Suspense Then Sorrow .. !

              After a usual hectic week at school , here comes the week-end . It was an average week-end for everyone of his age , but for him , it was more than just a leisure to play more with his friends  at the neighbourhood without getting reprimanded. It was the most special time during the week , for it's the only era in which he can see his beloved sick mother . At that night , he brushed his teeth and went to bed early .What he did was quite exceptional , because he usually sleeps late and not before he hears his brother's or sister's rebuke as occurs every single night . He insisted on his aunt to wake him up early in the morning ,  in order to go with her to the hospital where his mother lies . He spent the whole night unconsciously waiting for her call to wake him up, and  his excitement is mainly because he wanted to tell his mother everything that happened to him all week long  , especialy that he got some high degrees at school , and his teacher told him that he is one of the most brilliant students in her class . Indeed , Sami woke up early due to somebody's calling that morning , but it wasn't his aunt . The sound he heard was the wailing and screaming of a group of women , he could detect some voices as S'fia's - the neighbour - voice and also Lalla Aisha's , besides tens of voices that he couldn't relate to any of his acquaintances , his curiosity made him decide to go and spot what's going on . And so , he left the bedroom heading to the loung where he found an unexpected gathering of the whole neighborhood , but still , he's not aware of what's happening around him . After they saw him , Lalla Aisha and S'fia scurried towards him with watery eyes and embraced him one after the other . But  while this warm accolade he heard some of the neighbours whispering ;

- " Oh the poor kid , he doesn't know what happened ," said Saadia .

- " He's lucky , he's still young , and i'm sure that he will get over it ," said Karima . 

He knew that there was something wrong at that day , but he couldn't identify it . None was able to satisfy his inquisitiveness , and they tried to keep him away from hearing the sad news , that's why he decided and figure it out alone . But between the tens of possibilities he thought about , his mother's death was the last thing he could believe , because he knew from his  aunt  earlier that  her conditions are improving day by day .

After six hours , and during the proliferation of visitors , Sami saw his brother Ayoub forthcoming , and without thinking ,  he rushed towards him and settled between his arms . Ayoub was quite cool and serene , but his coolness was off-colour and unnatural .  He stretched out his hand to his pocket and brought out a five-dirham coin , "Go to the playstation store and play there until I get back to take you, " said Ayoub . There was something wrong with his brother , and the last few words he said are what support this idea , for the reason that Ayoub was always against letting his little brother play at that place , and he always says that it's  the residence of drug dealers and the shelter of young criminals of the neighborhood . His curiosity was getting increased every time he sees the unusual pilgrimage of people to the house where he lives .

"... Here comes my dad... , " commented Sami in an extremely low voice ,after hinting his father  coming out  his bedroom . Of course the father didn't know what's going on too , he was sleeping , or ' dead ' , so to speak . Sami's father is an alcoholic person , he works for a night club as a drums player along with his artistic band , he always gets back home at dawn , and sleeps till the sun is down . But this time he got up at noon , due to the blabber and wailing of visitors . He was surprised to see the huge number of neighbors and some family's members who live in other onward cities . His wonder got increased when B'a Allal , the grosser , derived towards him and said the prevalent and famous words of condolence  in Morocco ;

- " L'baraka f'rassek " said B'a Allal . Then , the father burst into tears , and fell apart ,

- " Oh my lovey mother !! , I told her many times to go and  see a doctor but she refused !! how can I live without you mother ?!! " yelled the father . 

- " It's not 'lhajja' who died " said B'a Allal , "It's a a a , it's h'umm " ,

- " Say who died a B'a Allal , you're driving me crazy with your a a a a 's , " said the father wrathfully , but B'a Allal could not pronounce the name , because  Sami was around , and he didn't want him to know the person who passed away . Then , B'a Allal  whispered the name into the father's ear , whose facial expressions changed from sad to less sad . The father then headed back to the bedroom , wore his cloths , and joined the list of absence  along with the other absent people .

During this totally chaotic situation , Sami noticed the absence of someone who's very special to him , this person was his aunt Rajae , she's a 50 year-old woman , whose  husband died in an accident 10 years previously . She refused to marry all those who proposed to her as a sign of loyalty to her passed-away husband , and also because she wanted to give all of her time , efforts , and attention to her children . the relationship between Sami and his aunt Rajae was quite intimate , he was more attached to her than his mother , and she , herself , considered him as if he's one of her kids , that's why she used to take him with her everytime she came to visit her sister . She used to buy him cloths , toys , and gifts  , exactly as she does with her own breed . Sami looked for her in every corner of the house but he couldn't find a trail of her . She was completly disapeared , and this confirmed his worries , something bad happened to someone akin to the family , but " who " ? he wasn't able to find an answer at that time . 

- " Lalla Aisha .. ! please tell me what's going on , no one wants to tell me the truth , " said Sami to Lalla Aisha and his eyes are like a volcano that is about to blow-up. 

- " Someone who's very dear to our hearts went on a long journey , and we don't know either this person will get back or not, that's it my son ," answered Lalla Aisha in a wistful tone , before she soon pretended that someone is calling her and left the lounge . He was fully disgruntled with her answer , or better say Enigma .  He had no one left to ask , his aunt , brother , and sister , are absent , his father also left the house after his conversation with  B'a Allal , and also Lalla Aisha ,who he trusts the most of all the neighbours , refused to answer him . He convinced himself to be patient , and decided to go to the playsation store as his brother told him to do , hoping that he can find the right answer to his question when he gets back .

While he was on the road to play , Sami encountered an old man . He was a 80 year-old man , with long and white beard , wearing a white Jellaba and carrying a crutch . Sami was staring at that man with astonished eyes , the man seemed so weird for him , weird in a good way , that he couldn't take his eyes off him . The man appeared like an angel who lost his way in sky to end up on earth , and that's what pushed Sami to follow that man , trying to find out the mystery behind his wonderous appearance . The man was about to get into the mosque when he tumbled and fell down , Sami was shocked , for he knew that angels don't fall down . He soon hurried up to help him straighten up again , and help him get his crutch back , the man sat down on the mosque's toddle and said : 

-  " Thank you my son , you're such a brave and gentle boy , "
- " Never mind grandpa , my aunt told me once to help old men and women , because one day i'll be old too and younger people will help me ," said Sami  proudly .
- " You have to take me to your aunt , I want to thank her for teaching you such norm , she must be an upstanding woman ! " said the Old Man .
- " Yes she is  , but if I could find her , I would ask her for the answer that nobody at home wants to tell me " said sami in a very dejected voice .
- " Did she travel ?  and what answer are you looking for ? tell me the story and i'll see if I can help you my son "  said the Old Man
Sami told the the entire story to the old man , and how everybody was ignoring his questions . The man was all ears , and after Sami finished telling the story , he commented :
- " Well my son , I know exactly how it feels , when  you don't know what's happening around you , and that's exactly what happened to me when my sons were conspiring to rob the money that I've been saving for my whole life , and I didn't know their intention until they filched it,  " said the old man and his head is curved .
- "But stealing somebody's money is forbidden ," commented Sami
- " It is my son , but I think it's all my fault , I think that if I had taught them that as your aunt did with you , they wouldn't have done such a bloody thing , " said the Old Man ashamed .
- " Never mind about that , let's get back to your problem . You mentioned earlier that everybody refused to tell you what's happening , so  What pushed you to believe that somebody died ?  "added The old man .
- " First , the wailing of neighbours , but later , when i've heard B'a Allal saying ' L'baraka f'rassk' to my father , I was sure that somebody passed away , " said Sami .
- "Listen to me carefully my son ; death  is something that nobody can escape . This is life , and this is the truth that everybody must be aware of , it's Allah's will.. ,"
- " But I know that Allah is merciful and  loves us , so how can he  take people who we love from us ?,"  Sami interrupted the Old-man's  talk .
- " Well , that's a good question , and I will make it clear for you .  Say , for example that one of your friends borrowed you his ball to play with  for some time , and he came to take his ball back ,  would you refuse to give it back to him ? " said the Old Man
- " Of course not , I'll give it back to him with pleasure and thank him too, " answered Sami .
- " That's exactly what I wanted to hear , and that's precisely what Allah does . He gives us Somebody who makes our lives better , and who we love , Then  , Allah wants to get this 'Somebody' back , because he/she belongs to him . So , we  all should do what you would do with your friend's ball , I mean  give that person back to Allah with pleasure , and thank him for everything , " said the Old Man .
- " Ah , now I see , thank you grandpa . But I wish you can help me find out who's that person who Allah has chosen ,"  said Sami .
- " Since you asked , I am going to help you  , and that's the least I can do for you , because you helped me before and I owe you one  , " said the Old Man .
Sami excited : " Thank you grandpa ! "   " But how can you do it ? , " Sami added .
- " Just take me to your house , and I will  spot it for you , " said the Old Man .
Indeed , Sami led him to the place where he lives , and after  minutes of waiting , Sami saw the Old Man coming out the house , he rushed towards him and asked  :

-  " Did they tell you anything ?  ,"
The Old Man said after wiping his tears :

- " Well my son ,your aunt is the chosen one  " 

THE END .