Lucky, a boy of 13- appears to a normal kid if compared to his peers. With lean dark figure, unkempt hair, running nose and oversized clothes- he appears to be the same as the kids of the other vegetable vendors of city. However, when one tries to communicate with him, one can perceive his abnormality. Though not impaired physically, Lucky is mentally impaired- his IQ level is way below the IQ level of average students.

Even simple addition, subtraction, multiplication or division is a Hercules’s task for this young boy. Lucky is unaware of his disability and has a hard time coping up with the mundane tasks. All that his father now dreams of is for his son to carry on his business as a vegetable vendor and the only skill Lucky needs to be adept in is simple mathematical calculations. Yet it is an arduous task for the boy as well as his mentor.

Lucky attends a school for mentally challenged students, run by a NGO in my hometown. Every day he learns Mathematics and Basic English, which includes simple sentences. However, now he can add and subtract, yet, multiplication and division prove to be more challenging.

The few days that I spent helping Lucky made me realize how fortunate I am. I tried all the tricks to teach him simple addition- using abacus, through illustrations, finger counting and anything you would do teach a three year old how to add two and two, but to no avail. He was always fidgeting and restless. He would speak about anything and everything unexpectedly. Moreover, after each an hour-long session there would be big smile on his face- pure happiness, as though he has won a great battle. Even after three days, Lucky did not show a speck of improvement, but I did not have the heart tell the kid the same, instead I told him the he was becoming better and better in the task.  

It is very easy for us to grasp on the routines of everyday life, but for kids like Lucky it is more than a simple task. These kids live in a world of their own, where there is no place for a dream to become a doctor or scientist or engineer. They are lost in their own thoughts, their eyes wander around, and they cannot seem to comprehend the sympathy of the strangers. These kids grow up to become simple people who mean no harm to the society and yet, many of us ridicule over the fact that they do not even know addition.

I believe it is our duty as human beings to help these disadvantaged kids or at least not disparage them for their disability. They are simply lost in the darkness of their disability, and all we can do is give them a hand and help them survive in our ever-evolving society.