Happiness still exists!

1. Family first.

It was late, and Fatima was about to put her children to bed.

- (in Arabic) Yemma, can you please tell us a story? Nouh said.

"No, Nouh, it's late and you have to wake up early to help your father," she replied.

- Yemma, just one story, please!

"Okay, but then you're going to sleep!"

Nouh jumped with joy and lay down comfortably to listen to her mother's story, so she began to tell the story of "Mahboul the Wise":Once upon a time there was a young man who did everyone a favor.He always said okay, but never no.He was laughed at, said he was simple, Mahboul.One morning, he found an almond...He then asked his neighbour:"Afak, please, will you grill this almond?"-Louza wahda? Just one almond? Wakha, okay.

She continued her story until Nouh and Meriem slept.The next morning, the Nadir family had breakfast. Abdelkarim got up and said, "Nouh, come my son! It's time to work! You're a man now!"

"Yes, baba, I'll be right there," he said, with his mouth covered with honey.

"Wipe your mouth first and come with me."

The latter two began to work as usual. It is the everyday, they watered the plants despite the lack of tools but they did their best.

"You see, my son, this is God's gift! He gave us this to live on! Don't forget to thank him!
"They then sold their harvest at the market and used the rest to eat a good tajine.At sunset, Nouh and his father went home to pray and then to eat. After dinner, someone violently knocked on the door. Nouh and Meriem jumped and grasped at their mother's dress trembling with fear.
"Abdelkarim, who does he have? Why are you shaking? You are all pale," said Fatima with anxiety.
"These are the local sheikh's henchmen...
"The door struck again but with more violence.

"Nouh! Meriem! Go back to your room and close the door," said the mother.

- But yemm..

"I SAID GO BACK TO YOUR ROOM!!!!

Nouh and Meriem ran to their room under the orders of their mother.

"Don't tell me you still owe Abdelkarim..."

« I'm sorry, Fatima, but I didn't give them back the rest."

"Are you kidding me? And how are we going to deal with our children if they find out their father is dead? What am I going to say?

" That you died because you were in debt and you didn't give the rest of your debt to these weld el kelb (son of a bitch)!

The door knocked again and a man shouted behind it, "ABDELKARIM OPEN THE DOOR OR YOU WILL BE DEFONCE!!!".
Indeed, Abdelkarim owes money to a sheikh because he did not have enough money to settle in the countryside. Then the sheikh lent him money. A large sum to help him but he would then have to repay him after the harvest. Unfortunately, he never managed to raise that amount.
"I'm not going to die," answers Abdelkarim and finally decides to open the door.
Men. Men with guns
"Abdelkarim, you owe us the rest of your money! It's been a month now, we've been a little too nice to you," said the chief.

- Please give me a little more time! How can I give you back 3,500 francs with my winnings that don't give me a maximum of 200 francs.

."We'll give you a week! If you don't give us back the rest, say goodbye to all your plans!"

"No, I beg you, give me even more time," said he, kneeling.
"How beautiful it is to dream! We have given you enough time. As I said, we are giving you a week. Take it as a friend's gift.

Abdelkarim did not have time to finish what he had to say and the men went home. It is now total silence and Fatima did not stop crying while holding her heart.
"Do you see where you put us? How are you going to find all this money? I'm a housewife, I can't help you!"

"I don't know, Fatima, but I promise I'll make it right."

- How? By stealing money and then still having more debts? Anyway you have to return 3,500 francs."Fatima, please don't add to it, for God's sake. I'm tired, I have to sleep.
Fatima said nothing and lay down next to her little ones.
"You're not going to sleep next to me?"
"No, until you give that money back, I'll sleep next to you!
Abdelkarim murmured and lay down until he fell asleep.

It has now been a week and Abdelkarim has still not collected the rest of the money requested. He only raised 500 francs from his close friend. He knows it is too late. The men of the other time returned to his home and beat him after not returning the promised money.
"We warned you, Abdelkarim."And they left behind Abdelkarim with bruises on his back and a bruise on his eye.
He bled out of his nose and mouth as if he had just returned from war.
"You've earned it, Abdelkarim!

" You think they just hit me and it's over and we move on? You're wrong!"
"I don't care...wait for that smell? It smells like burning!
"Do you say burnt? No no no no! Don't tell me that ...
Abdelkarim ran out of his home and saw his career collapse. The smell came from his field which is burning and disappearing.  His crops are being burned by the local sheikh's henchmen! Everything has disappeared! Not a single grain of wheat!
Nouh came out of his house and watched this disastrous spectacle with fire reflecting his blue eyes.
"Baba, what is it?"
"My mistake. My mistake, my son. It's all gone," he replied. It's over. It's over! "

After this disaster, the Nadir family couldn't do anything! Everything was gone. They can't do it again.  The colonial administration for the sheikh decided to send them to the slum near Casablanca. Ruined and now without land, these peasants migrated to the big city, Casablanca, where the father, Abdelkarim, will carry out various harassing jobs for wages of misery.

He goes to work in hammams, cafes, etc. Fatima, meanwhile, does her best to educate her children. Nouh steals coal to give to butchers.Abdelkarim gave Nouh 10 francs to buy bread. So he went to buy some bread and with the rest he decided to buy a couple of parakeets.

"Baba look! They're cute, aren't they? I called them Mimi and Didi."

Abdelkarim got angry and threw the cage on the ground.
"You are completely crazy! You can see that I am suffering! I am working very hard for you! I'm tired of it but I have to because it's my role as father and you! You! You take advantage of your father's gains by buying parakeets! What am I going to do with this crap? Nothing! Walou! Now go back to your room!"

Nouh went home crying and did not decide to eat dinner. His mother, worried that he would eat nothing, decides to give him the rest of the couscous.
"Go eat my child."
"No, I didn't."
"Nouh, you must eat! You will be weak otherwise! Understand your father! He suffers to help us but don't worry, everything will go back to the way it was."

Well, she hoped that everything would go back to the way it was. Despite this loss, she still had a minimum of hope!
After two days, a young man visited the Nadir family.
"Good morning, brother," he said.
"No! Not you...not you, Mohamed," said Abdelkarim.
This is Abdelkarim's brother. He had cut ties with his family since he married a Spanish woman from Nador. He was considered a disgrace and had to disappear from their lives. Abdelkarim will not forgive him.

"I heard what happened to you, brother. I'm really sorry! I'd like to help you.

"I don't need your help! I'm fine with my new life!"

"If you're really happy, let me raise your son. He's still young! He doesn't deserve this life!"
"I refuse! This is our God-given destiny! We must not complain about it! Now go back home and I don't want to see you anymore!"
Mohamed, sad, decided to leave but he turned one last time and said: "I let you think and if you found a solution, come and see me in my office next to the Sultan grocery store."
and he disappeared.

Abdelkarim refused to give his son to his brother as a danger to the child. But he knew that he would have to do it, and it hurt him a lot. He wanted his son to have a good life. For him, Nouh must study and make his life in a better world, better than his own. He does not want to be selfish and deny this opportunity, but he does not want to lose his son either. What is he going to do?