The window in my room overlooks the garden. Every morning, a bird’s voice comes to me singing, so I wake up early, get up, and open the window. The dim morning light and its humid air enter. I remain for moments to gaze through the window and enjoy the beautiful bird’s singing. The bird was singing lightly among the almond tree branches and was happy with the beginning of the day. I was happy with his company, optimistic when seeing him flying.
I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, wash my face, and perform ablution, then returned to my room to find the bird still singing and creating. Its sweet melodies filled my room and delighted me. I performed the morning prayer, then put on my school clothes and prepared my bag. The tune of that small bird rang in my ears. Thus, I became accustomed to it, and this beautiful small bird became my friend. I love him and feel that he loves me too. His life was the same until one morning his voice did not wake me. I remained sleeping until the sun rose. My mother came to wake me up quickly and blamed me for this laziness. I had delayed in sleep, so I got up annoyed and did not hear his voice.
I opened the window but did not see him. Intense grief overwhelmed me. Had my dear friend migrated and abandoned me? Or had someone caught him? I do not know what happened to him. No one knows. All I know is that I lost an important part of my life. I went to school heavy and sad. I returned at noon, threw my bag, and hurried to the garden to check on my friend. Perhaps he was absent in the morning and returned in the afternoon, but I did not find any trace of him.
The garden was quiet, the branches were drooping, and the atmosphere was sad and grieving for the bird, like my sadness. I walked around the garden searching for him, looking in every direction. When I despaired of finding him, I sat sadly under the almond tree, leaning my back against the tree. My thoughts wandered with my poor friend and his unknown fate. Suddenly, a drop of hot water fell on my hand like a raindrop. I raised my eyes and saw the poor bird hiding among the branches, with tears dripping from his eyes.
I hurried to climb the branches until I got close to him and asked him, “What is wrong with you, my friend?” He moved his head, blinked his eyes, and said sadly, “I was singing merrily, happy with my life as usual, until a mischievous boy climbed the wall and threw a stone at me, breaking my wing. Now, as you see, I am sick. I cannot fly to get my food, and if I try to fly, I fear falling to the ground. So I am hiding, enduring the pain of hunger until my wound heals. Who knows, perhaps life will return to me to resume singing as usual.”
I stroked his feathers, then reassured him that I would prepare food and drink for him. I put the food and drink in a bowl and fixed it beside the branches. I returned from him, praying to God for him. Then I began searching for that mischievous boy to rebuke him and warn him about his action. The surprise was that I found him bedridden, his leg in a cast. He said that he had fallen from a tree branch, and had it not been for God’s kindness to him, he would have perished. He remembered God’s saying, “And your Lord never treats anyone unjustly.”