Daily Times

Life can be very challenging sometimes, especially when we are faced with unpredictable situations. I feel like my problems keep on increasing the more I try to find solutions for them

This story is about a happy-go-lucky schoolboy Ali who never expected life to place him in challenging situations. He was naïve and innocent and left us too soon.

He was a very talented pupil in my class who always secured the first position. He never had ill feelings for anyone and was the simplest person I had ever come across. But, he was an orphan. When he was seven, his parents were met with an accident and passed away. Since that, he had been residing in his uncle’s home.

Owing to his young age, Ali could never tell right from wrong. He was so young, sometimes he never even realised that he had lost his parents. For, whenever he asked his uncle about his parents, he would make an excuse that they were abroad for some business purposes and would come back soon. Every night for Ali, was terrifying. Every moment passed with tears trickling down his cheeks. He could not complain to anyone but looked at the stars and the moon and simply talked to himself.

Owing to his young age, Ali could never tell right from wrong. He was so young, sometimes he never even realised that he had lost his parents

One day, when his uncle was not home, his aunt lost her temper on him about something her own son had done. “I did not do anything, Adda. I was just reading my books,” Ali cried, to which the cruel woman replied, “You are an orphan. Your parents have died in a road accident. We are raising you from our own expenditures. It’s our goodness that we’re raising you. Keep your mouth shut and do whatever is ordered.”

Instead of reacting, Ali simply let his tears flow. The woman had even gone to the extent of hitting him when angry. This entire night he could not sleep but just thought of his parents who, he knew that day, had died.

The next day, when Ali came to school, he was distracted from his study. I, as his close friend, took him aside and asked the reason. He did not say anything. He was just repeating one sentence time and again, “I am an orphan. I am an orphan. I am an orphan.”

The day after that, Ali went missing. He stopped coming to school and couldn’t even be found in his home. His uncle became quite upset and looked for him everywhere.

After almost a week, his dead body was found in a gutter. He had a letter in his hands in which a question was written, “Am I an orphan?” Ali’s uncle realised what must have happened. He, to this day, has not been able to digest Ali’s sudden demise.

Sometimes, we don’t even realise and say things to children which become hard for them to fathom. Ali is only one example in our society. Hundreds of thousands are children are subjected to social violence, often ending up in committing suicides or resorting to intoxicants such as drugs, etc.

Therefore, as a citizen, it is my request to everyone to give as much love to children as possible, specifically to orphans. Even if they’re orphans, they deserve the love and affection regular children do. So love children and bring them up with full dedication.

Published in Daily Times, October 16^th 2018.