The zafar of zoya ( the 'winner' of 'life')

•:{Ali}:•

Zafar pov

What my parents didn't see is that poverty is all around us. Not just us. Our neighbours, people of our village. We were all poor. But still they where happy. They were poor together. And we just didn't want to have anything to do with them. Whenever someone asked for charity, my father used to push them away. My mother never answered when she was asked for help out of fear of my father. We were poor because we were all by ourselfs. They still had eachother. So even though they didn't have anything, they were rich of love. So we were the poorest. We had no love, no bound with the village. Nothing. And not because we didn't get any but because we didn't want any.

One advantage I had being a child is that my father let me have friends and play with them. My bestfriend, my brother Ali. He is an orphan. He is parents left him when he still was a baby. Hameed chaacha (Hameed uncle) raised him. An old but wise man who didn't have any family. He took care of him. And of me. He was more like a father to me than my own father. He gave us the best teachings in life. One day he asked us:

Hameed: do you know what family is?
Ali: you uncle!
Hameed smiles and put his hand on the shoulder of Ali. He than looks at me.
Hameed: what about you zafar? Parivaar kya hai? ( what is family?)
Zafar: ami or abu. ( 'or' in hindi means 'and')
Hameed: you are right but you boys got to understand that family is more than that. You have family that you get when you are born but you also make family during life. You, Zafar, you have your father and mother but look at Ali. He doesn't have a father and mother yet he sees me as his family.
Hameed: and what are you guys for eachother?
Ali: Zafar is my best friend.
Zafar: yes Ali is my best friend to.
We high five eachother.
Zafar: why are you asking all of this, hameed chaacha?
Hameed: what is family?
Ali: but you already asked us?
Hameed: what is family?
Zafar: what you get when you are born
Ali: and what you make in life.
Hameed: If you, Ali, got me as family when you where born and you zafar, got you parents when you where born. What family did you make?
Zafar: Ali
Ali: Zafar
Hameed smiles.
Ali: but how can Zafar be my best friend and my family?
Hameed: Friends are relatives you make yourself.
Zafar: so you mean Ali is my brother.
Hameed: yes he is.
Zafar: yay, Ali you are my brother!!
Ali: yes, mere bhai ( my brother)
Zafar: but we are still friends, right?
Ali: I don't know? Are we, Hameed chaacha?
Hameed chaacha slaps his own forehead with his hand. And smiles.

I always though that the old man, didn't know what he was saying. But now I understand what he was saying and why he said it. We should listen more often to the older. We want to start our future but our past is not enough to learn from and to take with us. We need more knowledge do prevent ourselves from falling in the deepest holes the future can make us fall in. And for that we need the older. Because they already went trough that stage in life. And you never know who's life lessons will come in handy for you. The key is to open your ears when an older person speaks. You can choose to listen to family you got when you where born or family you make. In my case, i choose for the second option. Hameed chaacha.

Hameed chaacha took care of Ali because he felt like it was his responsibility. He felt like allah chose him to take of the child. To give the child a better life than his parents would have. Even though he though he couldn't give the child very much. I asked him once why he took care of Ali in that case? I remember him telling me that they both where poor, alone and wanted to feel what it's like to be rich. And By taking care of him. They both had eachother and where rich. Not of money, but of love.

Ali. He is the best brother I could have asked for. We always competed against eachother. Whether it was running to the mosque; Getting needs for Hameed chaacha; Running to Ahmed's small grocery shop to get sigarets for my father Or running into the fields for our insect battle. Yes, you heard me. Insect battle.

Zafar: look I got the longest worm on earth. It will kill your insect by turning around it and squeezing it.
Ali: ha I don't thinks so because I got the scariest, strongest insect ever.
Ali opens his hands and show his spider.
Zafar: oke you won this time but tomorrow I will beat you.
Ali: Of course (rolls his eyes)
Father: YA LKELB! ( you dog!)
Zafar: abu is calling me. Challu
Ali: the last one who is home is a worm

I ran as fast I could. Not because i didn't want to be a worm but because abu is very angry.