"DISCOURSE"GLOBAL LITERATURE MAGAZINE
TITLE: LAME LIFE
AUTHOR: HAMZA HASAN SHEIKH
(PAKISTAN)
A CRITICAL NOTE BY AAMIR ABDULLAH.
Hamza Hasan's short story paints a poignant picture of societal disparities and the selfless dedication of a young woman in the face of adversity. The central theme revolves around sacrifice, resilience, and the stark contrast between privilege and poverty.
The protagonist, an underpaid teacher from a humble background, takes on the responsibility of not only providing for her family but also serving her community by administering vaccines to infants. Her altruism shines through as she dreams of improving her family's living conditions and giving her siblings a better future.
In contrast, Mullah Hazart embodies ignorance and opposition to progress, perpetuating myths about vaccination and inciting fear and hatred. The narrative illustrates how misinformation can turn a community against a life-saving initiative.
The tragic ending, where the protagonist's life is cut short by violence, symbolizes the harsh realities faced by those who strive to make a difference in a world filled with inequality and resistance to positive change.
Overall, Hasan's story effectively highlights the struggles of individuals who selflessly work for the betterment of society, even when met with adversity and misinformation. It underscores the importance of empathy, education, and the fight against ignorance in the pursuit of a healthier, more equitable world.
Wearing a robe to cover her body and a veil on her face, she was standing in the middle of the main highway with a vaccine box and a registration book. She belonged to a backward area where a job for a woman was not less than a sin. She was peeping into every van for babies who needed vaccines. She would never have taken on this job if she had an elder brother and her father was not a patient. She was the eldest in the family, so it was her responsibility to run the home. The mother was uneducated and unable to work. She vaccinated the babies after opening their mouths. The two drops for each baby was the security of its life and safeguarded them from many diseases. The cars were running on the road and the posters advertising the polio vaccination were waving with the breeze while in the middle of the highway, she was running towards every car. She was happy to save the life of these flowers like a gardener. The time was passing and still she was fresh and tireless.
She was a teacher in a primary school in a nearby village. The salary was so low that the whole family could only be fed with great difficulty. In addition, medicine for the father was a big problem for them: more than half of her salary was spent on these medicines. At the suggestion of one of her colleagues, she too joined the polio vaccination scheme to earn some more to meet her expenses. She was to be paid 250 rupees as her daily wage. She was glad that this pure and worthy work would enable her to gain some pennies, which she needed for her younger brothers and sisters. She was thinking of buying new warm garments for her brother and new shoes for her sister because the winter season was ahead. Last year, when she had earned money from serving for election duty, she had bought a shawl for her mother and a suit for her father. The salary was already allocated before it had been received. She was thinking about her home as well as vaccinating the cute and sweet babies. This road seemed luxurious, and the worthy vans made it more attractive. Her eyes dazzled to see the glittering vans in the sunlight. She was inspired by seeing the luxurious life around her while her life was confined in a small dark home whose roofs were dribbling in the rainy season and the walls were outdated. Until evening, she remained busy in her job. After a tiresome day, she got back home, an untidy and distressed home where all wistful eyes were fixed on her, the only support for a big family.
She took dinner and fell asleep because of a long tiresome day. Life was silent in the home and all were gathered in an old single room because it was the only room of the home, having a bulb. All of them used to sit in that room for dining and study while for sleeping many of them moved to the other room. The other whole home was drowned in the darkness. The poor walls were not the sign of safety but those had been erected so that no one might peep into the home. Her father was lying on his deathbed and was just swallowing the medicines, while the mother was coughing and sneezing because she had no proper covering for the winter season. She looked towards her parents and took a long breath. Life was hand to mouth while the problems were unsolvable. She slept up planning for the coming up morning. She was hoping that their days too would be changed soon and she too would pass a comfortable life. She had thought if she could save some money, then she would repair her home. Thinking about a better future made her drowsy and sent her to sleep.
In the nearby villages, slanders against polio vaccination were circulating many days. Mullah Hazart was a Mullah of the local mosque. He never liked the medical facility in his village and never wanted to see the others in soothing life. He never liked the vaccinators because in his view vaccination was no less than a sin. His teacher had once told him that this vaccine was made for purposes of sterilization. This belief had made him hate the people, working for the better health of the society. Within a few days, he had created a group of people who were in favour of stopping the vaccination, which they said was unnecessary for the babies. The people now started to raise their voices, and the fire was extinguished all-around within the days. The minds of the people were changing as quickly as the blank paper is dyed with ink. Hatred was created in the hearts of the people, even against the people, working on daily wages and voluntarily. Ignorance was ruling again and the oppressors were the decision-makers of others’ lives and fortunes. Those ignorant of reality were giving the fiat, and many stupid people started to follow these fiats. Life was again smiling in this strange corner of the world, where the ignorant were the decision-makers, where murderers were rewarded while their victims were punished.
She got up early the next morning and was ready to leave for her duty after taking a cup of tea. She reached the main highway after receiving her medical kit from the Health Centre. Again, the luxurious life surrounded her. The cute and sweet babies were giggling with their toys on the back seats of their glittering vans while the parents passed a smile to her after their baby was vaccinated. This smile encouraged her, and her tiredness faded away. In the whole day, she gained nothing except a few words of thanks and the cute smiles of babies. The drops of vaccine had made their lives. In the course of her work, the luxuries in the vicinity took her thoughts in different directions. She decided to buy a big stuffed teddy bear for her brother from her next salary. In her heart, she wished that her brothers and sisters too played with these kinds of toys. Every car strengthened her wishes and desires. All-day long, her fingers dropped the dollops of the vaccine in the mouths of babies. She was comparing the lives around her with lives confined in a dark cell. Noon was over and now the day was proceeding towards the evening. Today was her third day of duty – there were still two days to go. She counted her wages, which were 1250 Rupees. She remembered the needs that were essential for her to fulfil now. The list was long, but money was short. With each coming van, she stood up so that if there was any baby in the car then she could vaccinate him. She was thinking about her needs that a car seemed to come towards her. She stood up as usual to see any baby but the devil of fate was in the van. There were three men in the van. She stepped back, having no baby, but the van stopped. Still, she was looking when a man got out and removed his sheet. His body was full of weapons and he aimed his gun at her. She was unable to understand why but he had opened fire. She fell injured. The vaccine scattered here and there, mixed up with her blood. She was taken to the hospital. Her blood was flowing like a shower. Before any treatment could be given, her soul left for the heavens. The stretcher was coloured with her blood, which was also dribbling from it. Her body was shifted to the hospital while the stretcher was put aside.
The hungry vagabond cats surrounded the stretcher that was dyed with her blood. The cats were licking her blood sitting on the stretcher, while a lame cat, which was unable to ride on the stretcher, began to lick her blood standing under it. The cat opened its mouth for her rinsing drops of blood, as those were the vaccination to protect its lame life.
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Read here 👇
https://discourseglmag.blogspot.com/2023/09/short-story-1-condolences-by-ariti.html
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"Discourse" Global Literature Magazine.
Founder and Editor
Aamir Abdullah (Pakistan)
Co-Editors
Mumtaz Husain(USA)
Dr.Ratan Ghosh(India)
Haleema Abdulazeez(Nigeria)
Aasma Tahir(Pakiatan)
Najia Ahmed(Canada)
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