He Would Touch the Moon

She couldn’t help noticing the disabled boy who couldn’t run as fast as his friends. But once they started chatting, Sammy would make an impression on her she’d never forget

- HAYDEN D GOVENDER

I WATCHED him play again today.

He moved really slowly, wanting to reach his friends who ran much faster than he did. I still couldn’t understand why he joined those boys.

More especially I couldn’t understand why he’d had to be born the way he was.

My mother always said the world would be a much sadder place if we were all the same. I still wasn’t sure I agreed with that . . .

Before I knew it, lunch was over. I moved across the field to my classroom at my own pace, not too quickly nor too slowly. I didn’t see the use – running off to line up again before anyone else reached the front. Weren’t we all going to the same place?

Mimi, my best friend at school, was insisting I hurry. She had a funny way of reminding me about something I already knew. But my focus was on the one I heard them call Sammy.