HOW COME?

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‎“How come?” was the question everyone in Tiazona kept asking about a smart and intelligent boy named Daniel.

‎Daniel lived with his mother in a small house at the edge of the town. Life was not easy for them, but Daniel never complained. His mother worked very hard every day to make sure he stayed in school because she believed education would give him a better future.

‎With each passing day, Daniel did his homework, completed his house chores, and carried out every responsibility expected of him. He was respectful, disciplined, and hardworking. The people of Tiazona admired him greatly because he behaved differently from most boys his age.

‎At the end of every academic year, Daniel was always announced as the overall best student in the school. His teachers were proud of him, and many believed he would one day become a great man in society.

‎“Daniel has a bright future,” his principal often said during school assemblies.

‎His mother smiled whenever she heard those words. Daniel was her pride and hope.

‎But everything began to change when Daniel entered senior high school.

‎There he met a group of boys who loved parties, alcohol, and drugs. They wore expensive clothes and always seemed to have money. Daniel admired them because many students feared and respected them.

‎At first, Daniel stayed away from them, but slowly they convinced him to join their company.

‎“You study too much,” one of them told him. “Enjoy life sometimes.”

‎Little by little, Daniel began changing. He started returning home late and missing classes. His old friends noticed the difference, and his teachers became worried.

‎One evening, the boys introduced him to drugs.

‎At first, Daniel refused.

‎“I can’t do this,” he said nervously.

‎But they laughed at him and called him weak.

‎Wanting to fit in, Daniel finally accepted.

‎That single decision changed his life forever.

‎As time passed, Daniel became addicted to drugs. His excellent performance in school began to disappear. The brilliant boy who once came first in every class could no longer concentrate on his books.

‎Soon, he lost interest in education completely.

‎His mother cried and begged him to change, but Daniel no longer listened. He became rude, aggressive, and careless. Sometimes he stole money from home just to buy drugs.

‎Eventually, he dropped out of school.

‎The same friends who introduced him to drugs slowly abandoned him when he had nothing left to offer. Daniel began suffering alone.

‎Years later, the people of Tiazona could hardly recognize him. The once intelligent and promising boy now wandered around the streets looking dirty, weak, and hopeless.

‎Children who once wanted to become like Daniel now avoided him.

‎One cold rainy night, Daniel was found dead beside a roadside shop in Tiazona. Empty drug packets lay beside his lifeless body.

‎The whole town was shocked.

‎Teachers cried. Neighbors shook their heads sadly. His mother could barely speak through her tears.

‎Nobody could understand how such a brilliant boy had ended up that way.

‎And so, everywhere in Tiazona, people kept asking the same painful question:

‎“How come?”

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