The old man was right. The stick was life. And life was heavy only when we surrendered to it. When we told ourselves that we couldn't do something, we made it heavier. But willpower was the stick's weak point. If we could trust ourselves and trust that life was weaker than us, we could lift the stick and move on.
I was not a hero. I was just someone with a will that surpassed heroes. The old man had seen it in my eyes, and it had shocked him. But now he was calm again. He knew that I had changed, and he knew that I was ready for the next step.
"Go and rest now," he said. "And come to the same place tomorrow at the same time."
I did as he said. I went to my room and slept. I don't know how long I slept, but I woke up to the sound of someone moving in the room. I opened my eyes and saw Abeer standing in front of me, looking at me in amazement.
"Why did you come to my room?" I asked.
"Did Master Sabinites really accept you as his student? "
