Silent Boy

XXIX

She saw her.

That girl. She was sitting against the wall. Head hung low. Eyes swollen.

She was crying.

The silent boy sat beside her. Sam slowly walked towards them.He looked up at her. Waved. Smiled a little.

She crouched down. And the girl gazed at Sam. A sullen gaze.

Then the boy left to get water. His footsteps felt heavy. Sounded tired.

It was only her and the girl. Siting across each other. Sam smiles. " I'm S–"

"You...." The girl mutters, her voice coming out weary, hurt, indignant. "Don't know what it's like."

"I-"

"You don't know what it's like. People like me and the boy... we're always throttled by thoughts." She grits her teeth, "It gets tiring."

Sam trembles a little. But doesn't move away. She stared deeply into the girl's eyes. This girl is also broken. Sam hesitates for a bit, but gets closer and grabs the girl's hand. Tightens her hold. Felt her eyes ache. " You are right. I don't. But I could try to understand."

The girl remained still, puzzled.

Sam's tears fall down on the girl's hands. She felt fear grasp her. What happens once she knows everything. What if she can't fix anything.

What if all those broken pieces are slowly breaking too.

She backed away.

The girl released a trembling sigh, "Even if you try to understand. People give up. Soon you will give up on the boy."

"I won't give up." She adamantly replies. She can see the hollowness in the girl's eyes. The sadness that led to fatigue. And beneath that she saw befuddlement.

It was momentarily silent. The girl studied her.

"That day he was crying." She finally speaks, slowly getting up, "Everyone said his sister died."

Fear escalated.

"It's not true."