CHAPTER ONE

A Regular Day

The school playground was very crowded as usual during recess and the children of the seventh grade were making the most of their time away from the study room. Some threw a ball around whilst others chased each other in childish games. It made perfect sense that this is what children enjoyed doing the minute the teachers let go the disciplinary reins.

John Matthews watched as they shouted and raced about doing what children do best. At this age the world was their oyster and they made the most of every spare moment allowed for fun and frivolity.

John’s legs and body were deformed from birth and had caused him many problems throughout his life. There were many days when he was so tormented with pain and discomfort that even the simplest tasks became a marathon for him.

His parents had sought out many sources recommended in an attempt to try and remedy his condition, but had exhausted every avenue available and they finally reluctantly resigned themselves to the situation.

When John was born, his father, Phillip, saw the dreams he held for his son die before his eyes and so too did his affection towards him, which did not go unfelt by the unfortunate little boy.

Try as he might to gain his father’s approval, his frustrated efforts had gone unrewarded and had left him withdrawn and very unhappy.

Phillip knew that neither John nor they carried any blame in the situation, but he was embarrassed by it all and became emotionally detached from his son.

There had been many obstacles for John to overcome from the time he was born and even to the present day. Nothing came easily for him physically and emotionally and the rejection from his peers was every bit as painful, if not more so, as being left out was a very difficult thing to endure for one so young.

Gone were the days when he would approach a group of children and try to join in with their activities. Whenever he had, it had led to hurt and disappointment so he found it easier to keep to himself, finding solace in some book or his music which was constantly sounding in his ears.

These days it seemed that all he could do was watch and sit back in some corner, not attempting to mingle for fear of exposing himself to the pain of rejection again.

How many times he had read about the frog prince and the beautiful princess in the fairytale and how often in his dreams and imaginations did he see himself whole and handsome, admired by all.

His peers didn’t see him as being a worthy companion because his legs couldn’t keep up with their demands and it just wasn’t popular to be seen with someone with a disability, so whenever John looked their way the taunts resounded in his ears.

“Little Johnny Simpleton is a little wimpleton. Go away Hoppalong; hop back into your hole. You’re too stupid to do anything. Go and stay with the other dummies. We don’t need you.”

Their words were like swords in his heart and he felt so useless and timid when they said those cruel things to him. The tears would well up in his eyes but he fought hard to hold them back. He knew he wasn’t stupid. He was clever, but that’s how they made him feel.

He couldn’t let them see how their jeering affected him. In many ways, he was fortunate that they didn’t cause him any physical injury, probably because they were more interested in breaking his spirit than anything else. Much of their opposition came about because they didn’t want him to cramp their style and he did not make them look sophisticated if they should allow him to be involved in their ventures.  

His father did not allude to his misfortune amongst his peers but would simply say, “Grow some backbone and stop feeling sorry for yourself.”

John’s mother, Alice, always tried to put a positive spin on his problem and tried to defend him both to his father and to others, but even she was finding the struggle of her physically-challenged son hard to bear. Many were the times she held him in her arms, telling him he was special and that one day he would show them all.

“I’m so proud of you, sweetheart,” she would say. “One day they’ll see, Johnny. One day you’re going to make it big, and then they’ll see what they have missed by not being part of your life. Try to forgive them if you can. They just don’t understand what it means to be in your shoes. They are young now but when they’re older, they’ll understand. In the meantime, I’ll always be here for you. You can tell me anything; you know that, don’t you? I’ll support you.” Then she’d add, “What is it that you would like to achieve most in this world?”

John would think carefully and would say, “I would like to write a famous book or be a great artist, but most of all I would really like to be able to tell people that it’s OK to be different, that they are special and that they can do things even if their legs aren’t so good, just like you always say to me, Mummy.”

The wisdom in her young son always stood Alice amazed - so mature for such a young age. His struggles had added such strength to his years. Even so, there were many times when he couldn’t hold back the words.

“Why doesn’t anybody like me? I wish I could be like everyone else.”

Charles Edwards, his teacher, often whispered a cheerful word in his ear, seeing the battles he encountered. Try as he might to encourage the other children to include his young student in their activities, it seemed all to no avail. He felt it more productive to encourage the young boy in his pursuits and hoped it would have a positive stabilizing effect over him.

Because of the many obstacles, John had grown up to be quiet and withdrawn but was cloaked with a simple innocence and maturity. The years of fending for himself amongst his peers had turned him into a reserved but quiet achiever and had developed a strong resilience and inner strength.

Johnny spent countless hours in the library, reading books and researching to the best of his ability the lives of others faced with physical obstacles not unlike himself, of their growing up and of their achievements. He was greatly encouraged by their stories which made him believe more and more that he could do anything if he set his mind to it.

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