“He can fly around and he saves people, I love superman, but why can’t you fly daddy? You are also my hero!”, “Not every hero flies, my child.”
Not every hero needs superpowers or capes. Some people could forget where they placed their capes. Some may not even have owned a cape. Since not all heroes set out to be heroes, most likely never did. Every individual has their own definition of heroes. But I do not have any. My understanding of the word "hero" may not even be comprehensive, but perhaps one of my early experiences can help to clarify what it means.
I, just like any other toddler, loved wandering around exploring the world, always getting out of sight of my parents giving them mini heart attacks along my journey of growing up and this one time that I had gotten lost, was a memory I’ll never forget.
“Look, a butterfly!", yelled the little girl whom I had just met in the park a few moments ago, already making her my best friend. My big brown eyes scanned everywhere in response to her statement, searching for the pretty little fellows I loved. Not finding any nearby, my feet automatically started dragging me towards the flower garden and beyond getting me to an unfamiliar place in no time.
As I became conscious of my surroundings, fear started taking over my heart finding a dark, scary place. Walking a little distance ahead I felt the presence of someone and the stinging smell of smoke hitting my nostrils as I held my nose and covered it with my hand. The shadow of a man advanced towards me, leading me to step back. ‘What are you doing here?” asked the mysterious man who had a tall figure, messy black hair and dark eyes, making me hesitate before answering with big, glossy eyes, now filled with tears, “I-I don’t know, I’m lost.”
He looked at me for a while and then proceeded to walk past me.
“Please take me to my mommy and daddy”, I cried out, frightened I would be left alone in that place. He paused before looking back with blank expressions as if he didn’t care. I ran over and hugged his leg not wanting to be abandoned and kept crying as he let out a tired sigh and bent over to my level. “Fine, fine just stop clinging on to me”, he said before leading me towards a gate which showed the view of the main road across it.
I paced up to match his speed and held his finger tightly and smiled thanking him. “Thank you, you helped me. You’re a good boy” I blattered out in my squeaky happy voice. ”When the angels will give you chocolate, will you share it with me?” I asked full of hope, just melting by the thought of eating chocolate. His steps halted as he looked over to me with a slightly annoyed expression, “Angels?” he scoffed, “Don’t tell me you believe in that crap.” “Crap? What’s that?” I asked as he acknowledged the innocence in my eyes. He rolled his eyes.
“Why do you look sad? Do you not like chocolate? Maybe you can make a deal with the angel and ask for candy or what you like!”, “Look kid, angels are a made up thing, there’s no such thing as angels or god or anything good in this accursed world, get out of your imagination and face the reality” he clarified, thinking back, almost as if he said that to himself more than to me.
“No, angels do exist!” I fought back, “ If not as fairies then as people. Mommy said when someone kind helps you they are like angels in the form of people. Just like you!” My last sentence almost made him trip as he froze and went silent for a good while.
“What happened Uncle? If you love candy a lot then it’s okay I won’t take it from you” he zoned back in as he moved closer to me and with an unreadable expression he asked me, “You… You really think I’m an angel?”, “Of course you are! You are kind and a good person so you are an angel” I said as he got reassured and he sat back with shining eyes and a little grin as if I suggested a solution to his life long problem as shortly after, his eyes sparkled, dropping down diamond tears as his face glowed. “ You even look like an angel now” I exclaimed and his pretty eyes went back to my figure.
His smile grew wider looking at me as he advanced over to hug me. He kept crying and thanking me over and over again. “Thank you, Thank you so much” I laughed aloud as it tickled me. He moved away, wiping off the tears and patting my head. “You know who’s the real angel here?”, “There’s a real angel here!?” I asked impatiently. “ It’s you,” he said as I got puzzled. “Me? How? I’m not an angel, I’m a girl!”, “Didn’t you just say anyone who is kind and good is an angel, so you are an angel, the very best of them all” he answered.
“Really? Yay! Thank you uncle” I said happily as he smiled, holding my hand himself this time as we walked over to the gate and back to the flower garden. Walking a little further I found my parents in a state of worry, pacing here and there probably looking for their little adventurer. “Mommy! Daddy!” I shouted, grabbing their attention as they ran over to me squeezing me in their embrace. My parents thanked the man as he simply smiled and was about to walk away but I rushed and grabbed his hand giving him the candy from my mother’s handbag, which I had taken to give it to him assuming he must love candies.
He bent over to me and gave me another big hug. “Goodbye, angel”, he said as he walked away and soon disappeared from our sight.
I’m still unsure of who was the hero here but I know one thing for sure, he helped me on a lost way of a park, but I seemed to have helped him in a lost track of life. I know now, he must have been struggling with something, or maybe life wasn’t being very easy for him. Maybe we both were heroes for each other.
Kindness, help or a good deed is never planned, it just comes from the inside, maybe healing a broken part of you, more than the others. I learned that day. I learned a lot more than just if angels exist or not, or if chocolates are tastier than candies or the other way around. It's always much more than just what we expect it to be, that is because this is life. It’s unexpected and never fails to amaze you but good intentions always come back to us.
These are the ordinary people, the heroes without capes who do not need a particular place, time or pre-planning to help the ones in need. Sometimes you don’t even realize, but you’re a hero to someone, a hero to yourself.
By Aleena Rahail
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