Laughter and Stones

Tarin sat alone on a bench outside the school. He kept his head down, not wanting to look at anyone. At that moment, a group of boys walked up to him.“Hey, mute, where’s your friend? The one who always speaks for you?” they laughed.One of them nudged another and said mockingly,“Why are you even asking him? He can’t answer anyway.”A boy named Yusuf stepped forward and suddenly splashed water on Tarin.“Oh, sorry. I thought maybe you’d start talking if water touched you,” he said, laughing.They all burst into laughter and walked away.Tarin jumped to his feet, but forced himself to stay calm. Holding back his anger, he quietly turned and walked home.He sat behind his house, not wanting to go inside. Then he heard voices coming from the window. The sound of dishes clattering echoed from inside.“My son is not involved in anything,” his mother said. “He already struggles… he doesn’t even speak.”A man’s voice responded,“But he has talent. He has a strong interest in stones. He’s a natural marksman.”“No matter what, this sport is not for him. I want him to become a chef,” his mother replied firmly.“Then let him choose for himself,” the man said calmly.Tarin’s face turned pale as he listened. The words hit him deeply.After a moment, he went inside, dropped his bag, and entered his room. He closed the door and lay down on his bed.Soon, his mother, father, and another man entered the room. Tarin quickly stood up and ran to hug the third man.It was his grandfather.“I missed you, my boy,” his grandfather said with a warm smile.His mother sat beside him.“Tell me, what do you want, my son?” she asked softly.Tarin tried to respond using his hands. But inside, his thoughts were screaming:“Is my life going to be limited to silence? Will I never be able to speak to my mother with my own voice? I don’t want to become a chef…”But outside, he only shrugged slightly, as if to say “I don’t know,” and left the room.He went outside again and sat alone. His eyes fell on some stones lying on the ground. He picked one up and arranged a few stones in front of him. Then, using a larger stone, he threw it with precision and knocked them all down.Nearby, three boys were playing. One of their stones rolled and hit Tarin’s foot. He picked it up and threw it back, hitting their arranged stones perfectly and scattering them in one shot.“Wow… what accuracy!” one of them said in amazement.“Hey, come play with us! What’s your name?” another asked.Tarin looked at them silently.“I want to go… but what if they call me ‘mute’ again…” he thought.At that moment, Shizu appeared.“Hey, Tarin,” he greeted him.Looking at the boys, he asked,“What’s going on?”“We just invited him to play. He’s really good,” they said.Shizu smiled slightly.“His mother doesn’t allow it. She wants him to become a chef,” he explained.One of the boys replied,“That’s not a problem. My mom wants me to be a singer too. But I chose my own path. Maybe you will too someday.”Those words made Tarin think deeply.The boys soon left.Tarin remained alone.Slowly, his eyes moved down… and he noticed the golden stone lying on the ground.He picked it up.For a moment, everything became completely silent…The stone glowed faintly.Tarin’s heart began to beat strangely.This was not just an ordinary stone.