Wallen is a 13-year-old fifth-grade pupil with aspirations of becoming a teacher. After losing his mother at 11, he has been living with his maternal grandmother, a peasant farmer with limited resources. With no support from his absentee father a motorcycle rider, the burden of care falls on his ailing grandmother. Financial constraints and her poor health have made proper healthcare a recurring challenge, leaving Wallen to struggle with ongoing stomach pains and headaches. Despite these difficulties, Wallen remains academically focused, though his future is clouded by uncertainty.
