كالدو..
selected by Dr. Jihad Al-Sarhan
translated by Haifa Ghaith
The Pakistani writer, Murtaza Adeeb, wrote in his book "Al-Misbah"... "I went to Delhi in the 1960s to work, and one day I got off the bus. I searched my pockets only to realize that someone had stolen from me. All that was left in my pocket when I was robbed was nine rupees and a letter in an envelope that I had written to my dear mother: 'My loving mother! I have been fired from my job, and I can't send you the usual fifty rupees this month.' I had kept this letter in my pocket three days ago, hoping to send it later when I had enough rupees. Despite the fact that the stolen nine rupees meant nothing, However, what mattered to him was not the value of the stolen nine rupees, but rather the fact that he had lost his job and had his money stolen, which he considered equivalent to 9,000 rupees for him. After days passed, and I received a letter from my mother that filled me with anxiety. I thought to myself, "She must have requested the usual amount that I send to her." However, when I read the letter, I was puzzled as it contained her gratitude and prayers for me, saying: "I received 50 rupees from you through your financial remittance. You are truly amazing, my son. You send me the amount on time without any delay, despite losing your job. I pray for your success and abundance in provision." I lived in hesitation and confusion for days, wondering who could have sent this money to my mother. And after a few days, I received another letter with barely readable handwriting, in which the sender wrote: "I obtained your address from the envelope of the letter, and I added to your stolen nine rupees another forty-one rupees that I had saved previously. I sent them as a financial remittance to your mother, following the address in your letter. Honestly, I thought about your mother and my own mother, and I said to myself, “why does your mother spend her days starving while I bear your sin and hers”? I am the one who stole from you on the bus, so please forgive me, greetings! Sometimes, we come across thieves who have more decency than those who raise slogans that are, in reality, fake or even fraudulent!