He was six years old. And a couple months on top of that, but he couldn't remember how many. He already knew how to count quite well, but he had never been interested in his exact age.
He was on top of a chair, on the tips
of his toes, with a stick in his hand, and was trying to reach the car thrown
on the dresser, one corner visible. No matter how much he stretched, he could
barely touch it with the stick in his hand. How did I manage to throw it
like that? he said to himself.
He had thrown it up on the dresser
so the other kids wouldn't touch it, especially since they were playing in his
room all the time. He threw it up there in panic because the others almost
caught him when they entered his room and he had to quickly hide it. After
that, he had tried his best to get it down from there, but he had never
succeeded. It was very frustrating: he was the only one who knew where the toy
car was, he could even see it, without the others knowing he was looking at it,
but no matter what he did, he couldn't get the toy down from there.
He had received the car as a Christmas
present when those people had come. He didn't really know who they were, or
where they came from, but they came every year to give them presents, and that
was enough for him. This year they gave him a chocolate, the car and a pair of
warm socks, which he took great care of. He had been the only one who had
received a car, the others had received candy, and that was because one of the
girls who came with Christmas presents really liked him. She had discreetly
given it to him and smiled so beautifully...
Maybe that's why he was trying so
hard to get to it by himself. Because it was from the only person he had been
able to bond with since he was at the orphanage. He didn't want to ask anyone
for help, he felt it was his responsibility to take care of her gift to him. There's
only one thing I have from her, and now I can't touch it.
He stops, suddenly. He proceeds to
sit down on the chair, with his hands on his chest. He looks at the toy again. No,
it's my gift from her, I don't want anyone to know about it. He looks
around and catches his reflection in the mirror. He looks at how short he was
next to the solid wood dresser. Then he has an idea He picks up the stick
again, and reaching out one last time, gently hits the toy, moving it
completely out of sight.
He puts the chair back, hides the stick,
then walks to the bed, grinning. The teacher enters the room just as she was
sitting down on the bed. She takes his hand and says:
- Let's go outside, let's play,
it's sunny and beautiful.
- Yes, Mrs. Natalia.
- What were you doing there in the
room?
- I was waiting to grow up.
