Two young teenagers meet for the first time. One is disabled; the other is not.
I don't think I would have ever had friends had it not been for the kid I met today.
I have always been something of a loner. A geek, perhaps, a loser to most people. Doesn't help matters that I am short and skinny for my age, wear coke-lensed glasses, legally blind, and have a stammer to my speech. To most people, I'm nothing more than a cockroach or a fly on the wall. Something to be ignored or squashed.
I met Hemp (short for Hemphill) Rogers just a few hours ago, and he and I hit it right off. Kid's in a wheelchair (has something called myelomeningocele, known as spina bifida; he was born with a lump on his back; this lump caused serious problems with his lower limbs), but he tells me he sometimes walks on crutches. He didn't see me as a loser; he saw me as a kid with a bright mind, a quiet, shy personality, a kid who was somebody. He liked me the minute we saw each other.
Before I go on any further, I think an introduction is in order. My name's Wayne Phillip Dunsmore, but most people call me "Weed", 'count on of my short stature/skinny build. I am fifteen, going on sixteen, an only child. I get along okay with the momster and popster, mainly stay home and sit holed up at the computer.
I'm really good with computers.
So good I can fix them when things go wrong. I can also fix other things: car engines, appliances, even tvs and dvd players. I have always been good with my hands, the pops has told me. I guess I inherited from him; he has been a mechanical genius ever since I can remember.
As I alluded to earlier, I don't have any friends. I am not much to look at, get teased about my looks, my smarts, and my stammer. I get teased unmercifully by the jocks and rich kids; every day I am near tears.
Well, today I was getting teased (as per usual) when I heard this kid yell out: "leave him alone, or you'll have ME to deal with!!" I whipped my head around; there was this kid in a wheelchair, and he looked mad as hops. I stared open mouthed at him; he wasn't much bigger than a pea, but he was tough, and he didn't seem to be afraid of nothing--or nobody.
After a brief introduction, we started talking; as I said earlier, we clicked. We ate together at lunch, and during the lunch period, I learned about "Hemp" and his life. He lived in a foster home with some pastors, he had six foster brothers and sisters. He was the only one in his family that was handicapped, but it was obvious that he didn't let his disabilities get to him. He had a friendly way about him, and he seemed concerned about me.
That was a first. Usually nobody noticed me unless I was getting teased or was the butt end of a joke/prank. I'm the type of guy who gets stuffed into a locker between classes, the guy who gets a swirly (toilet-dunk, head first) in the john, or the guy who gets laughed at whenever I try to do an oral report, or the guy who gets tripped at any given moment.
Now here was this crippled kid in a wheelchair who wanted to be my friend, and now I suddenly felt more hopeful, more alive, than I ever had in all my fifteen years on this planet.
~End of part one.~
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Reviewed by chris stienstra
9/30/2007
A great intro to a super story. I have a soft spot for real stories like this one. Can't wait for the next part.
My very best
Chris
Awe... don't leave us hanging for long. I'm looking forward to more. I like Hemp already. By the way... Weed and Hemp.. pretty funny. They have to go together well huh! :) This will be interesting. *smiles and hugs* Jean
Looking forward to more. Sounds like a very special pair if friends, a very endearing 1st chapter into what I imagine will be a wonderful touching story!
Karen this is an amazing story, thank you for sharing, write on and be blessed in the writing, I look forward to more writings from your pen, check out Rebekka Rachels journal shes on the mend
God Bless
Michelle~
This is a precious story, Karen, everybody needs friends. They probably "clicked" because both were handed a raw deal in life, and could identify with each other. Well done.
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