The Special Child!

Conflicting thoughts filled Aria’s mind. It had been a week since she had last seen her old palatial bungalow as she had now shifted to a fancy new house near the beach. There was a park nearby but Aria had never been there to play.

Aria was a shy and timid girl aged eleven. She had a lot of trouble making her old friends who were her sole companion. She liked company but was frightened to make new acquaintances and socialize. So she still had no people to play with and lived in solitude.

She dearly missed her old companions, their games, their dolls and their smiling faces always there to help her. That evening Aria’s mother had told her to go to the new park, make friends and enjoy herself. Aria had agreed thinking she could do it. But now, her mind varied.

There were numerous children in the lively park. They belonged to different age groups. Some were just toddlers riding a tricycle or some were third graders running around like crazy. There were many children of her age enjoying themselves in a game of hide and seek or soccer and cricket. Aria had also got her new ball that she had got as a gift on her last birthday.

Unfortunately, she didn’t know what to do. Should she just go and join them? Would they let her play? As these thoughts rummaged through her mind she saw a little girl of her age sitting on a wheelchair nearby. She looked lonely without any companion. There was suddenly a whiz and the soccer ball bounded towards the poor girl in great fury.

Without thinking Aria showed great courage for this stranger. She leapt up from her place and ran towards the ball. She stopped it with her hand as it was going to hit Agnate. She was the disabled girl on the wheelchair. The children who were playing were amazed y her thunderstorm speed and great athletic ability.

As days passed Aria still remembered her first day in her park, her meeting with her best friend, Agnate who was a great scholar and differently or specially able child (as Aria called her). Now she was in the school and local soccer teams and Agnate was her best cheerleader. She was the best friend of her life.

Aria and Agnate had an unbreakable bond. Now being with Agnate who was simply outgoing, she was no more the shy girl of her past. She had now become really sociable and friendly with everyone.

Tears filled her mother’s eyes as she saw her child going hand in hand with Agnate pushing her wheelchair. She still couldn’t imagine that Aria had been a timid and shy girl just a week ago but now there was a drastic change in her! And all this was only due to her meeting with her new friend, the specially abled Agnate.

(Picture courtesy: http://www.usrehab.com/default.asp)