Miracle Boy
By Pinckney Benedict, first published in Esquire
Bullies take a young boy's shoes away from him after he has already lost his feet in a farming accident.
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Plot Summary
A young boy loses his feet in a farming accident and has them sewn back on. One day after school, Miracle Boy is followed by three other kids in his class (Lizard, Geronimo, and Eskimo Boy), who bully him because they want to see the scars on his feet. They throw his shoes away and they land on a nearby telephone pole wire. The boys notice that Miracle Boy is crying, and help him back into his pants and socks, but leave him without his shoes. Later on, the boys' parents find out about what they've done to Miracle Boy, and while Geronimo and Eskimo Boy's father beats them, Lizard and Miracle Boy are sat down by their parents in front of the TV while they eat lunch. The two boys do not speak, but after this interaction Lizard begins to focus on the shoes still hanging from the telephone pole, and one day devises a plan to retrieve them. Eventually, he succeeds, and returns the shoes to Miracle Boy. Miracle Boy invites Lizard to come in, and he does.
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