Who Is Edouard Tales

Short writings about a little boy named Edouard who, like so many nerdy kids, was bullied by his peers, mocked, misunderstood and labelled 'slow' by teachers for being different. Only later to be assessed as gifted. The abuses he endured in the 1970s and 1980s from...

The Bedtime Mattress Sandwich Game — Little Edouard Tales

Tiny Edouard loved sneaking out of bed soon after Ma tucked him in, kissed his cheek, and turned off the light. He was barely tall enough to touch the floor. Belly squirming between the boxspring and the top mattress once the coast was clear. He looked like a footlong...

Parlour Games – Little Edouard Tales

Edouard was a skinny, somewhat nerdy child who preferred to be out of sight when the company would visit. Aunties would poke at his little ribs as if he were Oliver Twist, pinch his little cheeks and fix the persistent cowlick on top of his head. He dreaded company...

School Abuse and Hell – Little Edouard Tales

The typical classroom in the 60s and 70s consisted of crammed rows of desks facing a chalkboard and a lecture-based teaching approach. Students passively listened to teachers blah blah what seemed like irrelevant information. For Edouard to be interested in learning,...

Is he Retarded – Little Edouard Tales

At age seven, Edouard's school principal told his parents something was wrong with their little awkward boy. "Eduard needs to be tested," they said. "We think he has a below-average IQ and learning disability." Edouard knew he was not stupid but different, and he...

Fighting Back with Karate — Edouard Tales

Sadly, Edouard's meek, nerdy, soft-spoken pre-pubescent demeanour at school emitted an aura that screamed, 'Come at me; I'm here for the taking and won't fight back.' So, at 16, Edouard decided to take TaeKwonDo and defend himself against school bullies. The word...

Alternative Education, or I quit. —Edouard Tales

I'll Learn On My Own Thanks Fighting back Karate style to ward off thugs was a self-defence strategy that worked for Edouard. Unfortunately, I can't drop-kick the adults who create a terrible learning environment, he thought. A more diplomatic 'adult' approach was...

Who Is Edouard Tales

by Daniel-Ibrahim | Edouard Tales, Fiction

Short writings about a little boy named Edouard who, like so many nerdy kids, was bullied by his peers, mocked, misunderstood and labelled ‘slow’ by teachers for being different. Only later to be assessed as gifted.

The abuses he endured in the 1970s and 1980s from an education system that mocked creativity and punished diversity were heartbreaking.

In his mischievous years, he intuitively knew how to avoid getting caught where others had failed or died in the act.

His creativity, humour, and empathy helped him overcome adversity and mature into a gifted young man who made a difference in the lives of those he came into contact with.

Edouard was a ferocious lifelong learner who took an introspective, balanced, self-determined approach to living, loving, and learning life on his terms.

By mid-life, he had forgiven his adversaries, let go of shame, and embraced the diversity and social inclusion he longed for. He loved speaking to power and advocating for disadvantaged populations, specifically immigrants to Canada and members of the LGBTQ community.

He believed firmly in a sense of significance, connection, belonging, personal growth, and contribution.

In career, he flaunted being a constructive irritant and outlier, which got him fired more than once.

When surrounded by academics, he’d say,