Levi loved his small house and his parents, Carol and Darren. They weren’t rich, but they were always there for him. They were a close-knit family, and Levi admired their love and support for one another.
But one afternoon, after returning home from school, Levi was upset with his parents. Halloween was just around the corner, and there was a fancy dress competition at his school. However, his parents couldn’t afford to buy him a new costume like his classmates would have.
Levi felt disappointed and left out. He knew his friends would be dressed as superheroes like Superman, Batman, or the Avengers, while he would have to make do with his old costume. It just wasn’t fair!
Carol tried to explain the situation to Levi, “Honey, please understand. Mommy and daddy are trying their best to save money for our house. We need to put aside money for the mortgage payment.”
Feeling hurt, Levi tearfully asked his mom, “Do you not love me, mom? I don’t want the house. I want a new costume. But you love the house, not me!”
Carol sighed and reassured Levi, “It’s not like that, honey. Mommy and daddy love you the most! We love you more than anything!”
But Levi, overwhelmed with emotions, cried out, “You are lying! You don’t love me! You love the house!”
Levi retreated to his room in tears and refused to come out, even for dinner. Carol and Darren were heartbroken to see their son so sad. They knew they had to do something to make it right.
Later that evening, Carol discussed Levi’s sadness with Darren over dinner. She suggested getting him a new costume and even considering finding a part-time job to afford it.
Darren, seeing how stressed Carol already was, had a different idea. He wanted to surprise Levi. Two days later, when Levi was eating dinner alone in his room, Darren walked in with a huge parcel in his hands.
“Can I come in, little boy?” Darren asked from the doorway.
“No, you can’t,” replied Levi, not even looking up from his plate.
“Even if I say I got you a new costume?” Darren asked, a playful smile on his face. “I thought you’d be excited.”
Levi finally looked up, noticing the parcel in Darren’s hands. His eyes lit up, and he asked eagerly, “Did you? Is that a new outfit? Really?”
With a nod and a grin, Darren replied, “Yes, it is! Now, can we have a little apology for mommy because you yelled at her two days ago? She was so worried about you.”
Levi, filled with excitement, bolted from his room and hugged Carol. “You and daddy love me! Not the house! I’m so sorry, mom! Let’s see my new costume together!” Levi held her hands and ran so fast that she almost tripped.
When Levi opened the parcel and saw the robot costume inside, he was overcome with joy. “Is that a robot?” he asked, wiping away tears. “Dad, mom, I love robots!”
Carol smiled and said, “We know you do, little boy. Do you like it? Daddy made it for you!”
Levi’s heart swelled with love and gratitude. “I love it, mom and dad!” he chirped. “I love it very much! And I love you so much! Thank you!”
Levi was thrilled with the robot costume Darren had made out of cardboard and duct tape. It may not have been expensive, but it had his heart and his dad’s efforts.
However, on the day of the fancy dress event, Levi’s excitement turned into sadness when his classmates began teasing him about his costume. They laughed and made fun of him for not having a store-bought costume like the others.
Levi’s tears welled up, but he stayed strong. “Don’t say that, Tony!” Levi protested, holding back the tears. “My dad worked hard on this! He put so much effort into it!”
But the teasing continued, and Levi couldn’t hold back his emotions anymore. He started crying and refused to go on stage for the competition.
The show went on, and everyone flaunted their costumes except for Levi, who remained backstage, feeling defeated.
Then, something incredible happened. The school principal, Mr. Frederick, stepped onto the stage dressed as a robot, just like Levi. It was a red robot, unlike the blue one Levi was wearing.
Levi couldn’t believe his eyes. “Mr. Frederick?” he exclaimed as he stepped onto the stage. “You have the same costume as me!”
Mr. Frederick, also known as Captain Red, responded with a smile, “Call me Captain Red! Agent Blue, you’ve got a nice suit there! Mine took so much time to make!”
Levi couldn’t help but smile. “You look cool, Captain Red! My dad made me this suit! I just love it!”
Captain Red nodded in approval. “That’s wonderful, Agent Blue! I’ll ask your dad to make me a suit next time! I saw some kids didn’t appreciate your costume, so I thought, why not show them they’re wrong? You know what? I love your outfit! You’re lucky! Your dad spends love on you, which is more important than just spending money on children…”
Levi’s face lit up with joy, and that day, he won the competition. His homemade robot costume stood out from the crowd of superheroes and princesses, and he had a huge smile on his face as he lifted the trophy with Captain Red.
After the competition, the group of mean kids approached Levi and apologized. They realized how wrong they were and praised his awesome costume.
Levi was happy that the other kids appreciated his costume. He shared the basket of candies he had won as part of the prize with them and said, “It’s okay! I’m not sad anymore. Let’s not be mean to others, okay? Mommy and daddy say we should love each other!”
Mr. Frederick, with a warm smile, chimed in, “That’s absolutely right, Levi. Always remember that we need to stand up for each other and encourage the good in this world. Never put others down! That’s what Captain Red and Agent Blue believe in!”
And with a wink, the kids happily nodded and devoured the Halloween candies, celebrating their newfound friendship.