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Ryland... was always more of a loner than a big group of people. The only time I didn't mind it so much was when he had the chance to talk about something he was interested in.
It was the only way he was unstoppable.
He was only 7 years old.
To some people he may seem like a weirdo, but I don't see it that way, he's just being himself.
Even though there was an 8 year age difference between us, I liked my younger brother, I probably knew him the best.
He really enjoyed physics and chemistry, and by the age of four he even knew the periodic table of elements by heart, so when I needed help with my homework, I would run to him. I would write down what he said, and he would build model rockets.
And he also loves space, he says he wants to be an astronaut.
I don't know how he's going to do that when he's afraid of something as primitive as an elevator.
but today was a hard day
Our parents were arguing again, it's been happening all the time lately.
and yes, it's because of little Ryland.
mom is protecting him, saying he's just shy and dad? he thinks he's weird and that we should put him in therapy and lock him up in a mental institution.
often... it escalates to the point where dad wants to slap mom, but I often prevent it and instead of mom, I get it.
Today was no different, my father got angry at family dinner because Ryland kept talking about the Manhattan Project, my mother insisted he just wanted to tell us.
At this point it was clear to me where this was going, so I stood up and walked over to Ryland and whispered,
"At the apple tree in 10 minutes?" He nodded and walked out of the dining room.
Whenever it got to that point, I sent him to our tree house so he wouldn't have to see this scene. I know he's still young and wouldn't understand what was going on, but it would be fatal for his future.
When he left, things got worse... ahhh again, I don't want to be here, but someone has to protect mom and Ryland.
I slapped him again, but I was so numb that I didn't care. I just glared at my father and said,
"I don't know why you need this" and I went outside... to Ryland's place where I had promised him.
I climbed the ladder and found him sitting in a corner where he had made a bunker with various books, his favorite stuffed animals, and a lamp shaped like a rocket, looking at a book about the planets.
“hiii, Ry” When he saw me, he smiled.
“hi, Big Colt” He said that because he thought I was big and Colt…because that's my real name.
I climbed up and had to squat a little to fit in. “Can I follow you?” I ask.
Ryland moved back a little so I could sit down and he started reading quietly again.
I approached it carefully because it is an older treehouse and the wood is already fragile.
"I’m bad," Ryland says sadly.
“what?”
"Dad was bad because I’m bad" he said it so directly even though with a sad voice it hit me so hard. but him? he didn't care in a way because he kept reading
"Ry... that's not true" I said "Some people are just afraid of what they don't understand."
"But dad said-“
Something in his voice slowly broke.
He couldn't say the thought, it was too much for him.
He is still a child… a small child…
I didn't hesitate and hugged him.
I feel so sorry for him.
Why are people mean to people who are a little different from the norm?
Ryland is such a smart kid but the system is burying his efforts
He started to cry quietly.
It was the first time I had seen him cry, he always didn't show his negative emotions because people thought it was wrong to be weak.
I wanted to comfort him, but I couldn't, I ran out of words.
"I'm…bad…and I don't even know why," Ryland said between breaks.
"You... are a good person... you just think a little differently, but that doesn't mean you're a bad person... and if someone says something bad about you, they shouldn't want to see me, because they'll get a slap in the face."
I don't know if it helped or not, but it made me feel better.
Silence
he stopped crying
Miracle
"colt?"
“Yeah, little Ry?”
"Do you want to see what I made at school?" Ryland pulled away from the hug and pretended nothing happened.
yeah… all Ryland “of course you can” Sometimes Ryland needs a mood switch
Ryland ran to the other side and pulled a handmade brown crab stuffed toy out of the box.
"Wow, you made that?" I asked in surprise.
"My classmate Carl helped me with the workshops today" He came to me and handed it to me that stuffed animal.
"beautiful crab"
"It's not a crab, it's an alien and his name is Rocky" he corrected me
"Rocky? Good name"
He had an incredible imagination about inventing new alien species and naming them.
And from what he told me, Carl, his only friend at school, helps him when they have workshops.
"Thanks" Ryland blushed a little "What about your friend Jody? Does she still want to make that movie about space? If so, I really want to help."
ahhh I mentioned her once about me… actually my girlfriend in front of Ryland that her dream is to make a movie that takes place in space so she keeps asking about it.
We are both 15 years old so we have plenty of time.
"She still wants to film, but she doesn't have time right now. And I think she could use a consultant."
But as I said, he took back the stuffed animal Rocky and hugged him tightly.
"You want to know something, but it will be our secret, Ry?" Ryland nodded yes.
“Jody is my girlfriend”
“ a girlfriend?” He doesn't understand
"It's okay, you'll understand when you're older"I smiled.
“… Big Colt?” Ryland asked
“Yes, Ry”
"When I grow up I want to be an astronaut"
Ryland said seriously
"If you believe, you might succeed and Jody will be able to make a movie again"
“ ABOUT SPACE”Ryland shouted
,, yeah, about space… about space”
I love children's dreams