"Sir, all I want is justice!"
"Why do they throw stones?
Why are they punishing me?
They are the reason my dog barks."
His breath was nasty,
mine was worse.
He must have been drinking,
I hadn't yet brushed
He din't have a point to drive home.
albeit his query tested my patience,
and I eventually let him into my home,
where we talked of nothing but Rome.
Empowerment and lack of power,
acting like the Romans or acting right?
Justice and injustice, right and wrong,
peace in the here after and letting troubles be.
"they throw stones at my home,
they say my dog barks all the time.
but it only barks when attacked,
and I have done nothing to them!"
"Why do they throw stones?
Why are they punishing me?
They are the reason my dog barks."
Strangers pick and throw the stones,
to this old man's old home,
he needed to vent, he needed justice,
I had none to offer him
Only water to cool him.
"The constable came to my home,
Pulled out his lathis, the big stick.
Asked me why I spoke English,
I said it's an English speaking country."
"What can I do sir?"
He raised his hands and asked me.
'I'm only a boy-man,' I thought.
'I know I turned 22 yesterday,
But how can I help you whose 79?'
I felt pressured, I couldn't deny.
Ayeh silence kept me in the zone,
so I listened to him go on and on.
"They hit me with their lathis,
I tried to bribe them with a 100 rupees.
but they kept me in the cell,
I sweated so much and yelled.
When the rich man bribed with 200 rupees,
they let him out the cell."
"These police men! Puh!
So corrupt! They made me suffer,
but in the end they will suffer.
God knows I have worked hard."
"What is your name? He asked."
"Ibrahim."
"Ooh! Name of a god,
all names are names for god's,
I am Hindu man, I have studied bible,
Jesus suffered so much for our sins,
his own people punished him."
"Why do these people punish me?"
Why do they want me to suffer?
I used to work so hard, and they used to pay me 100 rupees.
My wife is sick, diabetes. I need to feed my family,
these neighbour's are so bad, simply talking bad things!"
"Sir, all I want is justice!"
I am no judge,
I wished I were.
I was his neighbour,
I hoped to be among the good.
From one conversation to another,
we jumped to the moon and back,
to his childhood and transition to manhood,
as I sat and patiently listened.
"I want to study Qur'an,
Who is Ibrahim?" he asked.
"Well in the Qur'an his the father of all nations."
Luckily I was on a recent verge of completing the Qur'an.
so I gave him what I had taken time off to learn.
"I need to study the Quran and more of the bible.
I need to go and purchase." he said
I offered him my second Quran to cut his chase.
"should I pay?"
"no, no, don't worry about it."
"thank you very much, thank you,
Any doubt I'll come to you."
"Sure uncle, no problem."
I got lost in thought,
Wondering on the ways God works,
Wondering on how my housemate,
who was also on the way to open the door-
from up stairs would have handled the gentleman,
Wondering why I choose to drop-
the broom as I cleaned my room,
Yet I had just complained
of people who visit at the wrong time-
once the bell had rung.
I wondered...
My time was invested but not wasted,
My faith was tested but reinvested.
Our conversation was a questionnaire unresolved
"look at me," he said,
"I have no teeth, people always ask
why I eat slow. (he laughed)
You have to respect food,
thank God, He gives and takes."
I remembered and mentioned to him
how the Quran speaks of God
granting us life from youth
where we acquire wisdom,
and to old age where we grow-
frail and he takes it all away.
"Ibrahim, thank you, thank you, thank you..
God is everywhere, He gives and takes.
He gave me this nose to breath, eyes, ears,
(he pointed to all his features) and He is everywhere!"
"Thank you very much Ibrahim, thank you.
But,
Why do they throw stones?
Why are they punishing me?
They are the reason my dog barks."
He said it one last time..
"anyway, let it be! Thank you."
"No problem uncle, have a good day."
