facing fear

Moving forward, 3 years later I knew who dad was and he was alive which I was very grateful for. He wasn't like mom, physically or mentally. They were the exact opposite of each other. I used to remember him carrying me on his shoulders and taking me to the street stalls buying anything that I pointed my fingers to. I was liking this a lot, especially he gets a lot fun at night when he got drunk. He was not like thos people who get drunk and cause chaos in the house. Dad became a whole new person at night, enthusiastic, optimistic, childish, less serious, endless laughter.

When his holiday leave was over and he left, our house would be dead, literally dead. Mom would miss him a lot and would often have nightmares of him in the war. This was getting out of hand, when she got a fever and we had to visit the doctor, but instead of going to a doctor, we went to a mosque. We met this priest who had the longest beard I've ever seen in my life. He gave mom a thread and another one for me but with a steel pendant in the middle.

I asked grandma who took us to this weird beard, why the thread was for and she said it was to face fear. I was amazed by the anwser, and I felt that nothing could bother me now, not even the watchman who goes by our house everyday.

I can clearly remember that day, a summer evening when this man around dads age came to our house. I was happily sitting in the verandah alone with my toys, he came up to me and snatched of my necklace and ran. I got up and went to mom who was busy in the kitchen. Mom looked at me and asked whats wrong and I replied " A man snatched my necklace and I didn't get afraid mom, the thread worked, now I don't fear anyone". I really don't like to explain the aftermath, but I'll tell you one thing, that an innocent man got the beating of his life.

Thanks Beardie.