>>14057428
>be 6 year old me
>no friends
>bullied by the other kids
>dumb
>raging one too many times at the dinner table
>dad is a war vet
>tired man, good heart. Just wants to read his papers when he's not guiding my ungrateful butt
>birthday comes
>he says he's got tickets for us and mom
>Berry Big Circus
>thinks he means 'very' but is just being dumb
>go along anyway since things can hardly be worse
>at circus
>lose my shit at seeing all the animals
>the clown comes on and he is the funniest thing I've ever seen
>mom tells me not to get too excited and looks annoyed for some reason
>dad just sees my stupid grin and smiles right back
>scream as the tamer puts his head into a tiger's mouth
>even the ventriloquist's puppet goes in
>but he gets 'bitten'
>all an act in hindsight but fuck me did it get everyone laughing
>acrobats performing in the air
>"wanna go up high like them, son?" dad asks
>I nod
>he puts me up on his shoulders
>at first I feel gimped but he starts bobbing me up and down
>I wave at the acrobats
>they wave back while in mid flight
>mind blown
>show wraps up, all the performers take a bow
>realize I'm actually happy
>holy fuck
>after the show, run out back to talk to the performers
>see this big fat jolly guy with a silly mustache, holding a qt 3.14 girl my age by the hand
>ask why he didn't do anything except talk and look at everyone
>"But if I were doing that, I wouldn't have time to see the smile on your face, young man! And that's what matters most of all!"
>says it with such cheer and mirth that I totally believe it
>dad comes to fetch me over
>jolly fat guy tells dad I'm something special
>qt3.14 giggles and waves at me as we leave
>feel a sense of confidence first time in my life
>three days ago, Christmas Day
>dad had a heart scare, but the doctors were able to let him out in time for Christmas
>able to pay the bills because I've got a good job
>today
>eating breakfast with the family, still playing Christmas carols
>see this in the news
>mfw
I wish I could grab the fucker who did this by the collar, make him explain why, then beat the everloving shit out of him myself. Whatever the police do to him will be better than he deserves.
A good man just died.