Like a Father

It was a usual hot summer day. There was sand as far as one could see with only a road dividing the desert. For most part of the day the road would feel deserted apart from occasional buses that would take pilgrims to the holy shrine some five hundred miles into the desert. These buses would usually make a short stop one their way at one of the few restaurants for the travellers to have their lunch and stretch their backs. Ahmed owned one such restaurant on the highway ,with ten employees, where typically 3 to 5 buses would stop everyday for lunch.

Ahmed also ran another profitable business on the side. A bus would stop at the restaurant, travellers would get down, in the unbearable heat they would go straight into the restaurant. As soon as the last traveller entered the door, Ahmed and one of his employees would arrive near the bus window, would peep in to confirm if no one was left inside, swiftly get into the bus and steal whatever valuables they could find in the bags left behind.

After twenty minutes travellers would return and find their things missing, a call to the police would be made, a case would be registered and the pilgrimage continued. One bus would get robbed every two to three months at this restaurant and the police were obviously having their share of the loot.

Over the years Ahmed had been recruiting young orphaned boys from his village and helping them become part of his business. Yusuf was one such boy who joined Ahmed when he was nine. His parents died in an accident on the highway a month before he joined Ahmed. Ahmed to him was a charismatic leader who could do no wrong. Being around him always made him feel safe. Ahmed’s importance in his life was perhaps as much as was his father’s before he passed away. Yusuf ,now thirteen, was now an important part of the restaurant business. He was in the robbery department of the restaurant. He completed his first theft a couple of years back and since then it has become a mundane task for him.

On this particular day, at around noon, a bus stopped at the restaurant. Travellers as usual got down the bus, entered the restaurant. Ahmed and Yusuf peeped inside the bus, confirmed it was empty, entered the door and started looking into the bags left behind. They had reached near the end of the bus when they saw an old man crouched in the corner. This was a situation Ahmed had never faced before. Having no time to waste he grabbed the man by his shirt and pulled him up and choked his throat with his bare hands, Yusuf followed him and without any hesitation covered his nose and mouth. The old man resisted for couple of minutes and then gave up. By this time some of the travellers started to return to the bus. There was no place to hide. Ahmed convinced Yusuf to take the blame and promised to sort things out in no time by bribing the police. Travellers got into the bus, realised what had happened, caught hold of them and the police were called. Ahmed tried bribing the police but this situation but that didn’t do the job. So finally it was said that Yusuf did this all on his own and that once he had murdered the old man he called Ahmed as he did not know what else to do. Ahmed told him to be honest with police and surrender, by that time the travellers returned to the bus. Yusuf was taken to the police station.

His court hearing continued for another two years. Ahmed was present in court for every hearing. This made Yusuf not lose hope. Ahmed was watching over him, he thought. When the judge announced he was to be sentenced for life Yusuf was shocked.This was something he had not expected. Still he did not lose hope and felt maybe it's the court and Ahmed doesn't have much sway here. Once he’s in jail under the police Ahmed would have more control over the situation.

Another two years passed. He never heard from Ahmed again and by this time Yusuf had lost all his hope. He was disappointed but told himself that it's probably because of guilt that he was never visited. Maybe he’ll still show up some day and they’ll both walk out of this jail together. After two years he was well adept at the ways of jail and got very well acquainted with the prisoners as well as the prison guards. He had been helping the guards wherever he can while also providing them with occasional valuable information on the way. That made the lives of guards easier and in turn they made Yusuf’s life easier.

The nights were usually peaceful and the guards would often drink during their night shifts. Yusuf would sometimes join them for a few minutes to give some information and would get offered a drink or two in return.

On one such night, a couple of guards on duty were having their drinks. They called for Yusuf to see if he had any information to share. Yusuf gave them whatever information he collected in the last week and got offered a drink which he happily accepted. After a couple of drinks, Yusuf asked the guards about Ahmed and how he was doing nowadays. The guards mentioned about the recent robberies and how everything has been going as it used to. They told him Yusuf’s replacement was a new recruit from a village nearby. This news made Yusuf’s heart sink a little. But someone had to help in the business in his absence. He was a bit jealous of the new guy and asked more about him. One of the guards mentioned that he was from a nearby village and was recruited by Ahmed as he usually does. What do you usually mean, inquired Yusuf. The guard who had a few more than a little to drink replied that Ahmed would identify kids in nearby villages which he thinks he can groom. Soon thereafter, an accident would take place on the highway which would make the kid orphan and the kid gets adopted by Ahmed. Yusuf sat still for a few minutes not comprehending what he had just heard. Is that what happened to his parents as well ? Ahmed cannot do that. He had taken care of him since he was nine.

For the next few days Yusuf did not get out of his cell. He wasn’t sure what to feel. At first he felt angry, then he felt that maybe the guards were messing with him. He confirmed it again with a few other guards. They repeated the same story. After that the only thing he felt was rage. He wanted to jump over the prison wall and run to Ahmed and choke him to his death with his own hands like Ahmed had done to that old man. But there was nothing he could do.

Another ten years passed. Many new faces came and went during this time. He made many friends and heard many stories. The world outside almost became irrelevant to him and the thought about his parents got buried somewhere in his mind. One day, he got the news that his sentence has been shortened on behalf of his good behaviour and he would be released in the next few days.

Once out of jail, the only place that he could think of was Ahmed’s restaurant. He took a bus to the restaurant, thinking on the entire journey what he would do when he saw Ahmed. The bus stopped at his destination and he got off. He stood still for a couple of minutes just looking at the restaurant. It had not changed much in all these years. Then he started walking again towards the door and stepped inside. As he took his first step in the first person he saw was Ahmed. Ahmed stood up and walked towards him and gave him a tight hug. He was told how everyone missed him there and that place was never the same once he went off. That night a celebration was called where everyone drank and sang and told stories of their old time.

The next morning after breakfast, Yusuf went up to Ahmed and asked if he could work for him again as he knew nothing else. Ahmed happily accepted. That same afternoon, a bus stopped at the restaurant and the work began. Ahmed peeped through the window, the bus was empty, Yusuf entered the bus followed by Ahmed. As soon as Ahmed stepped inside, Yusuf turned around and put his hands around Ahmed’s throat and suffocated him until he lied still.