The Robot and the Boy

The boy, a simple minded child, had a dream. Not just a dream, but a dream to become someone great. He wanted to be an inventor; an inventor that maybe cures people of their illnesses or help the people with disabilities. He aimed to have his name written down in the books that many generations would read from now, learning about how he changed the lives of many. But right now, no one knew who he was. He was nonexistent. His dream, in the eyes of others, was also nonexistent.

The boy, also known as Elli, was currently a 3rd grader. He was one of the brightest in classes. The thing he did attract from people was attention, but it was the wrong kind of attention. When he told people about his dream, bullies laughed at him and pushed him around. He hoped to rush home and cry to his parents about it, but they were never interested in what he had to say. They would tell Elli to go to his room and suck it up. He was a big boy and needed to solve his own problems like a man would. The thought of hearing that again from his own parents made him afraid to even speak to them. Whenever Elli was sent to his room, he’d lie in a corner and cover his ears. He didn’t want to hear his parents speaking downstairs. He knew exactly what they were talking about, or rather, what they were arguing about. He didn’t want to hear it every night.

Elli soon lost hope in his dream. How could he help people that didn’t even want to help him? Was there really a point in putting together parts that no one would appreciate? Could he really fill people with joy when he wasn’t happy in the first place? Before he knew it, his sadness soon started to affect his grades. His parents yelled at him more than they yelled at each other. The smile Elli wore from ear to ear was now an emotionless line. He spent more time in his room, curled up in the corner, thinking about the dream that only dropped into a cesspool of memories. Christmas rolled around and the whole family came to spend it with Elli, but he knew there were no gifts for him. The family that came expected the parents to buy gifts, but the parents thought vise versa. The tree that day stood alone, covered with only the decorations they had used last year. You would think that the family would regret not buying an eight year old a single gift for such a holiday, but they did not. They were relieved that they did not have to spend money on a child who spent his days lying in a corner. They went on, enjoying a beautiful Christmas feast, laughing and telling stories about their upcoming winter break, while Elli stayed in his room, staring at his acoustic ceiling. He sometimes tried counting each little popcorn shaped bit. He only reached 167 before falling asleep. There was suddenly a knock at his door. It was his grandmother.

“Elli, are you awake?”

The pale woman twisted the knob and let herself in the dark room. She wore a wonderful green dress that was decorated with small reindeer. Elli turned and looked at her, not saying a word. He slowly peeled himself away from his bed. His robot cover pajamas were now small and faded from poor washing. The woman’s aged hands touched Elli’s cheek. He jumped at her cool touch.
“My, how big you’ve gotten since I’ve last seen you,” she said softly. “I have a present for you.”
Elli did not get excited. He had no reason to. There was nothing that his grandmother could give him that could make him happy. Nothing.

From out of nowhere, Elli’s grandmother pulled out a blue and black box. On the top, it read “Build Your Own Robot Today.” He had forgotten that he use to tell his grandmother about his dream of becoming a great inventor. Elli reached out with both hands and touched the box to make sure that it was real. It was nothing but real. He was going to build his own robot. It may have been someone else’s idea, but he was going to make it with his own hands, make it his reality. Elli wanted to thank his grandmother, but he refused to talk to anyone anymore. He was afraid that his words would make the future robot disappear. The grandmother just smiled and left Elli’s room, leaving him back in the darkness.

Over the next few days, Elli was able to put together the robot without instructions. He didn’t intend on building it the way it was suppose to, or else it wouldn’t be him creating it. Once he got the last bolt screwed in, the robot’s eyes started to glow. In amazement, Elli removed his glasses and became mesmerized by the soft neon blue lights emitting from its eyes. Soon, Elli’s lips became parted, words hanging off the tip of his tongue.

“You’re a wonderful creation,” he whispered. “A creation made by me. I’ll name you…Aoi. A Japanese name meaning blue.”

The robot’s eyes flickered in response as if he understood him. This made Elli’s frown curve into a small grin of some sort. His dream was slowly making its way back to his heart, giving it some sort of life once again.

The next day, Elli took Aoi to school to show to his classmates. All the children older than his just laughed at him.
“What kind of toy is that? What a joke!”
“Yeah, it’s so lame.”
“I bet it doesn’t even work.”

Elli started to fill up with anger. “But it does work! Watch!”
He then placed the robot on his and switched it on. The eyes hadn’t lit up, nor did its arms move. The kids in the background just laughed at him.
“Wait…! He’ll move…!” Elli cried.
As he frantically pushed every button, a boy behind him lifted his hand and swiped the robot right off the desk.

“Yeah, I’ll make it move.”
The boy started with Aoi’s arms, ripping them right from the wires. Then his legs. Then his head. Elli screamed to get it back, but no one was listening to him, only laughing at his deformed robot that now was scattered all over the floor.
“Well,” the boy said lowly. “Looks like it really doesn’t work.”

Elli’s eyes were full of tears. He nearly fell to his knees trying to retrieve the robot’s parts. Everyone was laughing at his failure, no one cared if he was crying, and no one cared about his dream. Why are the kids so cruel to me, he thought. Why can’t I make something that will make people happy? Am I really that much of a failure? Am I just a waste of space? Soon, Elli’s dreams finally disappeared. It showed in his step, as he got up to throw the robot parts in the garbage. His eyes became clouded with dullness and his smile never crept back to his face.

That day, Elli didn’t get picked up by his mother. She usually forgot to pick him up when she was busy working or arguing with his father. But none of that mattered to Elli anymore.
The soles of Elli’s feet started to slowly ache with all the walking. His house was almost 4 miles away from his house. It was getting dark. The sounds of rustling leaves and crowing ravens filled Elli’s ears, making him wonder if he were even going the right way anymore. He sat down on the empty road to take a break.

“This doesn’t look like the right road…” he muttered. “Why is this path the one I took…?”
Elli stared at his hands and leaned on his elbows, the sharp concrete nicking him.
In the distance, Elli could hear the sound of a truck rolling down the road. He stood so that he could get away easier, but his legs froze. He refused to move, as if his body wanted him to die. The truck rolled closer, an 18 wheeler whose lights did not seem to be working. It was too dark to see past the windshield. Elli’s feet wanted him to run, but his brain was telling them to stay in place. Nothing happened a third time. He simply gave up.

“This must be the end of the road.”
He closed his eyes and thought of Aoi before he was taken apart. Maybe if he hadn’t brought him to school, maybe he would still be in his hand, working properly like it was suppose to. His glowing blue eyes now cracked bulbs. He wished he could see it one last time, but seeing broken dreams would make him feel worse.

The horn flared.
The wheels screeched like a banshee.
Elli’s head connected with the concrete.
Blue eyes flashed before he lost consciousness.

“Wow dad did that really happen?” the small child asked.
“That’s about what I can remember,” Elli said with a chuckle. “Now off to bed you two.”
The children groaned in response and made their way upstairs. Elli, now 22, sat back and unfolded the New York Times newspaper. He became parched and picked up a remote control. After pressing a few buttons, a chrome robot rolled into the living room and passed him a glass of water.
“Thank you Cobalt. You’re the best.”
As soon as the robot rolled back into the kitchen, Elli stood up and walked over to his trophy cabinet. A smile stretched from ear to ear when he touched the glass door.
“But truly, you’re the best.”

Aoi’s eyes flickered in response, only, with faint movements.
“My first creation to make someone happy. I’m alive because of you.”
The robot’s rusted arm stretched to place his claw on the glass where Elli’s hand was.
“Dreams really do come true old friend. They really do…”