The Orphan

A boy was living happily with his brother, mother, father, and dog. His father worked in a factory. The pay was ok, but the work was hard. One day, a man knocked at the door of the family. The man sat them down and informed them that the father had been caught in some machinery and had died. The mother was inconsolable. She took two jobs to support her kids. They did not have much to eat, and their house was always cold. One day, the boy's brother was crossing the road and he was hit and killed by a drunk driver. After his funeral, the mother had undergone so much stress that she went crazy and committed suicide. The boy was brought to the orphanage, and they took away his dog, his only remaining friend. At the orphanage, he met a boy named Bob. They became great friends, and they went everywhere together. Soon the boy's life seemed to be looking up. Then, one day, Bob was shot when trying to help an old woman who was being mugged. The boy, now more than ever, felt truly alone.

The next week, the orphanage was going on their yearly field trip. This time they went sailing on huge sailboats. The boy got to man the bird's nest to look out for storms. He was having the time of his life when suddenly the boat heeled over on a particularly strong gust of wind and the boy was thrown from the bird's nest. He landed with a splat on the deck, fifty feet below. Everyone gasped, but to their surprise, the boy stood up and dusted himself off. He was perfectly fine.

"How did you survive that fall? You were fifty feet up!" someone exclaimed.

"I don't know," said the boy. "I guess I'm just used to hardships."