I was there

I was there,first i felt afraid then i was a King,a very happy king "
I was there today, to the shelter for orphan
I have been giving support like money and clothes
But then I said I would visit this place to see am I doing any good
I knew that orphanage are parted into two sections one for males harboring 25 kids
The other part for females also the same number
I was curious we never had shelter for orphans only through the last years
We are a rich country you know so we never needed these places
So I was determined to see...to know what’s going on, who is there
Kids who suddenly lost father and mother and left homeless
Kids who have families but they can not afford to pay for their foods and clothing so they put them there
Or families with many kids but very little to offer they force their children brutally to leave home. So they end here
I reached there, I bought lots of food for 25 creatures, chocolates and the kind kids no more than 6 years old would like to have
I reached there. I was stunned. The building was O.k. went inside the corridor looked horrible...it was like prison
I came to a room where there were lots of shouts and crying...they saw suddenly everything was quiet
I said hello. They looked at me. Not a whisper...ten one child no more than 4 years began to cry...he was frightened
They told me he was always like that when he sees strangers...
And I went along to the kitchen with a lady... I had lots of work to do
I had to arrange everything...to ensure everyone received a full meal...the lady kept watching me...she seems stunned
She thought I was crazy. Leaving my work and come here and act like a cook for 25 mouths...
I did not care for her...I was so busy it’s not easy to prepare a meal for 25 mouths...
Each now and then I would see some small faces stealing a look at me from the open door...
Snickering and laughing. I did not mind...I was busy preparing food for 25 mouths
Then I suddenly turned around and saw the doorway full with small creatures in tattered clothes
Looking strangely at me...but strange they were at peace they even smiled at me...I could almost see joy on these faces
I was overwhelmed; I could not take my eyes from them. I forgot everything about my cooking...
We stayed there for a while each looking at the other. So many I saw them...
I said anybody hungry...they all nodded that they are starving...I turned my face to the window so they don’t see my face
For at that time...my face was a mess...I did not want them to see me...I was afraid of them...
I thought I would also give them courage and hope of a better tomorrow. But I was wrong
They gave me a lesson about courage. As if telling me...who cares about hunger...we can stay like that for days
I could not turn my eyes to face them. For a while I thought they were all my kids. I was shivering now
Very embarrassed, then I turned to them. My eyes to the ground...I gathered all my courage, and called for them
Come each sit here and eat, they came running, all of a sudden I was surrounded by small creatures...they were so happy
I felt at that time happiness I never in my life knew before, God...how lovely is life...oh God thank you for bringing me here
oh I have the honor to bring so much joy... I was a king...I swear that’s how I felt...I was a king...a very happy king

Author's Note

his was written in haste

Reviews

[R J Askew]

A wonderful piece of writing as it is a piece of life rendered into words. There is none of our western winging and self-obsession here, no intellecual toying with words and metaphysical sallies into fantasies. What we have is a humbling experience, an act of charity which is moving. But there is an even more moving part, being the way you capture your own, far stronger sense of the moment's drama -- again that word, drama. We sense the fear of the children. We suspect why they are afraid and what the might have suffered. There is the dumbfounded astonishment of the woman. Maybe we are a bit like her. Not quite believing what we see, in this case read. But of course is is true. And the turning away... It is as if some emotional grenade goes off, slowly, in you, as you are seeing the pain of your own country in those little faces, each one of which has stories behind it. The orphanage is a concentration of stories. And then the understandable sadness is followed by an extraordinary elatiton. 'Here we are, things are not so bad, we are alive, let's get on with it. Let us make the best of this.' And you do. We manufacture dreams and distractions and shallow happinesses in the West, but you found a very real and deep human happiness in those moments. What a joke that there has to be such pain all round before we get to such moments though. Life the great joker. With death standing on. One can almost imagine them asking each other, 'What shall we do next?'

[Celtic Cat]

25 mouths.... will talk about you for years to come. I'm glad you had your day in the sun, my friend. A very, very lovely tale, full of hope. I'm so happy for you. and them! : )

[Emily B]

Moayad, it's beautiful. We learn the biggest lessons when we plan to teach them. I am happy for the day you had.