Wednesday 17 December 2014

A DARK winter day..

It was just another usual day. We woke up at 5.30 to the calls of  ''Allah U Akbar!'' from the neighbouring mosque. My husband , Rashid, who works in the army , had to go early for his winter session of military drills. So I wanted to make no delay in preparing his breakfast of omlet and bread for he would get a harangue from his senior if he got late to training.
At 6.30 I bade him goodbye shouting ''KhudaHafeez!''
As I came out to my balcony to see him go, I saw Salma who was up on her terrace to dry her clothes. It was yet only 6.30 and even the sun was not out so I was surprised to see her on terrace so early and inquisitive as I am, I called her out shouting, ''Salma, why are drying your clothes so early!?''
She told me with a bit of sadness that her son, Salman was ill and she had to take him to the doctor as early as possible. She had always prided on her son's school attendance record. Last year she had served the entire society with sweets after her son had received 100% attendance record in his class 4. I was so envious of her that day that I had almost decided to make sure that Rahim would also get a similar certificate this time. Just then i remembered I had forgotten to wake Rahim up. It was getting late and the school bus would be there in a matter of just an hour. ''Rahim, wake up my boy!', I shouted from the balcony and ran towarde his room only to see him rolled up in his blanket in a deep slumber even as a ray of sunshine which had just emerged from the distant horizon was kissing his beautiful rosy cheeks. He was the apple of my eye and I would've loved to let him sleep some more and behold the sight. But I had to wake him up. He just had to get that 100% attendance certificate. So I shook him a little and then a bit violently until he was wide awake. He was an obedient boy, unlike many others in the society , who hated going to school. He got up, rubbed his eyes as I gave him a long, lingering kiss on his rosy cheeks. His 10th birthday was just 2 days away and me and my husband had bought  him a new bicycle. But my husband had wanted to keep it as a surprise and so he had kept the bicycle in our garage,  away from Rahim's curious eyes. So for the next 2 days at least he would have to use the services of his schoolbus to commute. I was so desperately waiting to see Rahim race down the street on his bicycle that I made sure to keep my husband reminded about it every day. I served Rahim his breakfast, and got his schoolbag ready.
Like our routine , I asked Rahim to say his prayers before leaving. Prayer, its a small word,  spoken in a 1000 different languages and yet it's meant for the same thing all around the world. It's just that we consider it a religious activity, which, it is not.. It's just a spiritual,  humanistic ritual asking the almighty to keep everyone hale and hearty..
By the time Rahim completed his prayers, the bus was already waiting for him and he quickly rushed down the street as I waved him goodbye from our balcony only to see him disappearing fast from my sight..
Today is his birthday.
But the bicycle still sits there in the garage, waiting for someone to ride it.. I wish I had not been so obsessed about the 100% attendance certificate and had just let him sleep that day. He would've been still awake.
Reshma,
18th December,
Peshawar.

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A DARK winter day..

It was just another usual day. We woke up at 5.30 to the calls of  ''Allah U Akbar!'' from the neighbouring mosque. My hus...