chapter:1 the boy at the wall
Near the great wall, a few children sat together ,talking quietly.
Among them, one boy stood apart throwing stones at the massive structure that towered over them like a mountain.
He wasn't doing it out of rebelling.
He was just Angry. Hungry. Tired. Helpless.
While the others sat and talked, he kept throwing . Stone after stone.
just then, a sound came form above.
clunkthudclang!
A metal container slid out from a hatch high up the wall and dropped down.
it hit the ground hard and burst open slightly.
inside it were small packet sealed, shiny, and clearly holding food.
The children gasped .
one of them shouted, "Food! theve throw food today!"
Everyone ran toward it.
But the boy who had been throwing stones was the first to move.
And he was fast.
faster than the rest.
Hw sprinted ahead, arms pumping, eye locked on the fallen packets.
By the time the others reached the container, he had already grabbed tow packets, yanked them out , and was running back.
some kid tried to stop him.
some shouted, 'Give one! give one!"
But he didn't stop.
He run.
through the muddy street, broken shacks, rusted junk .
he ran like his life depended on it because it did.
He clutched the packets tight in is arms as he weaved through alleys.
And finally, he reached home a half collapsed hut made of old tin sheet and cloth.
Inside, lying on mat, was his mother.
her face was pale.
Her body frail.
she hadn't eaten in days.
her breath were shallow.
The boy knelt beside her opened on of the packets.
Ma... l brought food, he whispered.
Tears welled up in his eyes as he gently lifted her head.
she tried to speak, but only coughed.
"Don't worry", he said. "I was faster than all of them".