The occasion for writing this short story came as I had an unstructured hour or so. I had some issues in my head and no real inspiration. I intended to write about duty, as seen in the opening lines of the piece. I was part way through when a different story formed. Sadly I was interrupted, and needed to engage in the practicalities of life, but by then I had the new sense of the story and so wrote the rest of it four days later.
As I wrote, my heart began to be changed. The lens I was looking through sharpened the focus and I ended up, like the lad in the story, thinking differently.
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed the process and therapy of writing it.