The
flat was much nicer than the home of her father. She fell in love with the building entrance. The paving stones leading up a slight incline
highlighted the low walls at the entrance of the building. The door to her apartment always caught the
morning sun. Daiwik, the building
maintenance man, took great pride in keeping everything in top condition. Every day he was seen repairing or enhancing but
always had time for a smile and greeting to each occupant or passerby.
Daiwik
was the one shining moment of that day.
His kindness and smile as she and her husband walked to their flat were a
ray of sunshine in her tempest. Even
now, she enjoyed the man and his family who lived in an apartment on the bottom
floor. Amal and Daiwik’s wife, Madhura,
both loved their herbal gardens that faced the Mediterranean.
Daiwik
and Madhura were talking when Amal approached.
They exchanged smiles and greetings and Amal entered the elevator. As the doors closed she pushed the number
3. Amal continually saw Ali. In her mind, he was still a young man full of
vitality though more contemplative after his accident. Seeing him as a beggar in the street haunted
her. He was a broken man. What had life done to him? Where had he been all these years? How did he suddenly appear mere blocks from
her home? She couldn’t reconcile her
memory and present reality and they disturbed her greatly.
Once
in her home she began making dinner. On
autopilot, she combined ingredients to make the evening meal. Her children would arrive from school
soon. Amal was grateful to let her
emotions ruminate as she worked. She
neither fully focused on dinner or Ali.
Meanwhile,
Boulos sat on the street with his back against the wall. He felt the warm sun on his face and knew it
was getting lower in the sky. He
listened to the noises around him and when someone neared, he held out his hand
and asked for something to help him live.
When even the smallest coin was given, he thanked them and asked God in
heaven to bless them.
Boulos
had only been in the city a short time.
For many years, he lived with an uncle.
When the love of his life married another, he couldn’t stand the thought
of being in the same town. To see her or
her husband would shatter his already broken heart. He walked south to the town of his
father. With impaired vision, he
wandered the streets asking citizens there if they knew his uncle. Eventually, he found his uncle who took him
in.
His
uncle had his own infirmities having lost his right leg in a work accident. Life
was difficult as Boulos slowly saw light leaving his eyes. Once he learned the layout of the house,
Boulos learned to cook and clean in spite of his vision impairment. He bonded with his uncle and the two shared a
genuine affection. He loved to hear his
uncle tell stories about his childhood. He
laughed at how his uncle and father once hopped on a train and rode it to the
next town. Their father beat them when
he learned what they did. He never
learned of the subsequent times they did it.
His
uncle’s daughters visited every day to bring food and care for their father and
cousin. Boulos loved the blessing they
were. He was genuinely happy for the
first time since he and Amal realized their love for one another. He remembered caressing her cheek that
night. Love filled his heart and he felt
no one in the history of the world could have been as happy as he in that
moment.
The
day came when his uncle did not rise from bed.
Boulos went to the bed after calling his uncle many times. He felt a cold body there and trembled at the
thought of being alone again. Would his
cousins allow him to stay? Would they care
for him?
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