Fazed Father: Part 2

“Are those kids still bullying you?” His father once asked him. Carl nodded, looking down at the ground. “What have you done about it?” Carl shook his head sadly.

“Nothing.” He murmured in a low voice so his father could barely hear him. His father sighed. “I just feel so angry when they come up to me. They tell me I’m not worth anything. That I’m…”

“Carl. What those kids say doesn’t matter. Whenever they come up to you, whenever they come to bully you to bring you down, just remain silent.”

“So what? I bow down to them?”

“That’s not what I meant. Have you ever heard of Jackie Robinson?”

Carl nodded. “I learned about him back in first grade.” He recalls the knowledge. “Wasn’t he the first black baseball player?” His father nods approvingly. He was a massive sports fan.

“Yes he was. But when he first took on the job, he knew what people think of him.” Carl looked at him.

“Think of him?”

“Yes. He knew that he would be harassed; he knew that he would receive the most brutal and inhumane treatment imaginable. But he knew that he couldn’t and wouldn’t do anything against it.”