Author:
Rizwan Ahmed Memon
Every
night we have many dreams while sleeping. When the nights are long and cold, we
often wake up at midnight. Hundreds of thoughts come into our minds, some good
and some bad. We think about our past, present, and future, as well as the
things and people we have gained and lost. Those long, cold nights give us
chances to ponder over our lives. Ramazan, an unmarried salesperson, went
through this every night.
One night, as per usual, he was alone in his bedroom. Trying to get sleep, he tossed and turned on his bed, but he couldn’t fall asleep. He got out his laptop and used Facebook for a while.
“Facebook can’t take the place of real chat,” he said to himself while closing the laptop. He lay on his bed again and stared at the ceiling. A thousand thoughts came to his mind. He thought about his childhood and his present days as an adult.
“Those days of childhood were the best days. This age of adulthood is dull,” he said softly. He took his touch-screen mobile phone and played his favorite song from his childhood.
“Why don’t I dance to this song as I did in my childhood? Where is the entertainment?” he asked himself. He thought about how he wandered the streets with his friends as a boy.
“I laughed a lot at even minor jokes, but now my lips hardly move when I listen to any joke,” he said to himself. “I felt happiness when I had only five rupees as pocket money. Now I earn thousands of rupees, but I don’t feel that happy. I wish I could have stayed a child forever. Where are those friends and jokes? Where is that happiness? Why is adulthood so dull and colorless?” he was still asking himself as he fell asleep.
While asleep, he had a dream. He was in class at his primary school. His English teacher was giving a lecture. The teacher told them that he was going to talk about life.
The lecturer said, “Look, dear students, today you are children; tomorrow you will be grown-ups. Today your parents look after you; tomorrow you will look after your children. This chain of life has to go on. You have to make every day count. You have to live every day to the fullest. Life has three main stages: Childhood, adulthood, and old age. At every stage we are different. Every stage has its rules, and with every stage we change. When you are a child, you are interested in toys. You have no responsibilities, but when you are grown-up you have many. Responsibilities don’t necessarily lead to a colorless or dull life. When you take on responsibilities, you become mature and learn more about life. You have to look after your parents, earn money, and get married. Marriage is an important part of adult life. When you are a child, enjoy life. When you become a grown-up, carry out your responsibilities and do what an adult should. In your adult life you lose interest in many things, such as toys. After adulthood, you will reach the stage of old age. This is where you slowly and gradually lose everything, such as your eyesight and teeth. So spend your youth in such a way that when you look back on it from your old age, it will make you proud. You should be proud of your past. Dear children, see the sun; as it rises from the East and it will rise from the same direction when you are old. Time will be the same; same days, same nights.”
Ramazan’s dream was cut short when his alarm clock started to ring. He woke up and looked in the mirror. He said three sentences: “Make each day count. Marriage is an important part of adult life. The chain of life has to go on.”
Thus Ramazan’s dream changed his life. He got married to Nazia, his cousin, and he spent each day as though it were Eid. He looked after his parents well. His parents were very happy to see their inactive child active again.
One night, as per usual, he was alone in his bedroom. Trying to get sleep, he tossed and turned on his bed, but he couldn’t fall asleep. He got out his laptop and used Facebook for a while.
“Facebook can’t take the place of real chat,” he said to himself while closing the laptop. He lay on his bed again and stared at the ceiling. A thousand thoughts came to his mind. He thought about his childhood and his present days as an adult.
“Those days of childhood were the best days. This age of adulthood is dull,” he said softly. He took his touch-screen mobile phone and played his favorite song from his childhood.
“Why don’t I dance to this song as I did in my childhood? Where is the entertainment?” he asked himself. He thought about how he wandered the streets with his friends as a boy.
“I laughed a lot at even minor jokes, but now my lips hardly move when I listen to any joke,” he said to himself. “I felt happiness when I had only five rupees as pocket money. Now I earn thousands of rupees, but I don’t feel that happy. I wish I could have stayed a child forever. Where are those friends and jokes? Where is that happiness? Why is adulthood so dull and colorless?” he was still asking himself as he fell asleep.
While asleep, he had a dream. He was in class at his primary school. His English teacher was giving a lecture. The teacher told them that he was going to talk about life.
The lecturer said, “Look, dear students, today you are children; tomorrow you will be grown-ups. Today your parents look after you; tomorrow you will look after your children. This chain of life has to go on. You have to make every day count. You have to live every day to the fullest. Life has three main stages: Childhood, adulthood, and old age. At every stage we are different. Every stage has its rules, and with every stage we change. When you are a child, you are interested in toys. You have no responsibilities, but when you are grown-up you have many. Responsibilities don’t necessarily lead to a colorless or dull life. When you take on responsibilities, you become mature and learn more about life. You have to look after your parents, earn money, and get married. Marriage is an important part of adult life. When you are a child, enjoy life. When you become a grown-up, carry out your responsibilities and do what an adult should. In your adult life you lose interest in many things, such as toys. After adulthood, you will reach the stage of old age. This is where you slowly and gradually lose everything, such as your eyesight and teeth. So spend your youth in such a way that when you look back on it from your old age, it will make you proud. You should be proud of your past. Dear children, see the sun; as it rises from the East and it will rise from the same direction when you are old. Time will be the same; same days, same nights.”
Ramazan’s dream was cut short when his alarm clock started to ring. He woke up and looked in the mirror. He said three sentences: “Make each day count. Marriage is an important part of adult life. The chain of life has to go on.”
Thus Ramazan’s dream changed his life. He got married to Nazia, his cousin, and he spent each day as though it were Eid. He looked after his parents well. His parents were very happy to see their inactive child active again.
------------------------------------------------------
Respond
to the story:
Why
was Ramazan struggling to go to sleep?
What
did he think of the Facebook chat?
Where
was he in his dream?
What
was he told in the dream?
What
three sentences did he say when he woke up?
Who
did he marry?
How
did his parents feel after the new change in Ramazan’s life?
What
is the message of the story?
What
impact does this story have on your life?
Do you
go through all these thoughts at night?
What
changes will you make in your life from now on?
1 comment:
Please comment on this new story. Rizwan
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