It's the Kid

Have you ever realized that as you grow to be an adult you let the kid in yourself die because most things that kids do adults can’t? And that’s the mindset of our society. Last weekend I planned an outing with my group, there I met this kid. He was excited to go on a Ferris Wheel, at first I was not able to understand what got into him that made him so excited for a Ferris Wheel. I mean it was just a ride and what is so exciting about it. But he was selling balloons there right next to the ride, I could see the excitement and sadness at the same time with him when he was looking at other kids going on the ride. My friends asked me to get the tickets for the ride; they wanted to go to Columbus. I bought the tickets, and we went on the ride When we returned, I became curious and went to the Ferris Wheel station and bought one ticket for the kid. Maybe, because he resembled me and reminded me of the time when I used to go to carnivals with my dad. I used to go there with the same excitement I saw in this kid. I wanted that, but as we grow old life changes a lot. I went to him and asked him to take the ticket and go on the ride as he was so anxious and enthusiastic about it. He looked at me and said, “But I haven’t done anything to earn that.” I was confused and asked him again “You want to go the ride, right? But when I am giving you the offer for that, but you are refusing it. Why?”. “Sir, I know I am excited about that ride and I can see you understood how badly I want to go on it but my mom used to say, ‘If you take something you haven’t earned once it becomes your habit and you start enjoying things you never worked for.’So, I don’t like to do things I can’t afford.” I asked him “How much is the balloon for?” He replied, “It is for just ₹ 10.” I bought all his balloons, and he went straight to the ticket counter to buy a ticket. I went back to my friends, when the boy came running towards me and asked me to go on the ride with him as it is because of me he was going on the ride. When we were standing in the queue, he told me that he was trying to sell his balloons from last 2 days but no one was buying them. He every day came to the place just with the hope to go on the ride. I can still see him laughing his heart out on the ride like he got everything in life at that very moment. And yesterday I went to the same place again in the hope to see that kid again, as it was one of the best Ferris Wheel rides of my life. But he was not there, I looked for him all over the carnival, but can’t find him anywhere around. There was some other kid, where he was last time. I went to him and asked if he saw the kid anywhere around. He replied, “Oh! You are asking about my brother.” with tears in his eyes. I said, “Yes, the one who used to stand here and sell these balloons.”. “He met with an accident day before yesterday, he is admitted to Government Hospital; that’s why I am here doing his job.” he started crying. I asked him to take me to the hospital. We rushed. I entered his ward and sat next to him. I asked him “How did this happen?” Looking at me smiling, he said “I am happy to see you here, I don’t know what brought you all the way here. I never thought anyone would care if I live or die. But I am happy to see someone do care at least.” I don’t know what made me go back. Was it the Ferris Wheel ride with him or the connection I felt in an instance or was it me looking for a child within myself? Maybe it was me realizing that you can grow in life, be mature and at the same time never let the kid in you die.