Giant Child

Paeter is a large man. For an Indian he is a Giant. Under 'normal' circumstances his height would have been a social advantage – as a sign of 'good breeding' as the higher castes are generally taller than the 'average' Indian: generations of better nutrition by virtue of greater wealth. But for Paeter his circumstances are anything but 'normal'. Paeter has the mental age of around five years old. Psychologically he is still a child. Unfortunately for Paeter his body does not know this and instead his young mind rattles around inside of a Giant. Unable to communicate, but bursting with emotions and frustrations. His swinging arms are seen as premeditated punches, his screams of pain as angry threats. He spends his time at the train station. Where else is he meant to go? Like the street children he wonders around looking for food. Unlike the street children he remains naive to the dangers of his mobile home. Unlike the street children he hasn't worked out how to trick or to steal in order to survive. Unlike the street children he is protected only by a facade of a grown man. Unlike grown men – his inability to control his strength has left him an outcast; cast out from society and cast out from charity as he intimidates those with the power to help him. Unlike the street children this facade makes the Giant Child visible to the police, who use his size to justify extreme force. Avoided in the street, children hide from him, women scurry around him, even men feel threatened.

Then Paeter the Giant Child was found by a foreigner. A foreigner who wasn't scared or intimated, who saw his age and felt a little of his pain. He was taken to Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity. The foreigner felt happy. He felt relieved. He felt that finally Paeter had a home. A place where he would be safe. Protected. But God's House was not eternal and one day the foreigner found Paeter back at the station. The foreigner was confused. The station was far away from Paeter's new home. He was covered in bruises and cuts and blood. He moved erratically. Confused, like a lost small child, panicking for help. Unable to find help, but waiting to be helped. The foreigner tried to help. He tried to soothe the giant child's pain. He showed him kindness and patience and eventually managed to coax Paeter into a taxi and back to the Sisters.

But Paeter was still upset. He was distressed and he was scared. He moved clumsily. He felt confused. His pain was reflected in his strength and his strength still scared the Sisters. The Sisters then gave the foreigner some advice. The Sisters told the foreigner that Paeter the Giant Child had no place at the Missionaries of Charity. The Giant Child who swung his arms and shouted was not welcome. The Sisters told the foreigner to take the Giant Child back to the train station and find a train going far far away, and leave him; leave Paeter on a train going to Punjab.