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They Called Him a Monster And Laughed At His Eyes. Years Later, They Regretted It a Lot –

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In Ethiopia, a baby is born with the strangest blue eyes and becomes the object of relentless mockery. The taunting carries on for years until the boy’s strange eyes become a thicket out of pity, and they are left to regret their words and actions.

On the outskirts of Jena in southern Ethiopia, a young boy named Abush played on his own. The other kids shunned him, and the meanest even bullied him. He was an anomaly, and in this highly superstitious community, being different can quickly become a label of evil or a sign of a curse. He had been called a monster since the very first moment he had entered this world…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

The moment Abush’s mom went into labor, the neighbors called the local midwife. It was a long, difficult labor with lots of pain. Finally, when Abush was born, the midwife took him away to allow his mom to recover.

When she picked the child up in front of her and looked at his face, she staggered back in terror. Something was different here, very different.

She didn’t know what it meant, but something this striking had to be a message from the spirit realm. Maybe it was a curse, she thought. Maybe it was a sign of things to come. Maybe it was an indication that the whole village was cursed.

Right after she returned Abush to his mom, the midwife hurried into the village, and from there, the news of the strange child spread like wildfire.

A nervous tension spread over the settlement. People were curious, but at the same time, they were too afraid to visit the family and look at the child themselves. Thus, Abush’s life started in isolation, and this set the trend for many years to come.

The first glimpse the villagers caught of him was when his mother took him with her to the town square two weeks after his birth. Throngs of curious villagers followed at a respectable distance behind her.

Now and again, one would work up the courage to come forward and congratulate his mom, and of course, she would lift the blanket so they could have a look at the child. And without exception, they all had the same reaction – they staggered back in shock, not understanding what they were seeing. And the belief in them that the child or the village were cursed flared up immediately.

By the time Abush was three years old, he was already the pariah of the village. Whenever he played outside the family hut, other children would throw stones or sticks at him.

They were curious but afraid of this child. If he dared wander out of his mother’s sight, things immediately got worse. Other children would run up to him, smack him against the head, and run away. They called him the evil one and mocked him tirelessly.

By the time he was six, Abush had learned to ignore the other kids. Not because he wanted to, but because it was safer for him. At first, everybody thought this strange child was blind.

This was a part of the rumor the midwife had spread on the day he was born. But slowly, as he started becoming mobile and walked into town with his mom, the villagers realized that Abush could see perfectly well. He wasn’t blind; his eyes were just the most astonishing shade of blue.

They were like two unimaginably deep pools of mountain water, and when Abush smiled, they filled with sparkles and lit up the world around them.

What they didn’t know was that Abush’s eyes were the consequence of a rare medical condition called Waardenburg syndrome that affects an estimated 1 in 40,000 people. It is caused by a spontaneous mutation of the melanin gene in the eyes, which changes the amount of pigments in the irises. He wasn’t cursed; he simply had slightly less pigments than usual. But the fact remained – he was different.

And in this strange corner of the world, different wasn’t properly understood. And if it wasn’t understood, it was labeled evil. The villagers thought this poor, innocent child was a threat to their hometown, an omen of something awful that was about to befall all of them. None of them looked at him and saw the helpless, lonely boy around those deep blue eyes.

Despite the fact that he had no one to play with, Abush quickly developed an instinctive love for football. For Christmas, his grandmother gave him a bright red soccer ball. It was his prized possession. All on his own, with the other kids staring from a distance, he would reenact great football games, playing the roles of various of his heroes. He loved Lionel Messi most of all.

The child with his blue eyes and red soccer ball quickly became a familiar sight in the village. As far as possible, the grown-ups ignored him, but he was still the prime target of every bully in the region. Like boys do, Abush grew up, and suddenly, he was able to defend himself against the bullies. The once docile, introverted child started getting involved in street fights with the other kids.

He never instigated the violence, but he no longer sat back and just allowed himself to be bullied either. Out of necessity, he became a good fighter. But this just intensified the dislike the other children in the village already had for him. In the process, Abush became even more isolated, and his family became more hated, all because of his blue eyes.

Eventually, when it became too much for his parents, and his father lost his job for no particular reason, Abush’s parents decided to leave the village and travel 300 miles to Addis Ababa. According to local rumors, work was plentiful in Ethiopia’s capital, and the chances of both his parents finding gainful employment were a lot better than in their rural outpost in the south. Abush stayed behind with his grandmother.

Now that his parents were away, and only an old woman was left to care for him, the bullying intensified. The fighting became a regular occurrence, and Abush stopped going to school altogether.

His grandmother remained the strength and comfort. Whenever the kids would bully him or call him names, she would tell them to forgive them. “They don’t know any better, Abush,” she would say. “You can hate them if you want, but you will only hurt yourself. Or you can forgive them. That will confuse them.”

So for a while, Abush tried. Whenever the kids started their bullying tactics, he would simply smile at them. That smile that lit up his eyes and brightened the world around them. But instead of confusing them, it made the kids even angrier. The fights became more violent, and children started getting hurt. Abush ended with a long scar on his face after someone hit him with a sharp-edged rock during one of the scuffles.

Village elders started sub urging Abush’s grandmother to take the boy and move somewhere else. But she was tough. This was her home, and she was not going anywhere. Neither was Abush. She told the elders that they had done nothing wrong, and if anyone had to make changes, it was the villagers. They had to change their attitude and accept Abush’s striking blue eyes. They were just eyes, after all.

But then one night, while Abush and his grandmother were in town, someone set fire to their hut. The drive wouldn’t tach went up in flames and burned to the ground

in a matter of minutes. By the time the two got back, they had lost all their earthly possessions. They were suddenly poor, homeless, and without a single earthly possession to their name. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

“This is because of me,” Abush said, holding her hand and staring at the pile of ash that was their home until an hour before. “I wish I was dead. It would be easier for everyone.”

“Nonsense, child,” his grandmother scolded. “This is just stupid people doing stupid things. It is they who should learn, not us.”

She sat down on the ground and pulled him into a hug. Then she started explaining to him that different was good, not bad. People who were different often have more opportunities than those who aren’t. And on some level, the other kids and grown-ups in the village knew that. They knew that Abush could have a special future because of his blue eyes, a future they could never dream about. That was why they bullied him or ignored him.

Suddenly, Abush burst into tears. His grandmother hugged him again and gently told him everything would be all right. Through his tears, he said, “It’s not that, Grandma. My soccer ball was in the hut. The ball you gave me for Christmas.”

It was as if his lost soccer ball opened the sluices of Abush’s heartache. He cried until he couldn’t cry anymore. He cried because he was an outcast, because he was subjected to the most inhumane insults every day, because he was bullied, and above all, because he was alone.

His grandmother let him cry. She held him tight and gently rubbed his back. Eventually, when Abush was all cried out, she pushed him off the ground, took his hand, and walked toward town.

“We’re going to get what we need to build the hut again,” she said. “There are still people that will help us.”

Over three weeks, Abush and his grandmother rebuilt their home. Every day, the village elders would come by and scold her for not learning her lesson. And every time they did, she would scold them back and tell them the village didn’t belong to them.

Then the day came when Abush finally realized the magic of his special eyes. A French photographer, Eric Lafong, came to the village to take pictures for a photo essay about Ethiopia. Abush sat there, mostly quiet and unbothered. He was eating by an netu, an assortment of meat-free dishes spread on fermented inera bread. Now and then, he’d look up from the plates and catch the photographer staring.

Eventually, the man broke the silence. Abush was a little startled when the man asked, “How old are you?” He wasn’t used to people acknowledging him, never mind speaking to him.

“Almost 14,” Abush said.

“And what do you want to be when you grow up?” the man asked.

Without hesitating, Abush said, “A soccer player.”

Then the man asked the question that would eventually change Abush’s world. “What about a fashion model?”

Abush replied with a hint of sass, “It could be interesting, but I don’t know exactly what fashion models do.”

Spontaneously, he started telling the man his own story. “When I was born, they thought I was blind. When they realized I could see, some people called me cursed, and the children in my village refused to play with me. They used to warn me, ‘You need to fix your eyes.’ I got into a lot of fights. That’s how I got this scar here,” he pointed to the arch carved next to his right eye.

From the moment the photographer’s photo essay was published, Abush’s life changed. Foreigners started coming into Jena and asking if they could take his pictures. And for the first time in his life, Abush had money in his pocket.

And his sudden fame changed the mindset of the villagers in Jena. Abush went from being an outcast to being a hero. And his status increased even further a while later when someone showed them an article on a cell phone. The title was “88 Most Beautiful Eyes in the World.” Abush was dumbfounded. His picture was the cover photo.

“Did you know that you’re listed as having one of the 88 most beautiful eyes in the world?” the man asked.

Abush’s face changed. His eyes lit up like the sun reflecting on the ocean. “How many people are in the world?” he asked.

“Eight billion,” the man said.

Abush’s eyes were like saucers. They looked even brighter than usual. And for the first time, so did his future.

In a few short months, Abush’s strange blue eyes became his ticket to freedom. People came, and still come, from all over the world to take pictures of him. And the villagers who once rejected and mocked him now revered this little man of the world. What a great payback.

Do you think that being different can be a ticket to great things? If you have a story about someone who was born different, tell us in the comments.

 

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Plumber reveals which creatures are capable of coming up a Toilet.

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Plumbers often encounter surprising situations in their line of work, and one of the most bizarre is dealing with creatures that have managed to make their way into homes via the toilet. While this is a rare occurrence, some creatures are capable of navigating the plumbing system and emerging from toilets. Here are some of the most notable culprits:

1. Snakes: Snakes are probably the most alarming creatures that can come up through a toilet. This usually occurs in areas where snakes are common, like warmer climates. Snakes are skilled at navigating tight spaces, and plumbing pipes, especially those that are old or cracked, can provide a way for them to enter homes. They are drawn to warm environments, and a toilet, especially in bathrooms, can seem like a convenient place to hide…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

2. Rats: Rats are notorious for entering homes via plumbing systems. While they typically use drains, sewers, and vent pipes to infiltrate homes, they can occasionally end up in toilets, especially in areas with significant rat infestations. They are attracted to the water source, and in search of food and shelter, they may find themselves in the bathroom. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

3. Cockroaches: These pests are agile and can survive in sewer systems, making their way up into homes through pipes. Cockroaches thrive in moist, dark environments, so a toilet drain can be a perfect route for them to enter.

4. Fish: In rare cases, small fish, particularly in coastal or swampy regions, can come up through plumbing pipes, especially if the local sewer system is interconnected with bodies of water. Though it’s more of an anomaly, fish like catfish have been found in toilets in these areas.

5. Alligators: In extreme cases, alligators in areas like Florida have been known to make their way up through toilet pipes. This is typically only possible in cases where the alligator has already entered the sewage system, often by the stormwater system, and has found an access point into a residential building.

While these incidents are uncommon, they are a reminder of the importance of regular plumbing maintenance. Properly sealing pipes and ensuring there are no gaps in the plumbing system can reduce the likelihood of such unwelcome guests making an appearance.

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Airline pilot explains where your poo goes when you flush it on a plane

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TikTok influencer and pilot Garrett Ray got candid about what happens to your number two

Sometimes, holding in your number two just isn’t an option – particularly when you’re on a plane.

There is no saving someone who absolutely needs to take care of their business when they’re 37,000ft in the air, and it’s one of those rights of passage that just needs to happen.

Unless you’re Andre the Giant who left passengers ‘gagging and crying’ after taking the ‘world’s biggest poo’ mid-flight. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

But what happens when you go to the toilet on an aeroplane…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

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The girl waved to the train driver every day. 3 years later, something amazing happened! –

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The saying, “We don’t value what we have until we lose it,” can be applied to many things in life. For some train conductors in Tulsa, Oklahoma, it was their friendship with a little girl named Rio, who waved to them every day from the window of a building next to the railroad tracks.

Three years after the start of this unusual friendship, train conductors noticed that Rio stopped appearing at the window. There was a note taped to the window that broke their hearts. Briana Hefley Shepard posted a touching story on her Facebook page:

“My family’s business moved to a new location about three years ago. The store was located right next to the railroad tracks, which meant that everything that happened with the locomotives was perfectly visible from the window…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

“Rio liked it. The guides noticed Rio waving to them from the window and began to wave back. Over time, this became their ritual: they would sound the horn, she would run to the window, they would open the windows, wave to each other, and smile. Tears came to my eyes every time I saw it.

“Then, a few weeks ago, Rio went to school. Having her start going to school was harder than I expected. But it was even more difficult for me on that first day when the train arrived and she was not at home. They sounded the horn and opened their windows, but I was the only one who could answer them. I stood in the window, cried, and weakly waved my hand at them.

“The next day, I wrote a note. I simply wrote: ‘She went to school.’ I heard a beep, ran to the window, and picked up the note. This was three weeks ago. Oh, how I cried. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

“This morning, a few minutes after the store opened, someone knocked on the door. It was a man wearing a bright yellow shirt with earplugs hanging around his neck. I thought it was a construction foreman who had come to talk about the repairs we wanted to do in the store. I was wrong.

“This man came in to ask about the little girl with blond hair who was waving at the trains. He was one of the guides, and they all wondered what happened to her. That day, the train was small. They stopped it in front of the store, and he decided to go into the building.

“The guides assumed that she had started going to school but wanted to make sure. He said her attention always lifted their spirits. For three years, they waited every day for this moment. They missed her and wanted to do something for her. He asked if they could give her anything.

“I replied that, of course, they could give her a gift for her birthday, which would be in a few weeks.

“This unusual friendship, which lasted several years, was something incredible. Knowing that this affected them as much as it affected us fills me with love and hope. Today’s visit and their kindness towards Rio confirmed my belief in kindness and humanity. I will never forget this day.”

 

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