Birth

Sometimes I think about the pain children go through when they don’t have their parents with them, or when they grow up with just one. Recently, I came across the story of a boy named Tulip. Tulip was a shy and introverted child. His father was an alcoholic, and his mother hardly paid attention to him. The only people who truly loved him were his grandparents. They cared for him like no one else did. But despite their affection, Tulip struggled with anxiety and anger because of what he saw at home. Every day, his father came home drunk, and his mother returned from work tired. They fought over the smallest things. Watching this chaos became routine for Tulip, and slowly, he began to adopt his father’s behaviour. He grew frustrated and irritable over the tiniest issues. One day, his mother left, she walked away from both her husband and Tulip, leaving the boy behind in that broken home. After that, Tulip couldn’t control his anger or anxiety. He started believing he was worthless, that he didn’t deserve love. His mother never cared for him, and his father barely noticed him. Then one day, Tulip lost control and slapped his father out of rage. That incident finally made his family realize something was deeply wrong. They decided to take him to a therapist. But instead of understanding him, people judged him. No one ever sat down to ask what was really going on in his mind. They treated him like a problem to fix, a machine to repair, an experiment to run.

Tulip tried everything, therapy, medication, but nothing seemed to work. His life became heavier with time. He lost his grandfather, the only man who truly cared for him. He faced heartbreak, betrayal from friends, and even ran away from home for months. Still, somewhere along the way, life began to change. Tulip met some kind people who brought a little light into his darkness. He formed new bonds, built better relationships, and for a while, it seemed like he was healing. But the past has a way of returning. Tulip still gets flashbacks. He still battles his trauma. He refuses therapy now, maybe because he doesn’t believe anyone can truly help him. I’m not sure what’s going on with him anymore. The pain, the habits, the weight of his memories, they seem to be consuming him.

I tried talking to Tulip once, tried sitting with him, hoping he’d open up. But he didn’t want to talk. He’s slipping away, and I feel like I’ve already lost him.

I don’t know how long Tulip can keep living this way. But deep down, I hope he finds a reason to stay.