The Grief of Today’s Child

In a world not much like our own, a gentle rain comes down on a young boy. The boy, not older than a few years, is standing on a hill surrounded by green. The color envelopes him as it covers the hills, trees, and grass. The smell of spring overwhelms the boy as he tries to catch the rain in his hands. He becomes frustrated as it seeps through his interlocked fingers. Losing interest, he sits down to enjoy the soft feel of rain on his pale skin. The boy thinks about what his mother had told him and begins to cry. His tears melt into the rain drops as they slide down his cheeks. Earlier, his mother had told him of his father’s arrest. Before his father had left his mother, he promised the boy he would be home soon to take care of him. The boy realized this would never come true and couldn’t hold back the tears. His mother also told him that they were going to have to sell the house to have enough money to survive.

After wallowing in his sadness, the boy began to trek toward the town. His small shoes leave tiny tracks in the mud. The boy walked into the only toy store and buys a toy gun with the last of his small allowance. While standing outside the toy store, the boy puts his mothers stocking over his head, as he had seen his father do so many times before. With the toy gun in hand, he rushes into a neighboring