Blacksmith Boy
By: Tanisha S.
Heroes are made when you make a choice. The lyrics from that Superchick song ran through Sam’s head as he was walking through the halls, thinking about the time last winter when he’d been able to help someone. You don’t need that red cape and a weakness to a green rock to save people. All you need is perfect timing and three words.
That day had been stormy, one of those days when all anyone wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep. Sam was worried about the in-class essay that he’d just taken. Some people are known as “the funny one” or “the bad boy”; Sam was known as “the sensitive one”. He was stressing out about all the ways he could have written the essay better when he bumped into someone, a girl. Not just a girl, the girl who lived down the street from him. Sam had recently moved into town and he’d seen the girl when he’d first moved in, in the middle of summer. She’d been smiling and laughing as she played tag with a little girl. It was hard to believe that this was still the same person.
This girl had a haunted look about her, as if she constantly had to watch her back because she was alone and because whatever protection she had once had, whatever armor, had been taken from her. At the same time, she was glowing. She was radiant, as if she had just discovered the meaning of life. The thing that struck Sam the most was how sad she seemed, so sad that it seemed like the sadness would never completely go away. The girl tried to rush past him, but Sam grabbed her arm. He looked deep into her eyes, and he knew.
He asked,very seriously, “Are you okay?” The girl looked at him, startled. Tears started to form at the corners of her eyes and she smiled.
“I will be.”
Sam nodded and said, “Okay. I’ll see you around.”
The next day, the girl came up to him and asked to talk. They ended up in a quiet corner of the library and she revealed everything. Her name was Sarah and Sam had saved her life. Sarah talked of words turning into these poisoned swords and how all her golden armor had been slowly ripped away from her. She also talked about Sam and how as she had been rushing past him, she was actually thinking of… well, let’s just say that she was thinking of doing real harm to herself. She had been radiant because she finally found a solution to her problem. She thought that nobody cared, that she was all alone, that no one would help her. Then Sam asked her one question, saving her. He had asked if she was okay. Sarah told him how she had seen the sincerity in his eyes, heard the concern in his voice. She thought of him as a blacksmith who had taken in her armor for repairs and who was going to return it stronger than ever. She thought of him as her Blacksmith Boy. She realized that someone cared, even though her tormentors had made her believe that she didn’t deserve it. She believed again.
Now as Sam walks through the halls, he smiles at everyone. He keeps a lookout for anyone who looks upset and he always steps in when someone is getting tormented. Sarah taught him that there’s no need to do something big to help people. All that matters are the small things. A smile, a look of concern, one question could change lives.
See how the little things we do can have an effect greater than we ever imagined? Sometimes people in Sarah’s position think that the only way to escape this torture, the only way to have power and to build up your armor, is through violence. However, as we have been told since elementary school, violence is not the way to go. Sincerity and love and concern and all those positive feelings, that’s how you rebuild that shield. And that’s how Sam saved Sarah.
Heroes are made when you make a choice. The lyrics from that Superchick song ran through Sam’s head as he was walking through the halls, thinking about the time last winter when he’d been able to help someone. You don’t need that red cape and a weakness to a green rock to save people. All you need is perfect timing and three words.
That day had been stormy, one of those days when all anyone wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep. Sam was worried about the in-class essay that he’d just taken. Some people are known as “the funny one” or “the bad boy”; Sam was known as “the sensitive one”. He was stressing out about all the ways he could have written the essay better when he bumped into someone, a girl. Not just a girl, the girl who lived down the street from him. Sam had recently moved into town and he’d seen the girl when he’d first moved in, in the middle of summer. She’d been smiling and laughing as she played tag with a little girl. It was hard to believe that this was still the same person.
This girl had a haunted look about her, as if she constantly had to watch her back because she was alone and because whatever protection she had once had, whatever armor, had been taken from her. At the same time, she was glowing. She was radiant, as if she had just discovered the meaning of life. The thing that struck Sam the most was how sad she seemed, so sad that it seemed like the sadness would never completely go away. The girl tried to rush past him, but Sam grabbed her arm. He looked deep into her eyes, and he knew.
He asked,very seriously, “Are you okay?” The girl looked at him, startled. Tears started to form at the corners of her eyes and she smiled.
“I will be.”
Sam nodded and said, “Okay. I’ll see you around.”
The next day, the girl came up to him and asked to talk. They ended up in a quiet corner of the library and she revealed everything. Her name was Sarah and Sam had saved her life. Sarah talked of words turning into these poisoned swords and how all her golden armor had been slowly ripped away from her. She also talked about Sam and how as she had been rushing past him, she was actually thinking of… well, let’s just say that she was thinking of doing real harm to herself. She had been radiant because she finally found a solution to her problem. She thought that nobody cared, that she was all alone, that no one would help her. Then Sam asked her one question, saving her. He had asked if she was okay. Sarah told him how she had seen the sincerity in his eyes, heard the concern in his voice. She thought of him as a blacksmith who had taken in her armor for repairs and who was going to return it stronger than ever. She thought of him as her Blacksmith Boy. She realized that someone cared, even though her tormentors had made her believe that she didn’t deserve it. She believed again.
Now as Sam walks through the halls, he smiles at everyone. He keeps a lookout for anyone who looks upset and he always steps in when someone is getting tormented. Sarah taught him that there’s no need to do something big to help people. All that matters are the small things. A smile, a look of concern, one question could change lives.
See how the little things we do can have an effect greater than we ever imagined? Sometimes people in Sarah’s position think that the only way to escape this torture, the only way to have power and to build up your armor, is through violence. However, as we have been told since elementary school, violence is not the way to go. Sincerity and love and concern and all those positive feelings, that’s how you rebuild that shield. And that’s how Sam saved Sarah.