Pretoria, South Africa, in the 1970s was not just a land of wild winds and vast landscapes, but a place of quiet streets where children played on sun-scorched lawns. Among those red-brick houses lived a lanky, thoughtful boy whose eyes were always fixed on the night sky. The world now knows him as Elon—the eccentric billionaire—but back then, he was just a bookish kid who often faced the brunt of schoolyard bullies.

However, in the memory of old Mr. Van Der Berg, who lived next door to the Musks for fifteen years, Elon was never the “erratic genius” the media portrays today. To him, Elon was simply “the kindest boy in the neighborhood.”

Chapter 1: The Child of Silent Actions

“People talk about him launching rockets, but I remember him fixing faucets,” Mr. Van Der Berg says with a chuckle, his wrinkled hands flipping through yellowed photographs.

He recalls how Maye Musk had to work three or four jobs simultaneously to support her three children after her divorce. While other kids were out playing soccer or getting into mischief, Elon stayed home to help his mother.

“I remember once when Maye was terribly ill and couldn’t go to work. Elon was only twelve. Without a word, he walked a long distance to the grocery store, using the meager savings he earned from selling his first game code to buy milk and bread for his mother and siblings. He even knocked on my door to politely borrow a toolkit so he could fix a sagging window for her, fearing the night breeze would make her colder. A child so filial it would break your heart,” the old man reminisces.

Chapter 2: Kindness Without Recognition

Elon’s kindness extended beyond his family, reaching his neighbors in ways that were uniquely his own.

Mrs. Martha, a widow who lived at the end of the block, still vividly remembers the story of the “little genius.” “My garden was overgrown because my joints ached too much to garden. One morning, I woke up to find the lawn perfectly mowed. I thought my son had come home early, but when I looked out the window, I saw a skinny boy, drenched in sweat, pushing an old lawnmower. It was Elon.”

When Mrs. Martha rushed out to offer him payment, Elon simply blushed, waved his hand, and said: “I was just testing a new blade structure, ma’am. No need to pay.” That was Elon—always using “scientific experimentation” as a shield to hide the deep affection he felt for those in need. He feared ostentation; he feared people seeing how soft-hearted he truly was.

Chapter 3: Pain and the Lesson of Forgiveness

There is a well-known story about a school incident that landed Elon in the hospital after being severely bullied. What the neighbors remember most, however, is his reaction afterward. After being pushed down a flight of stairs until he lost consciousness, Elon sought no revenge.

“I asked him: Why don’t you tell the police or make them pay?” Mr. Van Der Berg said. “Elon looked at me with eyes much older than his years and replied: ‘They act that way because they don’t have a happy home, sir. Punishing them won’t make the world better, but understanding them might.’“

The forgiveness shown by a deeply wounded child left the entire neighborhood in awe. They realized that his brilliant mind was not just filled with numbers and algorithms, but guided by a heart capable of immense grace.

Chapter 4: “Mom is My Universe”

Elon’s devotion to Maye Musk is legendary among those who knew them back then. When he started making his first bit of money from startups in America, the first thing he did wasn’t to buy a luxury car or a mansion for himself.

He sent his mother a first-class plane ticket and a blank check with a small note: “You’ve worked hard your whole life for us. Now it’s my turn to take care of you.”

Maye often told her neighbors that no matter how busy Elon got—whether he was running Tesla or SpaceX—he always called her every single day. They didn’t talk about stock prices; he just wanted to know: “What did you eat today? Are you happy?” To Elon, his mother was the first “universe” he wanted to protect long before he ever thought of protecting humanity.

Chapter 5: The Promise of a Son Abroad

Years have passed, and Pretoria has changed. Many of the old neighbors are gone. But whenever Elon Musk’s name appears on TV with his “crazy” projects, the ones who remain just smile.

“He’s still that same good boy,” Mrs. Martha says, looking up at the sky where Starlink satellites streak across the stars. “He doesn’t want to go to Mars out of a thirst for power. I believe that deep down, he’s just trying to build a safe ‘home’ for all of us, the same way he quietly fixed that window for his mother all those years ago.”

His kindness and filial piety are, in the eyes of his old neighbors, the true fuel for his starships. They believe that a man who loves his mother, cares for his neighbors, and forgives his enemies will never truly abandon humanity.

Chapter 6: Epilogue – A Good Man Amidst the Noise

The story of Elon Musk is more than just billion-dollar figures or controversial tweets. It is the story of a boy who grew up lacking a father’s affection but chose to compensate the world with the kindness he learned from his mother.

He may be a demanding boss or a polarizing leader, but in the memories of Pretoria, he remains “the good boy”—the one who taught a small town that to reach the stars, your feet must first be firmly planted on the foundation of sincerity and love.