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Timur is like all boys but last year he was really lonely. What happened? He was 14 years old, and at first sight he was a usual guy. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a mother, and lives with his father and grandmother. Everybody in our class knew about that and tried to be tolerant to him, but sometimes it was really hard.

He was in a gang and took money from his classmates. Well, it was bad, but I didn’t complain about that. The main reason we didn't get along with him was his unbearable character: he was rude; he used awful words; he was always irritated and nervous. We didn't talk to him much.

As for me I didn’t like him, but at the same time I didn’t hate him. I just didn't have a close relationship with him.

Once he got ill for quite a long time, and nobody called him or visited him. I went. He was very happy to see me. He said that he was very sad that nobody came to visit. “I blame myself for it. I want to change myself, but I can’t.”

We had a long talk, and I learned a lot about him. It turned out that he was a nice guy, but very lonely. He didn't have any good friends, and he didn't know how to interact with his classmates. I decided to help him.

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At first, we didn't have immediate results. The process went slowly, but steadily. He was trying to do his best.

Some of our classmates wanted to challenge and tease him, but I asked them to be tolerant. Eventually, he was closer to our classmates, and they could see that he was a good guy. The result was super! He became kind and sociable. Now he has made friends with many kids in our class. That’s cool, I think! It’s so bad to be alone, isn’t it?

Exercises

I. Understanding the Story
Discuss this story’s main idea with a partner.

II. Vocabulary
Explain the words in bold in the following sentences.
1. He challenged his friend in a contest.
2. Unfortunately, he had no mother.
3. Being so alone was unbearable.
4. I tried to be sociable with him, but he was too rude.
5. He became irritated by his friends.
6. Timur blamed himself for his problems.

III. Now you Talk
1. Why did the author visit Timur?
2. What could the teacher do to make this situation better?
3. Have you known anyone who was as difficult as Timur? Did the situation get solved?

IV. Now you Write
1. A summary of the story.
2. A description of Timur.
3. A letter to Timur’s father from the teacher.

V. Role Play
1. Timur and his grandmother: He is complaining about his classmates.
2. Timur and his father: They talk about his problems while he is sick.
3. Timur and two boys in his class: They are telling him how difficult he is.
4. Timur and the writer: They talk when the writer visits him.
5. Timur and the same two boys in his class: They talk after Timur changes.