People used to say Leo was a very humble child. He had lost his parents when he was just a baby and now lived with his grandmother in a small house—a house almost on the verge of tumbling down. The holes in the roof were filled with hay, the broken windows were covered with newspaper, the yellow paint was chipping off the walls, and the main door was half missing because a month back the landlord had kicked it a little too hard in a fit of anger.
Leo’s grandmother usually remained sick, lying on the wooden worn-out bed. Leo, a thirteen-year-old boy, had the burden of debts and bills of his grandmother's medicines on his weak shoulders. People used to be surprised when he never complained about his situation and faced problems without protesting. He studied till the afternoon in the community school then on weekdays he worked in a local grocery store across the street while on the weekends he delivered food for an earning.
A year back, a pi-dog had come outside his house, in front of the door, on the brink of death due to hunger. Leo couldn’t bear to see the dog in such a condition. He always had a soft spot for the weak or needy, maybe because he could relate to them. He bought some biscuits and milk for the dog. Every day for a week Leo looked after the weak animal until he gained enough strength to walk around. Humans have the power to disconnect themselves from others easily but animals are surely different. The dog had already pledged his loyalty to Leo and now Nico, the dog, was part of the family.
A year has passed by but Leo’s condition remains the same. He was sorting out the bottles of soda from the fruit juice cartons in the local grocery store when he heard on the small television, “The north-western villages of Burmington are likely going to experience extreme heavy rainfall in the coming weeks. The national weather department has requested villagers to move to higher lands and safer zones.”
Worry washed over Leo’s face. After his shift ended, the manager called him and handed him two ten dollar bills and said, “I am closing the shop for a few months, going to my wife's native village because of the weather alert. This is your month's salary and I have added an extra five dollars just in case you need it. You should move from here soon as well, it is not safe here anymore kiddo.”
Leo thanked the manager, changed, and ran back home. He told his grandmother everything about the weather reports. They immediately started packing everything that was important, filling just one small brown duffel bag. Three days later, the house started to show signs of flooding. It was time to leave. On reaching the station, Leo realised Nico was not there with them. He had not seen him for the entire day. 'Must have gone to steal corn from farmer Finn's farm again', he thought. He quickly got his grandmother settled in the train leaving for Princeton where they were supposed to take refuge under the non-profit climate impact centre.
He then ran back through the streets which were now filled with knee-deep water. He only wished that Nico was safe somewhere near. When he reached the tumble-down house, he saw Nico, confused and barking on the broken roof. He noticed Leo and barked again, this time with happiness. Leo finally took a breath of relief. He tucked Nico on his back and started walking towards the station.
Now a month has passed by since they came to Princeton. Leo was finally acknowledged for his excellent score in school and was given a scholarship to study at a well-known school in Princeton. His grandmother got the chance to be treated at a government hospital under an elderly benefit scheme and Nico had become good friends with Leo’s new friends from school. Leo still had to take up a part-time job at the local radio store for his external expenses but he felt his life was not haywire anymore. He was happy and satisfied. He felt sometimes things are not clear right away. That is where you need to be patient, persevere and see where things lead because everything comes to you at the right time.
Comments