The Grief of Today's Child

In a world not much like our own, a gentle rain comes down on a young boy. The boy, not older than a few years, is standing on a hill surrounded by green. The color envelopes him as it covers the hills, trees, and grass. The smell of spring overwhelms the boy as he tries to catch the rain in his hands. He becomes frustrated as it seeps through his interlocked fingers. Losing interest, he sits down to enjoy the soft feel of rain on his pale skin. The boy thinks about what his mother had told him and begins to cry. His tears melt into the rain drops as they slide down his cheeks. Earlier, his mother had told him of his father's arrest. Before his father had left his mother, he promised the boy he would be home soon to take care of him. The boy realized this would never come true and couldn't hold back the tears. His mother also told him that they were going to have to sell the house to have enough money to survive.

After wallowing in his sadness, the boy began to trek toward the town. His small shoes leave tiny tracks in the mud. The boy walked into the only toy store and buys a toy gun with the last of his small allowance. While standing outside the toy store, the boy puts his mothers stocking over his head, as he had seen his father do so many times before. With the toy gun in hand, he rushes into a neighboring store, an arts and crafts store. The owner behind the counter is facing away from the boy as instructions to produce the money from the safe are shouted. The boy had remembered exactly the words his father shouted, and for a second, the boy thought he heard his father as he spoke them. The owner slowly grips the small caliber pistol from its drawer in front of him. The boy reminds him that he wants the money quickly and threatens to shoot. With one swift motion the store owner turns and fires, piercing the boy through the heart. The store owner becomes hysterical as he recognizes the robber as a young boy with a toy gun in hand. As the boy lay there covered in blood, all he could think of was why this never happened to his father. What had he done differently? Authorities soon arrive and cart the boy away. Maybe this world is more like our own than some would think.

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