04/08/2026
Instead, he became the man of the house before he was even old enough to understand what that truly meant.
Every morning after finishing his chores, David hurried to school wearing a faded uniform that had been patched so many times it was difficult to tell its original color.
His sandals had broken months ago.
He walked barefoot.
Some classmates laughed whenever they saw him.
"There goes the village beggar."
"I heard he wears only one uniform."
"I wonder if he even ate today."
Their laughter echoed through the classroom.
David heard every word.
But he never answered.
Instead, he smiled quietly and took his seat.
His teachers admired him because, despite everything, he was always among the best students.
One afternoon, their mathematics teacher announced a difficult test.
Many students looked worried.
One of them was a quiet boy named Michael.
Michael came from another village and had transferred to the school only a few months earlier.
He struggled with mathematics and often kept to himself.
After class, David noticed Michael sitting alone beneath a mango tree, staring at his notebook.
"You look troubled," David said gently.
Michael sighed.
"I don't understand today's lesson."
David smiled.
"Come... let's solve it together."
For nearly two hours, David patiently explained every question.
He didn't laugh when Michael made mistakes.
He simply encouraged him.
"You'll get it. Just try again."
By sunset, Michael had solved every problem correctly.
His face lit up with excitement.
"I finally understand it!"
David laughed.
"I told you that you could."
From that day, the two boys became inseparable.
