THE CAFE BOY

I went out again but this time after compromising maa. While I was walking in the market I caught my sight on a boy of my age. He was the same boy that was staring at me while I was looking at the poster in the market. He was serving tea to the customers in the café. I stood there and kept gazing him. He first glanced at me then he started gazing at me. I stopped looking at him and moved on. I turned in a street along the café. As I took a turn in the street the same boy caught me and asked "why were you staring me?" I shook him off and ran. He ran behind me. I turned back to see where he is and I saw him nowhere so I stopped. He dropped from the roof of the café, above me, on the ground and caught hold of my arm and said "listen. I know who you are. You are the same boy on the posters in the market. Aren't you?" I nodded negatively. I saw his nametag on the apron he was wearing. He said "don't be afraid. I am also under their aims because I haven't paid taxes from when I was 8 years because I am not having that much money." I asked "why does your father don't help you?" He became silent. He asked me to go with him. I thought for almost 1 minute then I started with him. He took me through beautiful orchards of oranges and apples. He stopped just in front of a huge gate of metal. I read the board on the left of the gate: "GRAVEYARD". He entered the graveyard through the gate. He passed some graves and pointed at a small grave on a small height above the ground on a stair. Then he started weeping and said "he wasn't able to help because he was resting in that grave. I'm the only male from my family now." And he banged on the floor with a huge thump. Now I started to trust him a little. Then he stood up and slowly walked out of the graveyard. I stared at the grave. In my heart was the pray for the forgiveness of his sins. I slowly took a turn towards the exit of the yard. I went to the boy and patted on his back. He took a deep breath. He said "I need to go home to my mom. She would be worried." He blazed to his home. I also went home. My maa was sitting on the floor near the stove. She asked me that I got any news. I remained silent and took off my waistcoat and cap. I sat on the sleeping rug. I asked "why were you sitting near the stove?" she said "just remembering the old times when all three sat near the burning stove in old winters and ate three-times a day and were living happily. What has happened to us? Whose evil sights have eaten our happiness? But I have belief in Him the Allah. He will bring our old happy times back." She sighed. Then she asked again "I asked something. Any news?" I said in grievance "nothing."