Edward felt lonely walking down the parks' footpath. The white birch trees move slowly through the wind while he walks calmly down the park. His footsteps are one heartbeat slower than his breathing. This the only part of the active day he gets to stroll at peace with out any disturbance.
Today he was cooking
'chicken and broad bean fricassee'.
He had mastered it when he was nine while he was grounded for asking why they didn't have enough money for him to attend school. His parents didn't like talking about money and attending anything outside the need.
Though he didn't attend school, he made a friend at the park, about his age, who taught him everything he needed to know within a few hours.
Though he didn't master speaking English he managed to learn from his parents and from his little friend, Ella.
'Edward ran racing to the nearest bench that was ten metres away for he was rushing to get away from the school yard. By just looking at it at the age of ten gave him tears that couldn't stop racing down his light skin to the tip of his chin and splash at the earth below faster than his feet colliding on the ground.
He reached the bench in no time. He plopped down and placed his head between his hands and cried till he had no more tears to cry.
By the time he finished sobbing, school has finished and children, younger than him, were racing to the swings, slides and ladders.
Edward knew that meant he had a few minutes to spare before the bullies approached him and did whatever they felt like and Edward couldn't do anything because he was a small and scrawny child that wasn't properly fed.
This thought ran through his head until he heard the shrieks of a girl twenty metres away.
"BULLY! GO AWAY."
Edward skid around on his chair to find a girl, around her age, standing up for herself to the same bullies that confront him almost always.
He was surprised at how much courage she had to stand against them without acting small and running as far as her feet can take her.
Surprised as ever, he crawled off his seat and marched unsteadily to the fight. At that moment he stood in front of the boys with his chest out and brave and he realised he was taller then all of them.
With a loud "STOP!" they broke off bugging the girl. Surprised they walked off as they had been beaten in their own game.
"Hello,"With a wave the girl giggled.
"My name is Ella. What's yours?"
Edward hadn't confronted many other children his age and he didn't know how to answer.
"Uh. Me num is Edward."
"Oh ok...um...so you don't know how to speak fluent English do you?"
"Um...yeah"
"Hey! I don't think I've seen you at school. What school do you go to?"
Ella ask her questions and Edward tried desperately to answer them fluently.
"Well I guess it's a deal than."
"Wait. Fur what?"
"I am gonna teach you English to owe you back for helping me with the bullies."
"Uh...ok."
"Ok. I guess I am gonna go now. See you tomorrow. Bye."
"Bye"
Ella skipped off in the opposite direction of Edwards path and fled home. While Edward ran home now hopeful that he could make a difference and learn English.'
He thought how lob ago that happened and how that changes his peeped rice on life.
He thought about how grateful of a friend Ella was and how she didn't care about how he looked or how he talked. In no time he would be old enough to move out and get a job, and with the help of Ella, crush the curse in the face.
'Soon enough I will be as good as any other boy and girl and I can show them that anyone can learn anything. I can do it!'
