In a government hospital, in room number 54, there was a frail young man who exhibited signs of severe illness, despite being 15 years old. He did not show any signs of vitality and youth, attributed to malnutrition and the extended period he spent in the hospital bed. He was suffering from a serious illness, and his condition did not bode well.
Even his family, who visited him every day, knew that he didn't have much time left. He, too, had realized this not only from the increasing pain day by day but also from the sorrowful look in his family's eyes. The doctor must have informed them of something, and they didn't want to tell him, despite their attempts to hide that look behind sincere smiles. As much as they tried to mask it, the expressions of sadness overwhelmed those smiles.
But contrary to expectations, the young man's gaze wasn't as gloomy or sad to that extent. There was a glimmer of hope from time to time in his eyes.
"How are you, my dear Maimoun? Does the pain still bother you during sleep?" This was the concerned mother's question to her son.
"No problem, Mom. I feel better than yesterday," replied the son with a wide smile.
His mother heard her son's response, but she didn't rejoice even a little at this answer. She knew that her son said that just to lighten the mood and avoid adding more sadness to this place, which had had its fill of negative emotions. Even though he also knew that his mother wouldn't believe his words, he would say them nonetheless because he was well aware that responding negatively would only increase the pressure on his mother.
This young man, named Maimoun, was born into a large family consisting of 7 members—4 boys, a girl, a husband, and a wife. He was the youngest son. Therefore, if his youngest son was 15 years old, it was evident that the mother was not at an age characterized by strength and endurance. Additionally, they belonged to a family that leaned more towards the lower middle class, closer to poverty than affluence.
Life for a family like this is challenging even without considering the condition of their son. The daily trips to the hospital become exhausting and costly for this family, which doesn't even own a car to reach the distant hospital from their home.
As for the treatment costs, they are covered, but no one is deceived by the charm and allure of the word 'free.' The service at this hospital and the quality of the place are, at best, described as subpar. This is not due to the family making light of their son's health condition; it's just that his situation is desperate, and no amount of money can cure him. Therefore, the family does everything in their power to uplift the spirits of the young man. They come every day despite the difficulties.
The father quickly noticed the somber atmosphere after the mother's question and tried to lighten the mood by bringing up a different topic with his son, hoping to dispel the gloom. Likewise, his siblings noticed and tried to assist their father in his efforts.
"Only a little time left before the anticipated match begins," said the father to Maimoun, expecting a response. The latter, however, responded with a serious expression, a demeanor he hadn't shown even when he first learned of his dire condition.
"Yes, our team will definitely advance to the World Cup qualifiers," Maimoun replied with unwavering confidence.
His confidence was significant, but his eldest brother, named Zain, did not share the same opinion.
"Don't raise your hopes too high. The opposing team won't be easy at all."
"True, just as our players are tough and carry the hopes of the fans, the same applies to the opposing team. Let's not forget they have more experience than our team in such matchups," agreed their third brother, Samir.
Neither Maimoun nor the father liked the negativity expressed by the two brothers, feeling that their opinions were overly pessimistic.
"Are you with us or against us?" Maimoun and the father could only look at the two with sharp eyes.
"It's not like that. To avoid disappointment, we must be realistic," Zain defended.
"No, I am realistic. In such matchups, the element of surprise is crucial, and you both know our team is the first in that regard," Maimoun insisted.
"You said it yourself; we rely on the element of surprise." Zain smiled as if he had won the argument.
"What's the problem with what I'm saying?" Maimoun asked.
"The problem is that the element of surprise is something no one knows if it exists or not. Only the team's coach and players will be aware of it," zain replied.
"And?"
"How can you be so sure that our team holds any hidden cards?"
The third brother understood the logic behind Zain's argument, then decided to continue for him, stealing the part where Zain expressed the philosophy of his argument. This made Zain look at him unfairly, as if he stole what remained of his point. Zain quickly continued, as if afraid that Samir would finish what's left of his argument.
"If we assume that you noticed that, doesn't this mean that the opposing team may have noticed it before you, given that they are specialists in this field? Won't that lead them to take countermeasures to thwart the hidden card?"
"It's a league, not just that. Relying on assumptions has two sides. Just as you think our team holds a surprise, we can say that the opponent may also have a surprise for our team," Samir argued.
Although Samir's words were directed at Maimoun and their father, it didn't stop him from looking at his older brother Zain as one would look at a competitor.
Maimoun fell silent in frustration, then looked at his father seeking assistance, but unfortunately, he responded with an apologetic look. He, too, had no response. The only option left for him was to turn to his second brother, named Aqeel, who didn't even watch football. Could there really be someone who doesn't watch football? He was indeed such a person. Perhaps that would help him respond to Zain and Samir's arguments.
"What are you even arguing about, my friends? It makes me wonder if it's even important to this extent. For me, it's just a means that less developed countries use more than the developed ones to distract their people from the miserable situation they've put them in," Aqeel commented.
The intellectually inclined brother adjusted his hair confidently, while the rest of his family looked at him as if he were an alien. Regardless, he didn't notice the glances directed at him and continued his speech.
"Awaken from this deception, and don't be like the people ruled by the Roman Emperor Nero..."
"Shut up."
Even the four individuals who were arguing among themselves agreed to expel this enlightened fool and all shouted at him simultaneously to silence him. This enlightened intellectual had started spouting facts he had read from one of his books or social media articles.
"What fools with washed brains! And here I am trying to alert you to the deception imposed on you."
The poor man retreated without arguing. He knew it was impossible to shake them when all four of them were against him, even if he was right in what he said. Unless they were willing to accept the truth, it wouldn't have any impact on them.
"Come, my son, take all of this."
Looking at her sad son, the mother offered him a piece of the apple she was peeling as a consolation and support after his father and siblings ganged up on him.
"Mom!!... Did you know that apples have a higher caffeine content than coffee?"
The boy felt some solace from his mother's support, so he decided to respond to her with a piece of information he had coincidentally come across.
"..."
"Would you like, Mom, for me to tell you about the atomic properties of magnets?"
"Do you want me to recount to you what happened in the conversation between me and your aunt at my cousin's wedding?"
Instead of responding to her son's request, she, in turn, made a demand that made the poor boy feel betrayed. He understood the message from her words; if you dare to start with your strange talk, I will respond forcefully.
Aqeel, a young man who spent some of his time reading some dull physics books, believed he had partial immunity to such stories. Nevertheless, he wasn't confident about bringing up his request. He wanted to test his limits and decided to nod his head, but the sinister looks from his siblings and father and the threatening gestures they made caused him to surrender.
Everyone was afraid to hear these stories that lasted for hours. Only their sister Maya, who was busy with her phone, looked at her mother with gleaming eyes, showing her excitement to hear this subject. The terror struck everyone when they saw Maya about to unleash this terrifying weapon. One by one, they began to escape the room using various excuses.
"I'm going to the bathroom and will be back... soon."
"I remembered a friend of mine in this hospital. I'll go check on him and come back... when you finish this fascinating conversation."
"I remembered that my life is short, and I don't want to make it shorter. I'll be back when... darn it, I can't leave my bed. Help me, friends, helppppp."
.
..
...
And so, Maimoun spent time with his family exchanging bits of conversation. He enjoyed this small talk, despite his somewhat miserable situation. This made the family closer to each other, joking without any negative feelings. The family's visit to the patient created a warm atmosphere in this cold, dreary place. Since he was enjoying this atmosphere, time passed quickly.
"It's time to go, my son. We'll visit you again tomorrow, God willing," the father said to his son.
"Alright, Dad. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow," the son replied positively, although he was sad about his family leaving. He knew well that his family had their own commitments, and he didn't want to burden them. They sacrificed their time to visit him every day, and he tried to hide his reluctance with a smile. After they left, he felt lonely again, and the sense of desolation quickly set in.
"I used to be an ordinary person a few months ago, enjoying good health, academic performance, and even popularity among my peers, both male and female. I had many friends, and some girls even tried to get closer to me. My life was on an upward trajectory, but..."
"Man is born weak, and he becomes weak again in old age and even in mid-life. A person doesn't know how long they will remain healthy. My situation is a good example. I cherished my time to do good, as life is not for stability and pleasure... but what comes after."
A bright smile appeared on the young man's face, dispelling the sadness. If there was something that brought him more joy than his family's visit, it was the faith in his heart that illuminated the darkest fears.
"What does money mean? What does power mean? What does fame mean? What do women mean? What does health mean if it won't last? We humans feel time passing quickly in times of prosperity, and in times of hardship, seconds feel like hours. It's easy for us to forget good memories and difficult to stop repeating a wrong word we said years ago."
"This world wasn't made for pleasure. It has another purpose..."
As the young man was lost in his thoughts, pain returned to him, cutting off the threads of his thoughts. With the intensity of the pain, Maimoun closed his eyes, clenched his teeth, and tightened his grip, trying to endure the agony.
The young man waited for the pain to quickly subside, as usual, so he could continue his thoughts or go to sleep, his third means of escaping the harsh reality of this place. However, things did not go as expected.
Typically, the pain is intense but short-lived. However, this time, the pain did not dissipate quickly as usual. Instead, it intensified beyond previous experiences. Maimoun continued to press his teeth, and the pain showed no signs of diminishing. In his attempt to alleviate the pain, he began to groan.
'Has the time come for me to leave this world? Will the provisions I've prepared be enough for my Lord's mercy? Will I finally enter it? At least I'll try my best to take precautions and not succumb.'
'I am still young to face death. My future is still ahead of me; I have a lot to offer. I haven't seen much of this world. Surely, if I had more time, I would make the most of it to improve my chances of reaching it.'
Various conflicting thoughts were swirling in his head, thoughts he did not want to verbalize. Even though they were his personal thoughts, he chose not to listen to them or unleash them. After all, not everything that crosses his mind is accurate, and the wise person distinguishes between the righteous to follow and the malicious to suppress.
'At least I'll try to sit and not die lying down.'
No visible action showed his determination to accept what was coming his way and combat the part of his desire that was dissatisfied.
As the pain intensified to a great extent, reaching a level his body could no longer withstand, he resorted to the safety mechanism designed for him by the expert. He entered a state of unconsciousness, having tried to sit but failing. His body, which had been trembling violently, came to a standstill. The groans of pain that once filled the room turned into a frightening silence. His body lay still, as if his soul had departed, leaving behind an empty vessel.