Short Story #29: Helping Out

Beads of sweat rolled down Derrick's face as he carried the last chair to its designated desk. After he placed it down, he placed his hands on his hips and took a really deep breath. He smiled as he looked up at the newly painted ceiling. With the help of his friends, they were able to completely revamp the entire classroom, all under one hour before the children would return from their lunch time.

He heard the sounds of soft footsteps outside and chattering, and it dawned on him that the children had finally arrived. Stealthily moving to flick off the lights, he joined his friends at the back of the classroom, crouching down in an effort to conceal themselves.

The door had finally opened and the tallest child among them, who was also the class monitor, reached out for the lights to switch them on. As soon as the room illuminated, all of them gasped in total surprise and shock.

"Surprise!" The loud yells coming from the back alerted them and their already widened eyes and mouths grew bigger. Derrick and his friends did not waste time and rushed forward to give the still surprised children hugs. Some of the children were at the brink of tears and some could not voice their thoughts coherently so the volunteers merely tightened their hugs, smiling widely and some even crying with the grateful children. Wiping the tears of a little girl with his thumb, Derrick whispered, "Don't cry~"

Derrick guessed coming into the classroom must had been a huge shocker for the children. Imagine coming into the same classroom but with walls and ceilings completely painted in white, and the rickety tables and chairs replaced with sturdy ones. Not to mention, there were pencil boxes filled with the standard stationery placed neatly on every desk, one for each children. And now, the lights were completely bright as the light bulbs were also replaced with higher quality ones. The lights were bright but the grateful smiles from the children shined brighter than the lights.

Derrick could not help but cry with the children and his friends too. Having spent a few days in Laos with the children, he realized the hardships they had to go through in their daily lives, including for their education. The schools here, especially those in the rural parts of the village, were under-funded and as such, lacked proper and working materials to give the children an effective learning environment, a factor that Derrick and his friends had no problem with back at their home.

Derrick's heart ached for these children and he was happy that they were able to make a huge difference in these children's lives. He hoped the children would be able to pursue their education with more enthusiasm and convenience now. He was already dreading the day where he would have to part with these wonderful children.