Reaching Out

Norman had been born with paralyzed legs. It had become a way of life for him. What most people could do easily, he had to do in strange and convoluted ways. But he didn't mind this part of his life. It was alright. Norman was not someone who got salty or bitter about things that had happened in the past. He was actually quite a nice person, no doubt shaped through the hardship he has gone through. But there is one thing that Norman had always wanted as a child. A friend, to jump and run with, a friend to talk and laugh with, a friend to cry and comfort. It is the only thing he wants, but because he had paralyzed legs, he couldn't play with anyone, no matter how hard he tried. Soon, he had reached 7th grade, still without a friend. But he hoped this year would be different. The day started out normally. The same classes, the more or less same students, with the exception of an African-American looking girl with round glasses. Although Norman was quite smart, he never tried too hard in class. A know it all was annoying, he had once been told by a classmate. The first sign something was going to go wrong was the teacher calling a group project, in partners or groups of three. Nobody really wanted to be in the same group as the kid with paralyzed legs. It was mainly stigma, but it was there. This time was no exception. The class seemed to divide itself into the perfect amount of triples and doubles in order to leave one person out, usually Norman. It wasn't on purpose, but it always seemed to happen.

"Norman, do you have a group?" the teacher asked.

Norman was used to this question. He shook his head.

"Does anyone have any room for Norman?"

There were calls of "we're already full" and "sorry, no".

"I guess you'll just have to-"

"Work alone, yeah I know." Norman said, finishing the teacher's words. Mercifully, the class ended quickly. After 2 more classes, it was time for lunch. As he sat, all alone on one table, whispers spread about the word that the paralyzed kid had been discluded yet again. Many were sympathetic, but no one dared to defy the school bullies, who thought Norman was worse than waste of space. After lunch came Norman's worst subject. Gym. He was actually quite athletic in his arms. If Norman tried, he could have beaten all of the athletic people in the school in chin ups. But he was held down by his own disbelief in his athletic ability. There were snickers as he tried to go through the stretches awkwardly. At some point in the middle of gym, he collapsed and couldn't participate in the rest of the gym lesson. As he walked home, taunts and whispers followed him home about not being able to even complete a push up. Norman never tried to take this out on anyone and he rarely broke down. But that night as he lay in bed, for the first time since he had been 6 and wondered why no one would play with him, he cried and reached out for a friend to comfort him. But there wasn't one.