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Phillip and Flip
By Constance Nell, GIL BALBUENA JR. Trafford Publishing
Copyright © 2014 Constance Nell
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4907-4564-0
CHAPTER 1
Phillip Meets Flip
Phillip is a small African boy who lives in a city close to the sea.
Phillip is a very unhappy boy.
The children at school make fun of him because he cannot walk. He suffers from a physical defect. He spends most of his time on the beach.
One day, he was sitting on the sand, staring out to sea, when suddenly, he heard this voice ask, "Why so sad?" He looked around and saw no one but a seagull on the rocks a few meters away.
Phillip stared back at the sea. Then the voice again said, "You have to have a reason for such a long face."
Only then did Phillip realize that it was the seagull speaking to him.
"Hello, how come I can hear you speak?" he asked the seagull.
"Oh, only special humans have gifts to speak to birds and animals," the seagull answered.
"What is your name?" Phillip asked excitedly.
"Flip," the seagull answered and hobbled across the sand to him.
Then, to Phillip's surprise, he saw the seagull also had a defect and felt sad for the seagull; but Flip wanted none of that.
"I am as able as any other seagull, and in their eyes, I am most special."
Phillip told him how the children at school mocked him and made him very sad as he has no friends.
"You are also very special, Phillip. You may not be able to walk, but you can speak to us. Now tell me how many humans you know can do that?" Flip asked.
Phillip felt as if a dark cloud was lifted off from him, and his face glowed with pride.
"Here comes a dog. See if he can communicate with you,"Flip said.
"Hello, Dog," Phillip said.
"Who is your dog, young man? My name is Rover, if you please," the dog said indignantly.
Phillip was so excited; his face shone.
Phillip's mother wept with happiness when she saw him laugh for the first time.
After that day, when Phillip's mother took him down to the beach, the seagulls and dogs would gather, and Phillip would tell them all the beautiful stories that his mum used to tell him.
From that day, Phillip was a very happy boy.
Phillip, Flip, and the Street Child
One day, Phillip and Flip, the seagull, were on the beach, when Phillip saw a small boy scratching in the dirt bin.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Phillip asked the boy.
"Leave me alone. I am only looking for something to eat," the boy answered.
"Well, don't look in the bin as it is full of germs. Come, you can share my lunch," Phillip exclaimed.
The boy came slowly closer, afraid in his way. When he saw that Phillip really wanted him to share, he sat down quickly and started eating.
"What is your name?" Phillip asked the boy.
"Orphi," the boy answered.
"Well, Orphi, my name is Phillip. And this seagull is my friend, and his name is Flip."
Orphi seemed so nervous as if he did not know what everyday kindness was.
"Where do you live?" Phillip asked him.
"Oh, here and there," Orphi answered vaguely.
"You should live in a house with your mother," Phillip said.
He did not include a father as Phillip himself did not have a father.
Orphi looked so sad as he told Phillip that his mother had died and that the rest of the family did not want him, and he was kicked out to live on the streets.
"How can anyone be so cruel?" Phillip asked indignantly.
"Well, my mother had an illness that could not be cured, and the doctor said that I could also have it. So the family said it could be contagious, and they had to kick me out to save themselves," he answered.
"Well, I think you can come home with me, and my mum can explain how silly your family actually is," Phillip said.
"Flip, I am going home now but will be back in the morning," said Phillip, who knew that he could spend every day at the beach as it was school holidays.
Phillip and Orphi left for home. When they arrived, Phillip's mother was surprised to see her son with another human being as he still does not play with other children, only animals.
When Phillip explained everything to his mother, she realized that this child was on the street as a result of HIV. She had, at an earlier time, explained the whole HIV illness to Phillip, so he was always aware that one could not get the disease from mere touch.
"Come, Orphi," she said. "Come and have a bath, and I will get you some fresh clothes to wear."
Clothes were not a problem as she always kept Phillip's small clothes in a separate closet. While Orphi was in the bath, Phillip's mother contacted a social worker. Her name was Pelly, and she worked with AIDS orphans. Pelly promised to visit the next day. Orphi stayed the night in the spare room. In the morning, he was wide-eyed in wonder of the luxury Phillip enjoyed and also wondered if they would keep him with them.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Phillip and Flip by Constance Nell, GIL BALBUENA JR.. Copyright © 2014 Constance Nell. Excerpted by permission of Trafford Publishing.
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