Short story: Eid gift

Originally written in Balochi by: Asif Yaat

Translated to English by: Uzair Mehr

Today I am feeling on top of the world that my father is coming. He will bring new clothes and shoes for me.

I was engrossed in these thoughts and promptly moving toward home from school.

When I got home, I opened the door and saw Shadri was looking at me with a gloomy face and tearful eyes.

On the other side of the house, mother was also quite gloomy, propped against the wall. She put her hands on her head.

Our home was crammed with people. I started trembling and was frightened by this scene.

I was very anxious and overwhelmed. I asked her with strange fear but Shadri didn't utter a word.

“Shadri, what happened and why are you people like this?”

She was looking at me with tearful eyes. She was speechless; her ability to speak had vanished.
She started to cry but I held her hand and started shaking her and asked “what happened to you that you do not speak?” My sister!

Shadri did nothing but kept weeping for hours incessantly.

I asked mother “my mother, what happened. Why are you people silent and weeping?”

“What happened? Mother please tell me “.
“From now on your father will not bring Eid clothes for you”.

Saying these words, mother’s shrieks became insane and she breathed her last.