The Lonely Observer (Part 1)

Ebuka had learned all his life to carry his burdens alone, believing no one would understand anyway. He had grown to accept that no one cared, so it was better to internalize everything without involving anybody.

At home, his parents never seemed to notice his steady withdrawal, his ever-gloomy face, or his deafening silence.

To them, he was alright—maybe just experiencing side effects of his natural inclination towards introversion. Ebuka didn't care much about his parents either; they were part of the problems he wished he could wave away, with their endless fights he had grown accustomed to.

School was a constant strain he would happily let go of if given the chance.

No one liked him, or so he thought. He found solace in the back corner of the class, seeking safe asylum from classmates who never failed to remind him of his oddity with their jeers and endless teasing.

The boys didn't let him into their circle, even after many failed attempts and an effort by his teacher to force him in. He was the lone wolf, never invited to a party, left out by every social circle during recess.

He had learned to just watch and ignore, discovering the hard way that his tears didn't matter, so why waste them?