“A decision made in anger never ends well for anyone” – A mother’s advice to her son

Just yesterday, spring had stepped in with its warm and unique fragrance, but soon it would give way to summer. The weather was very hot. There were exactly 10 days left until the end of school.

“Kids, how about we go swimming after the exam today?” This was Qosim, the most cheeky and stubborn kid in the group.

“Let’s go to the shade!”

“You’re too young; only little kids swim there. We’re going to the river.”

In the village, there is one river. People have named it “Mother River” or “Mehr River.” There is an old legend about this river. According to the legend, there was a long drought in ancient times. All rivers, ponds, and streams dried up. The villagers left their homes in search of a new place to live. After searching for a while, they found this river and built homes for themselves from its waters. They began farming on new lands as they watered them from this river. Soon others also came and settled by this riverbank. That’s where the name “Mother River” comes from.

“Alright then, let’s meet on the hill after lunch; I will ask my mom,” Hasan said.

“He will ask his mother,” Qosim mocked.

“Akbar, are you going too?” Hasan asked.

“I don’t know; I don’t think I can go.”

“Why not?”

“I’m not very good at swimming.”

“Oh come on! You don’t know how to swim; you’re no different from a girl,” Qosim said.

Now it was time for them to finish 7th grade and head into vacation.

Akbar was modest and never joined in with the neighborhood troublemakers. His friends always teased him which is why he rarely talked to them.

After lunch, under Qosim’s lead, they headed towards the river to swim. The most mischievous boy in class was none other than Qosim himself. He constantly disturbed everyone’s minds and urged them to skip classes.

“It must be deep then?” Hasan asked.

“You think so? I’ve been here 100 times!” Qosim replied confidently.

“No way!”

“What? You don’t believe me?”

“Nope; why would I?”

One by one they jumped into the water. Luckily today the river wasn’t overflowing its banks. Although shallow, it didn’t spare those who didn’t know how to swim from its depths.

Akbar stood watching his friends near a poplar tree on the bank (it must be fun being them). He felt bad for not knowing how to swim while staring off into space. He thought long about why he was like that and why he was unlike others—always comparing himself negatively against his peers.

Gradually children started coming out of the water.

“I think that’s enough; we should leave,” Bobur said.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Hasan agreed. “What time is it anyway?”

“It’s almost 3 p.m.”

“Oh no! My mom will get mad now!”

“Don’t be such a coward; you should act more like a man,” Qosim teased.

The others replied: “You keep swimming; we’re leaving.”

“Okay fine! Here I come! Just wait till I get out—then you won’t stop me from crying!”

The kids left.

Akbar thought: How long am I going to be laughed at in class? Suddenly he found some courage within himself somewhere deep inside him. He went down toward the bank of the river.

“I either do this now or never,” he said before throwing himself into the water without hesitation. Mother River showed him no mercy; she did not spare him against her stronger current.

Just as he leaped into the water, his mother’s warning echoed in his mind:

“A decision made in anger never ends well for anyone, my son.”

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Published under International Cooperation with "Sindh Couier"