A small thing with big heart

Out in the open, on the way to my office, I came across a group of 6 boys abusing drug (dendrite). It was in the last week of the month of November 2013. I observed them carefully and went closer to them. It’s very painful to see this.

They even didn’t notice me standing there as they were so high on drug. I need to stop these boys from taking more drugs, that’s the first thought that crossed my mind instantly.  

So I intervened. I asked them to stop it. But they just ignored me and kept on inhaling the drug.

Then I grabbed their hands and snatched three dendrite-filled plastics and one 250 ml fevicol container (dendrite inside). I pushed all in my gho’s pocket. This was the time they reacted, loudly and rudely. And I could sense fury radiating from each one of their bodies.   

“Fuck, jedha, give it back to me!” one of the boys demanded, with a disgusted look on his face.

I shook my head, and he turned back screaming, “Awww! You never know how much we had struggled to get it. Give it back, dhaaa.”

Others looked me straight in the eye, anger and frustration written all over their faces. Not long after that they mobbed me - a few rubbed their hands each other, others aiming to hit me.

I realized, then, that I could be mauled at anytime. So I walked out of this drugged group of young men. But they started following me, in a gang, hissing all dirty words and readying to attack me. To me, it felt like a bad rap. But I digested it. For they are youth. For it’s all for their good purpose.

Immediately, I ran to my office. But I straightaway went to the office cafeteria and ordered tea. As I sipped on my tea, disturbed and exhausted, this group of boys came searching for me. This time I became absolutely nervous.  

All of them, six boys, marched towards me and stood in front of me.

“Acho, we are here to apologize. Sorry for everything. We will never do it again,” a lean boy walked forward and apologized to me. They have become all sober.

It touched me and I grew teary. I pulled chairs and asked them to sit around me. We had tea and momo together, cracking jokes and sharing laughter.

Meanwhile, I asked them jokingly, “I think this is your first time?” One responded it’s his second try, others’ third and fourth. They also confessed that they bought the drug from a labourer’s camp in Thimphu.

After that I invited them to my office. In my office, we chitchatted. And there I discovered their interest. They really love playing futsal, and they too have a team. I discussed with them about organizing a futsal competition. They really liked my idea and even they wanted to help me. I took their names and contact address and promised them that I would contact them very soon.

 

Later that day, I talked about this competition with my office colleagues. Initially getting the fund worried me, but I was very lucky that my office and a donor agency committed to support this competition.

After one month, we organized the competition with support from 40 youth volunteers. And it’s very successful. More than 126 young boys took part in this competition including those six boys. 

The winners

So here I share with you these lines by Mitch Albom,

“People who do bad things are always around bad things. We must provide them an option to do good things.”