There lived a boy in a small town in Alabama named Lolly, who had been blind since birth. Even at the age of ten, his mother still carried him on her back to school because he could not walk alone safely. His mother, Georgina, took a job as a cleaner at his school so she could always watch over him. Lolly had other siblings, but he was the youngest and the most neglected, especially by his father, who refused to accept him because of his blindness. Neighbors mocked him openly, calling him useless and broken.
One sunny afternoon, Lolly's classes ended early. As he walked slowly outside, he heard other children laughing and playing. When they asked him to join, he gently shook his head and tried to leave. But they stopped him, grabbed his walking stick, and began hitting him with it while laughing.
"Beat the blind boy! Beat blind Lolly!" they shouted.
Lolly cried loudly, and the sound reached his mother. Georgina dropped everything and ran, chasing the children away with anger burning in her eyes. That day, Lolly returned home with a broken heart.
But later that evening, a small light entered his dark world. His Aunt Faustina arrived to visit. She brought sweets, hugged him warmly, and treated him like a normal child—like he mattered. For the first time that day, Lolly smiled.
Oma, Lolly's sister, quietly led him to the window as they eavesdropped on their aunt and father talking outside. They couldn't hear everything clearly, but the words "a boy" and "money" reached their ears more than once. Confused and curious, they stayed silent.
The next morning, Aunt Faustina gathered everyone in the living room. With a calm smile, she announced that there was a special school in the city for children like Lolly—and she had already obtained an admission form for him. The room instantly filled with excitement. Georgina screamed with joy, dancing around the room as she waved her wrapper in the air, tears streaming down her face.
Lolly sat quietly, his heart racing with hope he had never felt before. Meanwhile, Faustina and Lolly's father exchanged a long, suspicious glance, smiling at each other in a way that made the moment feel less innocent—like a secret was hidden behind their