What people don’t understand, they fear. What they fear, they judge, and what they judge, they attempt to control. This is a short story of a boy born with disabilities who became the fear, the evil and the object in his society to be controlled.
Somewhere in a remote village in a nation where most people believe in the forces of the spirit world and its powers on humans, Elijah was born. Unfortunately, he was born with several birth defects with facial deformities being the most profound.
Based on the traditions of the village, his birth was believed to be a curse that had befallen his family. Therefore, naturally, when newborns bring joy to their families, his family mourned for a week after his birth as customs demanded. Additionally, his arrival required a special ritual to pacify the gods to stop any further punishments to the family and the village. For years, each morning, Elijah’s family expected to see his lifeless body on his bed, which would signify the forgiveness of the gods. But amazingly, he grew past the age of every perceived cursed child in the history of the village.
It was forbidden to show any affection to supposedly cursed children like him, lest they live longer. By the time Elijah reached the age to understand that he was different and that he wasn’t accepted by his own family, he began to isolate himself. Each morning, he went to sit outside the house in an open yard. This is where he ate and stayed until dark.
The facial deformities around the nose and mouth got worse as he got older which caused his tongue and most of his teeth exposed. The condition made eating and drinking very difficult. His speech was affected by it as well. Years of constant exposure to the harsh hot weather coupled with severe malnutrition have caused skin disease all over his body with the stomach protruding like a full-term pregnant woman ready to deliver at any time.
At 12 years of age, Elijah had come to accept in his young life that, constant mockery and belittling were his fate. However, he had hoped over the years that somehow, the name-callings and the look of disgust on people’s faces as they stare would not faze him. Nonetheless, the harsh truth was that each name-calling, each rejection, and humiliation year after year hurt as much as the first time.
One day was exceptionally difficult, his grandmother, the only person who risked everything and gave him some kind of affection had died the previous day from a short illness. The worst part was that Elijah was blamed for her demise. The evil child, who had defied death for years, had caused the innocent grandmother to die as a result. That day was her funeral, and he wasn’t allowed near where she laid. The front part of his stained t-shirt from every food he had eaten for months was wet with his tears. as he watched from a distance. Little did Elijah know that on that day, the day of his grandmother’s burier was his day of redemption. That help was just around the corner, literally.
Across town, were a group of foreign tourists who were heading to the capital city who had had a mechanical problem with their vehicle. They hung around the bus for a while as they waited for one of their hosts who had hitchhiked to come back from a town about an hour away, either with a mechanic or a replacement bus. Out of boredom and the fact that it was going to take a few more hours to leave the roadside, some of them decided to take a walk to while away the time. And in no time, they spotted a quiet dusty road leading up to a village that from a distance looked like a few small, scattered houses. The secluded community is situated a bit of a distance from the highway, hidden by a wooded area. The sounds of drums and singing, which they interpreted as a form of celebration coming from the village, caught their attention, prompting them to investigate. Before long, they arrived at a rural area that isn’t typically a tourist destination, but they saw it as a potential distraction to pass the time.
A short distance away, they spotted a yellowish-brown casket, indicating a funeral. Not a festival or anything of that nature they initially assumed. Intrigued by the unique way the people were bidding farewell to their departed, some of them approached closer with cameras in hand, eager to capture every detail. As the tourists got closer, they noticed that the children running around stopped abruptly and stared while the adults whispered amongst themselves motioning to one another to look at the intruders. It seemed that for some of them, it was their first encounter with people of a different race in their village. Despite the confused looks on their faces, the smiles on the tourists’ faces conveyed their harmless intentions, swiftly putting the locals at ease and gradually diffusing the tension. There were a few waves from both sides. While some were already busy taking pictures and recording, others did their best to have some form of interaction with some of them, but the language barrier made it almost impossible.
Minutes into their somehow awkward invasion, something caught the eye of Ryan, who was one of the tourists. He observed a person seated on the floor, distant from others, and attempting to conceal their face with their shirt in a state of desperation. From a distance, Ryan could tell something was amiss and allowed curiosity to get the best of him. Some of his colleagues were busy getting acquainted with two of them already on the dance ground blissfully dancing hours of their frustrations away. Ryan got closer and motioned to the boy that it was ok to let go of the shirt covering his face and that he didn’t mean harm. To further ease the fear and tension in his eyes, Ryan quickly shoved the camera into his backpack and squatted to his level as he moved towards him. Though hesitant at first, Elijah slowly let go of his shirt to reveal what he concealed. Ryan was in shock at what he was staring at but did his best not to display his emotions to the young man. Suddenly, a local man ran to interrupt him and spoke angrily as though to warn Ryan of the dangers he was getting himself into by just giving Elijah attention. The yelling drew the attention of a few more people who got closer to where Ryan and Elijah were.
The tourists were a collective of international medical professionals on a mission who had dedicated several months to working in the country. They were now embarking on a tour before heading back to their home country. And Ryan specialized in reconstructive surgery. A moment later, the group unanimously decided to assist Elijah no matter what challenges arose. Arrangements were soon made through an interpreter for him to get help. A week later, Elijah was brought to the city and underwent a series of surgical procedures. He was placed under a special care in the city for a year while getting his treatment. Elijah’s transformation after the reconstructive surgeries and his overall appearance made it impossible for his own family to recognize him. He’s still alive to this day living a happy fruitful life and contributing to his society. As an adult, anytime he visits his village, most of the people stare in astonishment realizing that he was also a human being like them and wasn’t an evil child after all.
For advice on dealing with discrimination, click here to explore coping strategies and find out how to seek help.
