The boy sits alone on the bench.
This is what he does most days. He watches the other children run around the playground, laughing. They have never wanted to play with him; only poke fun at his funny face; the birthmark on his cheek. He has never been told why it was there. It had been with him from birth. Lots of doctors had looked at it. As far as he could tell, only his parents loved him for what he was. Although they had talked about something called laser treatment. It had always been a challenge, just coming to school. Only he had ever fully understood his own sadness.
That night, he had trouble getting off to sleep. Finally, when sleep came, he had the most amazing dream… he was at his uncle’s farm again, but this time he was on his own. He was stroking Betsy, their pet lamb. Was this the lamb of God that his teacher had talked about? Suddenly, it licked his cheek. It was the warm sensation of this that woke him with a start. Moments later, he closed his eyes and fell back into an even deeper sleep.
In the morning, he woke early. He lay thinking about his dream for a while. Then, he quickly jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom.
It had gone!
The shock of it kept him frozen for several moments. To be normal. To look normal. How would people take it? His parents, the kids at school, the doctors… anyone who has ever known him.
As he stared into the mirror, despite his young age, he knew that the new challenge ahead of him would be far greater!