Last week, my son fractured his right leg. He was doing somersault with his friends in school and he ended up being in bed for next one month. Well, all kids meet with injuries. It’s no big deal. But what is making the situation tense in our house is that my son just can’t cope with the situation. He is a very active person and the thought of lying in bed for one whole month is irking him to no end.

In last one week itself, he has become bored with comics, television and video games. He keeps on asking us what should he do next. We spend as much time as possible with him.  I know he is sad.  He just wants to get up from that bed and cycle around the neighbourhood. I keep on telling him- only three weeks more.

There is one more reason for his elevated restlessness. Tomorrow is his best friend’s birthday. This day is most important for my son. He and his friend are childhood friends. Now my son had planned to give a surprise gift to his best friend on his birthday. But all his plans went haywire due to the injury. Yesterday he was lying in his bed so forlornly. I asked him about it and we decided that I will get all the things he had planned from the shop.

I went to the shop yesterday and checked out everything. Since the shopkeeper was closing the shop at that time- I decided to return back next day and purchase everything. I went back home and described everything to my son. He was so happy. I saw him really happy after a long time.

Now today I went to the shop and was shocked. The shop was closed. O God!!!! I didn’t know what to do. Why this had to happen? I called my son and told him about it. He just asked me to come back and forget about it. But I know he is very hurt. Why?, Why?, Why?- why this had to happen? I am feeling so bad now. The problem is that my son had set his heart on all the things we discussed yesterday. And tomorrow is his best friend’s birthday. What should I do now? I must do something. It’s all because of me. I am feeling terrible.

But I must take your leave now. I have to go outside. Please take care. Bye.

The outside trip was actually a visit to the branch of the same shop which was located in far corner of the city. Several telephone calls were made and the address was sought finally. The son got all the things – exactly the same, he wanted for his best friend’s birthday. The “common man” himself went to the friend’s house to wish him a very happy birthday and deliver the gifts.