Benjamin was a smart ten year old boy. He was talented in many ways. Yet despite that all, he was friendless.
I say was, because that all changed one day as he walked through the towns’ park.
He trudged along the leaf covered path, his feet dragging making that irking scraping noise of a shoe being mercilessly shredded by the pavement. His mother would be upset, but he didn’t care anymore. His mother was always telling him what to do and he was tired of listening to her. Her latest attack, which had been on her lips ever since Benjamin had started school, was why Benjamin couldn’t make friends with the other boys.
Benjamin grunted. He hated it when his mother told him to go make friends. She didn’t know how much he wanted to play and talk with the other boys. Yet she just didn’t understand that he had tried so hard to talk to them, yet they wouldn’t accept him, and Benjamin knew why.
Ever since Benjamin can remember, he had had a horrible twitch in his mouth any time he tried to talk to someone he didn’t really know so well. He couldn’t control it when his mouth twisted in such grotesque ways. It was for this reason that boys just felt awkward talking to Benjamin.
As Benjamin trekked along the path, keeping his eyes on the cold gray pavement, he strongly wished that his twitch would be healed and that he could have friends.
“Hello young boy,” a soft voice shook Benjamin out of his revere.
Startled, Benjamin looked up to see a kind looking man looking at him.
Benjamin had always been taught not to talk to strangers. But this man was different. He didn’t seem like such a stranger. If anything, Benjamin felt as if he had known this man better than he knew anyone else.
“h-hi,” Benjamin stammered, without his mouth twitching. “Do you know me?”
The man smiled kindly. “Well not really. But I noticed that you looked a little, how should I put it,” the man paused a minute, thinking. “You look a bit upset.”
“And?” Benjamin asked cautiously.
“I wanted to know if there’s anything I can do to help. I hate when people have troubles and I don’t help.” The man gazed at Benjamin with his soft gray eyes.
“Well,” Benjamin started. He felt himself being pulled towards those deep caring eyes. “My mother wants me to make friends with the boys in my class, but I just can’t seem to talk to them.”
“Why not?”
“Well,” Benjamin said uncertainly. He didn’t know why he was pouring out his whole life story.
Well no one else was willing to hear him out, and this man did seem to care. “Any time I start talking to someone, I get nervous and my mouth starts twitching uncontrollably. The boys feel awkward talking to me, so I just stopped talking to them to spare them from the awkwardness.”
The man nodded slowly. “I understand. Maybe we can sit down and I can tell you something. It might take a few minutes to say it and my feet are tired from walking so much.”
“I'm sorry,” Benjamin apologized. “There’s a bench right around the bend behind me. I happened to notice it as I was walking.”
As soon as they got comfortable, or as comfortable as one could get on a cold, hard wooden bench, the man began to talk. “I also had a problem with making friends when I was younger. My problem was a lack of confidence. I was never given much attention at home, and when I did get attention, it was always about how I didn’t do anything right. I figured no one wanted to have such a loser like me for a friend so I didn’t even bother to make any friends.”
Benjamin saw the agonized expression on the man’s face. He felt bad that the man had to reveal such a painful part of his past.
“I went through school without any friends,” the man sighed sadly. “Well. Here I am. A friendless old man.” The man shook his head as if trying to get rid of a thought. “When I saw you, I thought you had that look on your face that I went through school with.”
The man looked into Benjamin’s eyes. “I thought…. I thought maybe we can be friends.” The man laughed nervously. “I know it sounds absurd, but after almost forty years of being without friends, I need a companion no matter how much older or younger he is than me. I guess you can say I'm desperate for friendship.”
Benjamin thought about what the man was asking of him. His mother had always warned him about not talking to strangers. But hey. What was he supposed to care about what she said anymore? All she did was telling him what to do.
“Come to think of it,” Benjamin thought to himself, “I have a lot in common with this man. And besides, my mother did want me to make friends. Even though she wanted me to make friends with the other boys my age, this man can’t be such a bad friend. Furthermore, my mouth isn’t twitching when I talk to him.”
“I'd be more than happy to be your friend,” Benjamin finally announced. “It's getting dark so I’d better get home before my mother gets worried about me. But maybe we can meet again tomorrow right here at four a clock.”
“Good night…” the man finally realized they had never introduced themselves. “What’s your name?”
“Benjamin. And what’s your name?”
“My name is Mr. Douglas.” The man smiled. “Good night, Benjamin.”
Mr. Douglas got up and left. Benjamin sat in the bench watching Mr. Douglas disappear down the path.
When he was no longer able to see Mr. Douglas, Benjamin got up and skipped down the path. Benjamin had just made his first real friend!