Chapter 6

As Expected

Kenneth was the dumbest kid in class. Everyone knew it. He was terrible at everything. Academics, human relationships, sports, you name it. When new teachers got employed at the school, they all tried to change him until they concluded it was impossible to do so. Kenneth had no friends. It was just him every moment. Kenneth came in the last position every single time they had a test or exam in class.

He had no parents and no siblings, so he stayed with his grandmother. This loneliness at home contributed to his inability to relate with people. He didn't enjoy opening up to people.

An incident happened which led to a teacher saying something mean to Kenneth's face. The teacher who said this had had enough of Kenneth's inability to assimilate, and she couldn't take it anymore. When she repeated the same questions, she had given us the previous day with solutions and Kenneth still ended up failing all. She was so hurt and bluntly said, "Kenneth; you are the dumbest person I have ever met in my life and I doubt you'll ever amount to anything in life!" Of course, Kenneth was dumb, but the words got to him.

He got home acting weird and told his grandmother what happened in school. It was the first time of him opening up to her, so she took him seriously and changed his school. She thought the school was the problem, but Kenneth needed a great deal of attention.

Some years flew by. Kenneth, that was called dumb in school, sat right in a doctor's seat. In front of him was that teacher who said to him those harsh words.

The teacher felt so bad and started apologizing. He said nothing and kept on smiling. She attempted to leave, believing Kenneth wasn't ready to listen. About stepping out of the office, a doctor in his white overall opened the door and smiled at the teacher. He asked her why she was leaving without seeing him.

The teacher was confused. She looked at Kenneth, who was about to leave the seat he was sitting in earlier.

The doctor understood and smiled at the scene. He closed the door, telling her to take a seat while waving at Kenneth, who already changed his position to sitting on the sofa.

The doctor explained to the teacher that Kenneth was one of his cousins and was a patient of a psychiatric hospital. The doctor had developed an interest in Kenneth's case after hearing his story. Kenneth seeped into depression two years ago after trying so hard to create a life for himself, but all had proved abortive. Not getting the right attention during those years led to his mental illness. He had to be on his own for so long, after all.

Have you tried solving someone's problem? Does the person seem to be difficult to help, just like we perceived Kenneth to be? Check yourself and be sure you are using the right method to help the person. Perhaps Kenneth wouldn't have turned out that way if he had someone who understood him.

Who knows if all Kelvin needed back then was attention. We were all too young to figure it out. I hope he met someone who gave him all the attention and care he needed. His parents moved to a new city, which was why he left my school.

I stared at the white cup of coffee for a few seconds, all of which my mind thought of the possibility of me not knowing what it meant to be truly loved. I stirred the already cold cup of coffee with the silver spoon which I now held in my right hand and thought of Mikel. No, someone loved me. It took me so long to see this? I'm just going to take my mind off of him by writing about 'love'.