As days passed there was no change in his nature, the teachers would get increasingly frustrated as he would not do the homework or answer any questions. Some would punish him by making him stand up in the class, outside the door or even pinch him. It peaked on a particular day when a teacher asked him for his home work and he showed the empty note book again. I don't remember the exact events that triggered the teacher to hit him with the book. Just when she was about to hit him the unexpected happened. He held her hand and pushed her back.
The teacher did not know how to react and she just walked out of the class. He was taken to the principals office. His parents came to the school and took him home. He did not come to school for a few days after that incident.
There was no change in him once he returned. He would just stare and keep to himself. After a few days, he stopped coming to the class. We never heard from him again.
It was not till a few years, I realized what may have happened. The kid was probably dyslexic. I remembered seeing his notebook once and his writing did not make any sense. There was what appeared to be words and it was all over the page.
Dyslexia was not known at the time and the place I came from. People would mostly interpret and blame it on the childs lack of intelligence and not realize that it is a disability that needs help.
I wondered what may have happened to him. Is he OK now, or did everyone just give up on him. Who should be blamed? The parents or the teachers? Or was it the lack of education or awareness that caused both to not realize what may was happening? Or was it just failure on our part to may be ask him a simple question - What are you going through, how can we help you?
Some people leave a lasting impression on you. He was one of them. I will always remember him as the boy who never spoke.
11.16.2011
