Of the childhood
Human life is a very strange thing. It is full of the different happy and sad moments. Each of the stages of life is special in its own way, and of course, a special place belongs to the childhood, which is a kind of the foundation, on which will be forming the life of a human being.
What is the childhood and when it ends? It is usually associated with carefree days, spent with peers, fun games, beloved grandmother and fascinating fairy tales. The world of the child is filled with the miracles and pleasant surprises. Kids are usually characterized by naivety and kindness. However, even among the children there are those, who are different from others. They are closing in their own world, which consists of fantasies and dreams.
I want to tell a story about one responsive boy. He was one of those children, who were living in their own world. His name was Jack. He was much more serious and wiser than his peers. Already in 10 years he seemed to be very smart and thoughtful. Jack liked to walk alone. He avoided other kids. He wasn’t interested in their silly games.
This boy was very fond of the summer. After all, in the summertime kids didn’t have to go to the school. Moreover, he liked to wake up in the early morning, when the weather wasn’t very hot, and wander around the city. The air was clean and fresh in such beautiful mornings. The sun was shining, birds were singing, and the world seemed to be wonderful.
One morning Jack woke up; and he was full of energy and inspiration. It was a special morning because that day Jack found something that really affected him a lot. He wandered around the sunlit streets and green parks. Jack was smiling to that fascinating morning. However, at one moment all his attention was focused on one small miserable creature.
In front of him was a puppy on the thin path. Little dog was plaintively barking. Furthermore, that bark was similar to the child's crying. The puppy was “crying” because his paws were injured. It could be seen the traces of bicycle near the little dog. Jack realized that the puppy was run over by a bicycle.
The boy felt terribly. He hugged the puppy carefully. He was hurrying home. Jack has understood that the dog needed the medical assistance, which he could not give to the poor animal. Jack’s little kind heart was beating. He wanted to cry, but he restrained himself. When he came home, he quickly began to tell his parents, who were going to the work about his adventure. Jack’s mother said: “Is it dog? You want to turn our house into a shelter of homeless dogs! Get him out of here!” Jack’s father even did not pay any attention: he quickly finished his coffee, put on his black jacket and left the house.
Jack was in the despair. He was upset and angry at the same time. His kind heart was bursting with indignation. The boy could not understand why his parents were so heartless. He ran out of the house to the playground, which was located very close to his home. Jack thought that if adults were so indifferent, so the children should be different from them. Again he was in a hurry.
Flustered Jack, who was holding a little puppy in his arms, attracted the attention of children very quickly. They threw their toys and ran up to him, asking a lot of questions. Jack explained a situation very quickly and seriously asked if anyone knew a veterinarian. Gary - boy with big blue agitated eyes shouted: "I know! I know! My dad is a vet! We have to go to him!" (It was a start of the great friendship between Jack and Gary.)
After that, kids began to look for the money in their pockets. They have collected all money that they had to stop the taxi. The taxi driver was surprised, but nevertheless he agreed to take kids to a veterinary clinic. Jack, Gary and puppy, which seemed to be even feebler, went to the clinic. Mr. Smith - Gary’s father - was astonished at the unexpected visit of good-natured boys, but he agreed to help them. Mr. Smith ordered the boys to wait in the corridor, while he started the operation.
It is difficult to express in words the agitation, which boys have felt; but the operation has gone well, and Mr. Smith said that the puppy would pretty soon run along the streets. Jack and Gary were very pleased. Moreover, they were even proud of their noble action. After a long dispute boys decided to call the puppy Caesar. Jack and Gary were looking forward to the recovery of their little friend; and finally came that wonderful day, when Caesar has completely recovered. The puppy lived in the Gary’s house because Jack's mother was very hostile even to the idea to have a dog at home.
The childhood was especially marvelous in the summer. Jack, Gary and Caesar were spending whole days together. Puppy was the cause of the beginning of a close friendship. The world was wonderful and life was beautiful for them. Moreover, Gary’s parents were very kind to the puppy. So, Caesar was surrounded by care and attention.
However, all good things must come to an end; and the summer is no an exception. A new school year has begun; and Caesar really missed boys. Sometimes he spent hours by the door, waiting for the kids’ arrival from the school. During one sunny October day Jack climbed a tree near the school and fell down. He broke his arm – such a common thing for frisky boys. From school he was taken to the hospital. Gary as Jack's best friend went with him. However, at that time near Gary’s house, Caesar was waiting on the kids.
Caesar has got used that at that time boys were returning from the school. A faithful kids’ friend was plaintively barking, but no one came (Gary's parents were at work). After that this clever dog jumped up and ran off. He ran around all places, where they usually were walking with boys. However, they were not there. Caesar was running to home, probably hoping that kids have already come.
He was running quicker and quicker, and near the house dog hadn’t noticed the car or the car hadn’t noticed a puppy Caesar was motionless. Very soon after that Gary was coming home, with his father, who took away him from the hospital, where was Jack. It's hard to describe what happened next. Gary was crying; his dad couldn’t calm him. It was a horrible day. On the following day Gary didn’t go to the school. He went to Jack to tell him a terrible story.
There were no words that could describe boys’ unbearable sorrow. Jack said: “It seems to me that our childhood ended. You shouldn’t become attached to someone so much” They were sitting in the silence for an hour. Their faces were terribly serious and sad.
Their childhood really ended on that October day. They have become much more serious after that terrible event. The world has ceased to be a miracle for Gary and Jack, but their friendship has become even stronger.
Moreover, they are still friends. Jack and Gary have already become adults and each of them has his own family now. However, there are no dogs in their cheerful families. In that October day, when childhood has ended for them, they decided once and for all that they will never become so attached to the faithful friend of a man.
It is painful to say goodbye to the childhood, but sometimes difficult circumstances can force a very young human to mature faster, while some people are enjoying the favor of destiny and thereby remain kids for a longer period of time.
