"Stupid Samuel" was the name that the barrio  people coined and gave to a boy of ten with small hands and tiny feet. The villagers deemed Stupid Samuel as such because his face was marred by pimienta-sized freckles, as if the peppered flecks signified a modicum of ignorance.  

He's also a pygmy, like his fellow natives. But he's a different kind of pygmy; he was "Stupid Samuel" and he was proud of it.   

Instead of taking a quick nap, Stupid Samuel was now having his merienda, a light snack comprising his favorite fruits. Avocados, papayas, star apples, and guavas — these he amassed from the nearby palenque, because what else is the public market for, if not for plundering some basic necessities. He had forgotten to bring some peso coins — at least, that was his excuse.  

A while later, Stupid Samuel sat near some cobblestones, under the growth of bougainvillea, contemplating about his forgetfulness. How he could have abandoned the loose change he kept in an abaca box at home. For all his careful calculations, Stupid Samuel figured that a receptacle made from Manila hemp should deter stoners from sniffing it — after all, they were not the same thing.   

Despite his meticulousness, Stupid Samuel didn't have funds to indulge in today's fiesta. What else would a grand festival be without the abundance of food and drinks, rides and other sorts of activities? Lacking such means of entertainment, he amused himself by looking at some 3-D picture frames brought by American tourists.  

Stupid Samuel never understood what people saw in those things. He turned them upside-down. Placed them on the floor. Raised them up by the window, near the light. He pressed them close to his eyes. Wore his mother's glasses.   

And he still could never figure them out. No wonder people called him "Stupid Samuel."