Johnny was such a pain
Johnny was six years old, big for his age, typical boy, happiest when muddy and playing out with his friends.
Yesterday had been a horrible day because he seemed to be in everyone's’ way no matter what he did. When he went to the shed to help dad and knocked a load of stuff of the workbench, including dad’s cup of coffee, he had been shouted at and told to go away and stop being a pain.
When he went into his sister’s room she told him to go out, she was writing in her diary and it was private. Muttering under her breath as he left, “you are such a pain.”
Even mum, working in the kitchen had asked him to leave things alone, “ go and find something to do Johnny, and stop being a pain”
All night, Johnny thought about this. He knew that pain was a terrible thing. When he had fallen and cut his knee badly, he had known pain. When he had a tooth out, he had known pain. When mum had a migraine, she said she was in pain. If everyone thought he was such a pain, he must be worse than all those things put together.
So this morning, being Saturday, he had packed some biscuits and his favourite book and a bottle of juice and just left.
He knew his way to the park but when he got there he kept walking. When he got tired, he rested and drank his juice and ate a couple of biscuits.
Some hours later, things were terrible back at home, no one knew where he was and consequently, panic ensued.
The three of them called every friend, examined all his favourite hiding places, no Johnny. Mum was crying as they scoured the park and called the police.
Meanwhile, Johnny had decided life on the road was not all it was cracked up to be. He turned around and started walking back towards home. He was tired, cold and hungry. Suddenly, he saw mum, dad and his sister. There were lots of tears and questions.
“ I thought if I was such a pain, it would be better if I was gone”
Cuddling him tightly, mum explained, yes, sometimes people were a pain, but he was the nicest and best pain ever.
