The Original Superhero

Once I was moving past a beggar on the road. The beggar looked at me as if he wanted something but I was in a hurry so I just moved away as if there was no one sitting on the road beside the narrow gateway of the tower. I was in a hurry because I wanted to go to the market to buy some of the groceries my mother wanted. After a while when I came back from the market that boy was still sitting there, no movement and he gasped for breath so I couldn’t just control myself and I finally forgot the show which I wanted to see and yes for which I was in such a hurry and I made him stand up and he whispered “f.. foo...dd”, at first I was like ‘is he from Telangana air something like that because I didn’t understand what did he say’.

After a minute of thinking I thought that he must need some water so I brought a bottle of water from my home and gave him. After drinking his breaths came into life and he said “can... can you get me ... some food”, I was so shocked because for the first time I saw a beggar speaking such fluent English. I said, “yes, yes why not”. I ran home and broke my piggy bank, my mom shouting from the kitchen what is going on and I still running and while climbing downstairs I counted the money I had and I said to myself “what am I doing, I saved this money for myself” I nodded but the picture of that boy came into my mind again and I thought “I would waste this money of course, so it’s better to fill the stomach of a little boy”

I ran at my full speed and reached the general store and I said “one dish of rice plate please” and the store manager said “child take some breath first” and I started breathing loudly and after some time I got my order, I paid the money and raced my way to that boy and I said “here’s some food for you”. He looked at the plate as if he got food after years but you wouldn’t believe what he did after taking the plate from me, he stood up and caught up his leg as his one leg was cut, so I helped him walk and then he took off my hand from over his shoulder and then I couldn’t believe my eyes there he didn’t even have the power to walk and he gave that rice plate to an old man who was much healthy than him.

I thought first that he could be his father but he came back to me and said “ I.. I know that.. you must be thinking he is my father but he is the one who helped me learn English and did a great favor to me and so it’s my responsibility to fill his stomach as he filled my life with... with Happ... happiness and made my life of some use he ... is my real superhero”. I was crying in there rubbing my tears with my t-shirt and said “You are the only one superhero”.