A Hidden Secret
AS DEREK PREPARED TO STEP OFF THE BUS, HE CAUGHT THE SOUND OF A WEEP AND PAUSED.
AT THAT MOMENT, HE GLANCED TOWARD THE FINAL SEAT AND REALIZED A YOUNGSTER REMAINED THERE.
“HEY, KID,” HE ADDRESSED THE SMALL BOY. “AREN’T YOU HEADED TO SCHOOL TODAY?”
THE SMALL BOY WEPT AND SHOOK HIS HEAD NO.
“WHAT’S AMISS, SON? ARE YOU QUITE ALL RIGHT?” HE INQUIRED, MOVING CLOSER TO HIM.
DEREK NOTICED THE BOY WAS KEEPING HIS HANDS CONCEALED BEHIND HIM. “WHAT ARE YOU KEEPING HIDDEN THERE, PAL?” HE ASKED. “IS SOMETHING TROUBLING YOU? TELL ME WHAT IT IS.”
UPON HEARING THAT, THE BOY REVEALED HIS HANDS.
“GOOD HEAVENS…” DEREK WHISPERED, STRICKEN WITH FEAR, HIS HAND SHOOTING TO HIS MOUTH IN SHOCK.The boy’s hands were covered in bright, sticky red goo. Derek knelt down, trying to keep his voice calm. “Okay, buddy, what’s this?” he asked gently, gesturing to the red substance.
The boy sniffled, tears streaming down his face. “I… I dropped my cupcake. It was strawberry.” He held up a mangled, half-eaten cupcake smeared all over his hands.
Derek felt a wave of relief wash over him, followed by a surge of sheepishness. He’d imagined something terrible. “A cupcake, huh?” he chuckled, running a hand through his own hair. “Well, that explains the tears. Strawberry’s my favorite. It’s a real tragedy when you drop a good cupcake.”
The boy looked up, a flicker of hope in his eyes. “Really?”
“Really,” Derek confirmed. “But you can’t just sit here and cry about it all day. We need to get you to school. We’ll figure out what to do.”
Derek helped the boy gather the remnants of his cupcake and tossed them in a nearby trash can. He then used his own water bottle and a handful of tissues he found in his bag to clean the boy’s hands.
“What’s your name?” Derek asked.
“Tommy,” the boy mumbled.
“Okay, Tommy, let’s get you to school. What class are you in?”
Tommy told him his teacher’s name and the classroom number. Derek, remembering the anxieties of starting school himself, walked Tommy hand-in-hand to the school doors.
He explained the situation to a passing teacher, who promised to take Tommy to his classroom and let his teacher know what happened.
As he watched Tommy disappear into the bustling school hallway, Derek smiled. He had almost let his imagination run wild, conjuring up worst-case scenarios. He realized that sometimes, the most frightening things are just simple accidents, easily solved with a little kindness and a wet wipe. He boarded the bus, no longer a hesitant passenger, but someone who had made a small difference in a little boy’s day. And perhaps, that little difference had made a big difference in his own.
