Everybody has personal struggles that they want to hide, but they know deep down that they need help and supports to make positive changes in their lives.

Modern people are living in crisis. The simple statistics shows that every forty seconds, there is somebody who take away own life. Would such a tragedy happen, if there was someone who genuinely sympathized and understood these people?

“I see you have a strong courage and a warm heart. You can do it. I believe in you.”

“Thank you for coming to me. It helped a lot to understand my thoughts and emotions.”

This is my story, a story of a boy who wished there was someone like him who sat on that bench and listened to him when he was in a significant psychological downturn. But remember, this could be anyone’s story. At this very moment, there are still hundreds and thousands of adolescents out there who are seeking help from others alone in vain.

Thus, let us be the light and support, when we encounter such people. It takes a little bit of your heart and time to save people who are in the brink of destruction. Let us not pass by another people who are sitting alone in a bench.