🎭 The Lunch Break Clown

🟥 Chapter 1 — The One Who Made Everyone Laugh

Every lunch break at the office, Yacine was the star.

“Man, you missed your calling as a comedian!”
“We only invite you for the show!”

Jokes, impressions, wild stories—he had everyone laughing.

But no one noticed he barely touched his food.
He smiled to fill the silence. He joked so no one would ask real questions.

🟥 Chapter 2 — The Silence Behind the Mask

When everyone returned to their desks, Yacine lingered.
He’d tidy up chairs, wipe tables, stay in the light a little longer.

Because at home, there was only silence.
A small apartment. A muted phone.
He hadn’t spoken to his family in over four years.

There was no big fight. Just… a slow unraveling of missed words and misunderstood gestures.

When his father fell ill, he offered to help.
His sister replied, “You never do anything right.”

So he didn’t come.

Later, no one told him when an aunt passed away.
When his mother scolded him for missing his little brother’s birthday,
he snapped: “Why is it always up to me to guess what you expect?”

And that was it. No more calls.
No more birthdays.
Just polite silence that became absence.

🟥 Chapter 3 — The Unread Message

One night, he tried reaching out.

A voice message to an old friend:

“Hey… I was just thinking about you. Maybe we could grab coffee sometime.”

The message was never opened.

So the next day, at work, Yacine told another hilarious story.
And everyone laughed. Again.

🟥 Chapter 4 — The Elevator

It was Thursday. A tense meeting had just ended.
Yacine, as usual, lightened the mood:

“Let’s not pull our hair out—some of us still have some left!”

Laughter.

Then came the elevator.
Alone.
One tear slipped down his cheek. Quiet.

The doors opened.

Élise, a colleague, stood there. She saw it.
She said nothing.

But the next day, a small note waited on his desk:

“You don’t need to make us laugh to be liked.
I’m here, if you ever want to talk.”

🟥 Chapter 5 — A Different Kind of Coffee

That day, Yacine didn’t crack a single joke.

He messaged Élise:

“Thanks. It’s been a long time since I cried… in front of someone.”

They met for coffee. The kind where silence is allowed.
Slowly, a true friendship took shape.

Élise asked questions no one had dared.
And for the first time, Yacine started to exist beyond his humor.

🟥 Chapter 6 — The Phone Call

Weeks later, heart pounding, Yacine picked up his phone.

He called his mother.

She answered.
Surprised. Hesitant.

“I’ve been hurt… but I should’ve said it.
I’d like to talk. Maybe not today. But someday.”

He hung up, his voice shaking.

The next morning, a text was waiting:

“I’m proud you called. Yes, we’ll talk.”

🟥 Chapter 7 — Laughing Differently

Today, Yacine still makes people laugh.
But now he eats his lunch. He listens, and he shares.

He’s still funny—
but the mask is gone.

Élise remains by his side, a friend who saw the tear behind the smile.

“You know,” she told him one day,
“I never liked clowns…
but you stopped painting your smile.
And showed me your face.”

💡 Moral

Some people laugh so they don’t scream.
Some make jokes so they don’t collapse.

But one word, one look, one real connection—
can be enough to let the mask fall.
And reveal something beautiful underneath:
truth, pain, and the strength to begin again.