SUPERHERO

George pushed open the door of the orphanage and stepped into the corridor, slightly off-balance. As the door swung closed behind him, it shut out the icy wind howling outside. He shifted the box he was carrying onto his left arm and rearranged his glasses. He thought to himself that this wind meant that a freezing weekend lay ahead of him, and he had better get some wood for the fireplace. He pushed the thought aside and surveyed the corridor he was in.

It was polished to a high gloss and there was a table with some flowers arranged haphazardly in a vase. There were multiple doors along the corridor, and he started moving forward, reading each name plaque on the doors until he found the one, he was looking for. He knocked and on hearing a reply, he opened the door and stepped inside.

‘Good morning. Are you Mrs Dorothy?’ he asked the grey-haired woman sitting behind a large desk.

‘Yes, I am. Please come inside. How can I help you?’ she asked removing her spectacles and smiling at him.

George put the box on the desk and introduced himself, pushing his greying hair out of his eyes. He went on to explain that he and his wife, Martha had been cleaning up the cupboard under the stairs when they discovered this box. Years ago the intention had been to bring the box to the orphanage, but somehow, they had never managed to get it done. The box had been moved from place to place and had eventually landed up in the cupboard under the stairs and forgotten. Now finally it had reached its destination, although it was many years later than intended.

Mrs Dorothy had stood up and walked around the desk to where George stood and quietly listened to his story. When he had finished, George opened the box to reveal boys clothing neatly pressed and folded, lovingly wrapped in clear plastic. Mrs Dorothy reached inside and smiling, removed a t-shirt. It smelled clean and when she shook it out, she saw it was a superhero t-shirt.

‘I remember the last time my son, Justin wore that shirt. He always favoured that one above all others and fancied himself as a superhero,’ said George smiling at the memory. He looked at Mrs Dorothy and she could see that he needed to talk, so she waited patiently.

‘Would you mind terribly if I tell you a story, Mrs Dorothy?’

‘Of course not. I always love a good story. Come along and we’ll sit over here.’

Mrs Dorothy took George by the arm and turned him towards the sofa and they both sat down. The wind had picked up and was swirling the autumn leaves in the courtyard outside the window. George got a far-away look in his eyes as he stared out the window and gathered memories from long ago. He closed his eyes, smiled, and when he opened them again, he started the story.

It had happened when Justin was about twelve years old. It was a Saturday and he had been invited to a birthday party at his friend, Garry’s house. Justin had been looking forward to the party because he had saved for a long time, to buy the gift he wanted to give Garry. It was a surprise, but it was something that Justin knew Garry had wanted. Justin got ready for the party and put on his favourite t-shirt, showing the best superhero, according to Justin. George was going to take Justin to the party and George was also staying because he was a good friend of the family. Martha, Justin’s mother was away visiting her sister, so it would just be the two of them going.

When they got there, many of the other children had already arrived and you could hear the sound of children at play. They went inside and Justin congratulated his friend and handed over the surprise gift. Garry eagerly unwrapped the present and whooped with joy when he saw what it was. In a rush Garry ran to his father to show him the gift. Justin had smiled, thrilled at seeing his best friend so excited. He turned back to his father to say something, but what he saw made his face fall and he sighed deeply.  George turned to follow his son’s gaze and saw that Justin had seen another big boy on the other side of the garden. Justin explained that this was Alex, who everybody knew to be a bully. Nobody liked him and Justin was surprised that he had been invited. George had told his son that a bully was only a bully because he was actually insecure himself. Bullies were often cowards and just needed someone to stand up to them, or to listen to them. Their bullying was a cry for help.

Justin was not the type of boy to confront others. He was smaller than most kids his age and was not the aggressive type. Justin knew what he wanted and was confident but was not about to look for trouble. George had recommended that he focus on Garry and to enjoy himself. He should not let someone else spoil his fun. Justin had nodded and went to join in with Garry and the others in some game.

The day had continued without incident, and everyone was having a lot of fun. George was sitting out on the patio with Garry’s parents, and they were deep in conversation when everything changed. Suddenly there were raised voices, and in the middle of the crowd, there was Alex causing some or other trouble. They were some distance away and so it was difficult to make out what was going on. They stood up to go and see what the trouble was when suddenly there was quiet. When they got closer, George saw that Justin had stepped into the middle of things and he was confronting Alex, who stood a foot taller than him. George was surprised but did not hear what was exchanged. There was no shouting and when they got close enough, Justin was quietly leading Alex away and Garry was getting everyone back to the party. Garry said to his parents that everything was cool, and they were ready to eat. George had felt a surge of pride at his son’s courage and was eager to know what had made him step in, but he knew that now was not the time and he would find out later. George helped Garry’s father and mother set up the food table and they all sat down again. Eventually George had seen Justin and Alex re-enter the party and Alex was as calm as could be.

On the way home George had asked his son what had happened. Justin had replied that his dad had been right. Alex was actually just a big coward and needed someone to step in and set him straight. Justin said that he had realised that Alex just needed someone to listen to him. So he had pushed his fear aside and stood up to Alex. There was no need to shout, he led him to a quiet place, and they had talked. Justin now understood Alex and he had given him advice and promised to help him.

George was stunned. In that moment, even though Justin was only twelve, he had become a man. He had taken the time to listen to another human being and was able to make a difference. He had confronted his fears and courageously stepped in where others were afraid to go. From that day on the school had never had any more problems with Alex. Justin had kept a close eye on him and had taken the responsibility to look out for Alex. When it looked as if there would be a problem, it was Justin who stepped in before there was an incident. Justin had pulled Alex into his circle of friends and had convinced his friends that Alex was cool. Though sceptical, they had let him in and that had made all the difference. Alex had found a place where he belonged and had an outlet for his fears and expectations. All he had needed was a friend.

‘Are they still friends?’ asked Mrs Dorothy, completely absorbed in the story.

‘Well, they are all grown up now and Justin is living in another city, but I think they still have contact. Alex has started a very successful computer business and is happily married. I think that day was a turning point in his life. If it had not been for the courage Justin had shown that day, things may have turned out very differently.’

‘We see so many children with social problems, especially here at the orphanage,’ replied Mrs Dorothy, shaking her head sadly. ‘I could tell you story after story of all the children that have passed through here.’

‘Yes, I believe you could. But on that day my son Justin, became a superhero,’ said George proudly.

THE END