They say of the hunchback kid that he has a second home. But, wait, stop right there. There must be a better, kinder way of referring to him. Hunchback sounds so antiquated, like retarded or midget or cocksucker. You’d think from his sobriquet that he was the sort of ghoul that hung around church towers, and shouted epithets at the torch-wielding villagers below. But that wasn’t his style, not at all.
Instead of hunchback, let us say that he was exceptionally shouldered – yes, that has a whiff of dignity about it, maybe even pride. Though, he wasn’t a particularly proud type of fellow, you know, running around town pointing at his own shoulder and shouting, “Hey, everybody, check out the freak.” He had a much more relaxed disposition, a chill demeanor to match his simple faith. He carried his pride on his back. That mountain atop his shoulder was another of God’s mysterious blessings.
They’re in awe of him when he walks by, as if saying quietly, “Look, there walks God’s Pride. See how the dust parts with the slide of his foot.”
Well, anyway, that’s good enough. We’ll call him Pride for short. So this boy called Pride has two homes. One he shares with his parents, both of whom work slave hours at the local mega store. At night, when he puts himself to bed, tossing blankets over his hump—excuse me, I meant blessing—he counts until he falls asleep, and if he times it just right, he can reach the exact number when his parents come home from one shift, and are already preparing for another one.
His other home is with his blind friend. Oh, but blind sounds so judgmental, so final. Let’s not say blind, but, rather, say that he is gifted with other-sensory accentuation. Let’s call him something appropriate, to fit his lucky state in life. Let’s call him Luck.
What a pair they make when they’re at play. Heads are craned in their direction. The people stare, no doubt in envy of the divine blessings bestowed on those extraordinary boys. The neighbors look out the window, following their every move, as if to say, “There go Pride and Luck. Never more fortunate boys were born.”
