The Happiest Boy in the World - Ch 1

It was a cold, foggy evening one day in December. He was walking, face down, on the street. Not aware of his dangerous surroundings set ablaze with cars and all types of vehicles. He just walked. Paul was the most forsaken boy in the entire world. His parents weren’t talking quite properly to him, and one could not imagine his reputation at school. According to him, his life was as miserable as could be…

It was Paul’s first day at his new school. He was very, very nervous. All the other kids seemed like aliens to him, as if he was the loneliest alien on the planet. However, he walked to his class. But now, where is it? He took the trouble of asking the first child he saw. He smelt like a spoiled child, someone with whom you won’t want to mix up. So when he asked him where his respective classroom was, he winked to his friends and gave Paul the directions. Paul went through the hall according to the directions, and came straight in front of a door. Not waiting to read the sign on that door, thinking he might be getting late for class, he opened the door. The whole world around him became a blur. Everyone was laughing at him. Oh! Such a fool he was. How could a boy, a grown boy, enter the girl’s washroom? All he could see around him were girls. Girls in groups. Who were laughing at him. And that was his shameful first day ate Blossoms Middle School. He was pranked upon. Ignoring what had just happened, he walked to his class. He could not stop thinking about his ‘dangerous’ encounter. He lost his presence of mind while the professor was teaching.

“Stand up, new boy! What’s your name?

No answer. The professor lost his patience. “Are you listening to me? STAND UP!”

Paul quickly reacted. “Griggs, sir. Paul Griggs. I am a new admission”

“You would know about lenses then. You would have studied about them in your previous school. Tell me, what are they?”

Again no answer. Paul could not help thinking about his insult in the girls’ washroom. That too among teenagers, and girls. What could be more humiliating? But the worst was yet to come.

“BRING YOUR ALMANAC. NOW!”

This time Paul knew what was happening. He quickly gave his almanac to the teacher, who wrote a note and signed. “GET OUT OF THE CLASS!” He shamefully walked out. What could possibly be worse than being thrown out of the class on the first day itself?

And this was how school lasted.

While at home, the family was sitting on the dining table of their house. Except Paul, everyone was enjoying the food consisting of bottle gourds and green vegetables. In other words, the food served was a child’s nightmare. And that’s when the telephone bell rang. TRIING, TRIING. Mrs Griggs picked up the receiver. Her face turned from happy to sad, sad to angry. She put the receiver down. She shouted one sentence at Paul – “The place where you go is called school, don’t treat it like toilet paper!” Paul’s father too understood something was wrong at school, and both Mr and Mrs Griggs left the dining table. Paul was taken aback.

So that’s how Paul was the most miserable boy in the whole wide world. He kept walking on the street, and turned right to cross the road. A car was coming at full speed towards him. CRASH! Paul fell to the ground, and woke not again that day.

(Second chapter online soon!)