Short Story V

The Pale-Skinned Boy

Originally created by: Devi Yunitasari

I used to think that life and the whole world always gave me hard times, so many problems, so many difficulties, and so many lies. ‘I am just a fifteen-year-old boy, why do I have to get involved in such conditions?’ That was what I always thought about. But, everything changed when I met a friendly-pale-skinned boy at the park. That was three days before the summer holiday began.

 It was quite a bright afternoon. I decided to take a stroll at the park because I thought if I just stayed at my room and did nothing, my head would surely explode. I really needed some fresh air to be able to think clearly.

Feeling a little bit tired after strolling around the park, I walked towards a bench under an Oak’s Tree.

“Excuse me, may I have a seat here?” I asked to a pale-skinned boy who already sat on the bench. Apparently, he looked like at the same age as me.

“Oh sure,” he turned his gaze to me and smiled.

I sat on the bench and sighed, my mind was really full of many bothersome matters that happened in my life recently. I thought by strolling at this park could make me loosen up a bit. But, I was mistaken. It definitely could not help me to get rid all of my troublesome matters.

‘I’m really tired of this’ I whispered on my mind.

”Are there so many things that bother you right now?” a pale-skinned boy who sat next to me unexpectedly started a conversation with me. I turned my head to see him.

“Well, sort of, um… how come you know that I have some troublesome matters?”

I was surprised because I thought it’s kinda weird if someone you didn’t even know knew what was crossed on your mind.

“You know, someone who sighs more than five times a day, usually has the problems that they are unable to deal with, and earlier I counted that you have sighed more than five times, so I conclude that you are facing some troubles right now,” he explained.  

I was a bit taken aback after hearing his explanation, there was nobody ever told me about this.

“You can tell me about your problems then, um… of course if you don’t mind,” he uttered. Hearing someone whom I just met offer himself to listen to my problems, made me a bit hesitated. But, strangely I felt that I should tell him about my problems.

“Um, well, have you ever felt that the world is not fair to you? I mean, everyday the world gives the best for the other people’s life, happiness, cleverness, and those kinds of stuffs. But, for your life, is very contrary, disappointment, stupidity, and loneliness,” I sighed again and waited for his reaction. He then lifted up his head and stared blankly at the sky.

“Ah…I used to think that way, but it was only in short period of time when something which changed my life happened. But now, I never think that way anymore. Ah, I am curious, what kind of disappointment or bothersome matters do you mean?” he smiled a bit and turned his gaze again to me.

“Well, my mother and my father always busy with their work, and my older brother hardly ever cares about me. At school, I am not really good at several subjects, and I just have one friend, who just told me that he tired of being friend with me. And…”

I had not finished my story yet, when I heard the pale-skinned boy suddenly chuckled, and said briefly.

“Just be grateful,” a smile was curved again on his lips.

‘He must be never have problem in his life, he looks so happy and always smiles’ I thought, felt a bit envious with his life.

“How can I am grateful, if there’s a lot of problems come into my life,” I smiled bitterly.

“Perhaps, you are able to be grateful because your life is not as hard as mine,” I added, and it successfully made the pale-skinned boy chuckled again.

“You know, you will forget how to be grateful unless you stop complaining about your life. Ah, sorry, I have to leave now, I hope we can talk again tomorrow,” the pale-skinned boy stood up from the bench and began to leave.

“Yea, thank you anyway,” I said half-shouted. The pale-skinned boy turned his body again and shouted,

“Never mind, ah… don’t forget, be grateful!” he smiled and walked away. I kept my eyes on him as his figured slowly disappeared, and I realized that there’s something wrong with his hands, he never once moved his hands, looked like that he was unable to move his hands.

“Be grateful…” I muttered, remembered what the pale-skinned boy told me earlier, then decided to leave the park.

***

‘Be grateful…’ that words kept echoing on my mind since I got home from the park until when I was at school.

“Why do I suppose to be grateful?” I asked to myself while walked along the school’s corridor. Some of the students who were chitchatting there stared at me weirdly. I just ignored them until I saw my former best friend, Adam who was standing not far from me. I tried to call him, but when he saw my presence, he hurriedly ran away. I sighed.

The school’s time ended in the afternoon, so I decided to go straight to the park. Well, I admitted that I wanted to talk again with that pale-skinned boy.

As I arrived at the park, I could see that the pale-skinned boy had already sat on the same bench under an Oak’s tree.

“Ah, it’s good to see you again,” the pale-skinned boy gave me his toothy grin as I sat beside him. ‘How perfect his life is?’ that question was crossed on my mind, because, although we just met twice, he always looked as if he really enjoyed his life.

“Yea, it’s good to see you again too,” I said while putting off my bag and placing it on my lap.

“So, how’s your day so far?”

“Well, it just the same, even I think it’s getting worse and worse,“ I sighed and lifted up my head to stare at the sky.

“Ah, you must be forget to be grateful,” the pale-skinned boy uttered.

“You keep telling me to be grateful, grateful, and grateful, but, how can I am grateful? It’s really hard for me,” I am a bit flustered. But, again, the pale-skinned boy chuckled.

“Look, you always think that everything is difficult, no wonder you forget how to be grateful. Listen me, all you have to do now is say thank you to the God, to the world, to your family, and to your friends, especially your ‘former’ best friend. You also have to change your perspective on how you see the world.”

I listened carefully to what he explained. Listening to every word that he said, made me a bit realized that perhaps to be grateful was easy. Although another side of me said that it might be not work for my life. But, I really wanted to try his direction.

“Um, I think, I’m going to try what you’ve said to me,”

“Ah, may I ask something to you?” I did not know why, I really wanted to know him more, it felt like that my mind kept telling me to ask him how he could have a seemingly perfect life.

“Uh, sure,” he nodded, seemed to wait for my question.

“Ah, to be honest, I am really curious about your life, you always smile, cheerful, and calm. Is your life that perfect?” I was a bit confused whether it was okay if I asked him that kind of question. But, as usual, he chuckled.

“I have a perfect life? You think that I never have any problems,” he laughed loudly, “Well then, let me tell you this story, you know, I really love painting, since I was six year-old up until now, my hobby is painting and both of my parents were always encouraging me to pursue my dream to be a painter.  But, five months ago, my family and I had a car accident. Both of my parents died and I lost my ability to use or move my hands. Ah… I think you have realized about my hands, right?” He ended his story while smiling weakly. Meanwhile, I just kept silent, did not know how to react at his story.

“You are really such an amazing person,” that was what I concluded about the pale-skinned boy.

 “But, how come you passed through that kind of situations?” I continued asking him question.

“As I told you, I had the same thought as you before. I thought that the world wasn’t fair. But a week after that accident, my grandmother gave me a painting. It was actually my mother’s old painting. And I found my mother’s handwritten on the back of her painting. ‘Whatever happens, just be grateful, and you’ll find your happiness’ that was what was written on it. So, since that time, I realized everything and changed myself to who I am right now, ah, and one more thing, you know you still have parents, you really should be grateful of that, ”

I just could keep silent again, did not know what to think or say. ‘I am so stupid to think that I am the unluckiest person in the world and I am so stupid to always complain about my life’ I said on my mind.

“I’ve learnt a lot of things from you, I am really thank you,”

The pale-skinned boy just nodded and grinned as the afternoon’s breeze stirred his short-black-hair.

“Ah, I think I gotta go home now,” I took a glance at my watch, and got surprised because it’s already 5pm.

“Yea, me too,”

Then we both stood up from the bench park and said good bye to each other.

“Ah, you know, starting from today, I’ll become a new me,” I shouted while waving at the pale-skinned boy.

At the dinner’s time, surprisingly all my family members gathered in the dining room, although there’s no conversation happened between us, I did not know why I really felt so happy to see them. Then, when we had already finished our dinner, I cleared my throat and said.

“Mom, Dad, Brother, Thank you, I am really grateful to have you all,” my mother, my father, and my brother seemed to be surprised with my sudden action. They just looked at each other confusingly and then stared at me blankly.

“Ah, since I have finished my dinner, I’ll go back to my room then,” I left them who still looked puzzled.

***

The next day, before I went to the school, I said thank you again to my mother, my father, and my brother, although I got no reply from them, I really felt happy.

At school, I hurriedly looked for Adam, because today was the last school’s day before the summer holiday. Fortunately, I could find him easily. When he saw me, he tried to avoid me, but finally I managed to say thank you to him. His reaction was really same with my family’s reaction but, at least he gave me a smile before he left.

When the school’s time ended, I decided to go home first before going to the park. And as I arrived in front my house, I was very startled because my mother, my father, and my brother were standing there while smiling at me. There were also some suitcases.

“Hurry up! And go get changed! We are going to spend our summer holiday,” my mother said happily.

‘Is it just a dream?’ I muttered on my mind.

“What are you waiting for, hurry go get change!” my brother shouted at me.

I quickly ran into the house and got changed. ‘This is unbelievable’ I thought.

Along the way, I really could not stop myself not to feel happy. Then, I remembered to that pale-skinned boy. I had not thanked him yet. I even did not know his name. But, I promised, soon after I finished my summer holiday I would definitely see him and thank him.

He’s right, I was too busy complaining about my life until I forgot how to be grateful, and it’s just like what he said.

       “Whatever happens, just be grateful, and you’ll find your happiness.”