It was a cold evening. They both kept looking at the telephone, most likely waiting for a call. This anxiety had deprived them of sleep for several days.
“How many times have I told you—why don’t you go to the telephone department and complain? Why don’t you just say our telephone is broken?” This time Mr. Khan’s tone was a little harsh.
Mr. Khan looked at Mrs. Khan with meaningful eyes and said that he had already filed two or three complaints, but they always said, “Your telephone is working perfectly.” All day long he went over the accusations, trying somehow to soothe his own restlessness.
They still had not forgotten the moment when a small child had entered their lives. After his arrival, their lives had changed completely. When he smiled, they both smiled; when he cried, they both cried. Their whole lives revolved around a single point—and that point was this little child.
They had never imagined that someone could come who would change their lives so much. Even after so many years, they remembered everything clearly. That day was unforgettable in their lives, when for the first time he called them “mother” and “father.” They were overwhelmed with joy, as if they had discovered a hidden treasure.
Time passed so quickly that they barely noticed when he learned to walk. He had also learned to talk with his little childish tongue. His innocent words were often missed by Mr. Khan while he sat at the office. As soon as the workday was over, Mr. Khan rushed home—something he had never done before the child came. Before, he used to spend much of his time with friends. Now all his friends complained that he no longer had time for them. But he didn’t care, as if he had found someone far more important than all his friends.
Mrs. Khan’s joy also knew no limits, for now there was someone in her life who called her mother. When she had finished all his chores and at night lay down tired in bed, there was a strange peaceful expression on her face. She placed the child beside her and slept calmly, but she never let sleep take her over completely, because what if he woke up in the night—what then? So now she had begun to sleep attentively. At the slightest sound she would open her eyes. It had never been like this before, for every morning it was Mr. Khan who woke her while she was still deep in sleep. Mrs. Khan had always loved to sleep. She wondered how this child had changed her life so much.
They were ready to bring down the moon and stars for the wishes of this child. In short, they began to believe that only the three of them existed in this world. And everything else they forgot.
Time flew by without them noticing. He grew stronger and stronger, while old age bent their backs. He had become a handsome young man. His parents felt pride in his youth. Their greatest wish was that he should receive everything in life that they themselves had never had, and so they did everything for him, far beyond their means.
As the child’s needs grew, Mr. Khan began working overtime. When he came home in the evening, tired and exhausted, all his fatigue disappeared the moment he saw his child.
Today was a special day in their lives, because today Ali had completed high school, and they were both very proud of their child.
Their joy was suddenly dimmed when Ali said he wanted to go abroad for higher education. They did not want Ali to be away from them, not even for a moment. For this question they had no answer—they could not find a way out of this terrible thought. Ali’s passion showed clearly that they would not be able to stop him.
Mr. Khan gave in to his wish. But Mrs. Khan was angry and said that they could have stopped him if they had truly wanted to. Mr. Khan told his wife: “I see in his eyes a passion that you cannot see. It is useless to try to stop him. It is better to send him off with joy.”
Even though they both had conflicting feelings, they still had to rejoice in Ali’s happiness.
After Ali’s departure, the home felt like a graveyard. That day they had not even eaten. It was as if someone had pulled the soul out of their bodies. They sat there hiding their sorrow from each other, pretending to be strong in front of one another. But in their eyes lay an ocean of tears, ready to break forth.
With time the wound began to heal. Now the two of them constantly waited for their son’s call. Ali called once a week. In anticipation of his call, they often stayed at home for several days without going out. When Ali’s call came, they could hardly hide their joy. They fought over who would speak first on the phone, and they complained about each other as if he were not their son, but rather their parent.
Today they were both very uneasy, because Ali had not called for several days. The cold, stormy rain had shaken their hearts. An undefinable fear rumbled inside them—they were afraid something had happened.
In the midst of this anxiety and restlessness, the telephone rang. It made them both freeze. They almost didn’t know how to get to the phone; joy and fear had paralyzed their legs. Mr. Khan gathered himself and moved toward the telephone. Today he felt strong—as if someone had warned him that a misfortune was near.
Mr. Khan answered with assurance in his voice: “Hello.” On the other end a voice said: “Is this Mr. Khan? I am calling from the consulate.” It was the consulate of the country where Ali was studying. Mr. Khan replied in confusion and worry: “Yes—it’s me.” The next sentences knocked the breath out of him.
The consulate’s representative said with regret that they had to inform him that his son had died in a traffic accident in their country. The body would be sent home and arrive at their airport tomorrow. They were asked to collect it the next day.
Mr. Khan understood nothing and did not know what to do. Two trials lay before him: how to bear this grief, and how to tell Ali’s mother that their son was no longer alive.
That night felt like doomsday for them. How long would they live with the dead bodies in their thoughts? Would they ever be able to forget this pain—or would they carry it with them to the grave?
