- 03 May 2008, 18:38
#12236
A TROUBLED TEEN!!
By Hussein Karim
Kassim kicked the empty soda can as hard as he could. He watched it soar in the air and land far in front of him. He sighed deeply. “Why me?” he thought to himself. He sat on a nearby bench and holding his head in his hands, began recalling. “Why didn’t anyone care about him? Why wasn’t sabira talking to him? Didn’t she care anymore? And why was everything bad happening to him?” He felt God hated him, or was he being punished for something? Just because he missed some prayers or listened to music or….. actually the list of wrong acts was long in Kassims mind…still he continued. “NO matter how hard I try in school, I keep failing!” Ah!” Kassim took out the Pariki (chewing tobacco) packet from his pocket and put a pinch into his mouth. He recalled the day he had started, it had been his friend Zoheib who had got him to start. He had said all cool people chew it. Kassim looked at the packet as he remembered the first time he had tried. He had gaged, coughed and felt dizzy at the same time. But he had kept chewing to look cool, and had developed the habit. Now, he couldn’t stop and his teeth were in a way bad condition. In anger, he flung the packet far away. That gave him some satisfaction as he remembered his maalim Shabbir explaining in madressa about nafs lawama. The soul which had a chance to change… “but is there really room to change?” thought Kassim. “its just too late!”
Then his mind drifted to his gang, K-unit, and he thought of the fights and bullying. They had recently beaten up the H-zone and he felt happy about that. But he kept getting his fathers image in his mind saying, “Son, its no good fighting! We are all creatures of God!” Kassim gritted his teeth. “All dad knows is his religion and work” he thought. “Always pray, study or read Quran is what he wants me to do! But I ask him for a night out with my friends or a N-97? Hmph! And why did he have to take my phone? Just cause I was trying to call Sabira? It was only 11:50 at night. Ah!” And suddenly, tears started dropping from Kassim’s eyes. “And sabira,” he thought “after all my love and gifts, she just stops talking and caring! Its not fair! And she cheated on me! That’s worse! Ah!”
“Why me?!” He shouted loudly. He took out the box of Embassy lights from his pocket, again another influence from Zoheib, and lit one and began smoking. “And mum,” he continued thinking, “all she cares about is those two little brothers of mine! Everything them! Ah! What about me? Aren’t I still her son?”
Kassim was fed up. He spoke the names of everyone who he felt had stopped caring…
“Dad, mum, Sabira, my teachers; ah! Everyone!”
Kassim finally stood up. “That’s it!,” he said “ I cant take it anymore!”. In fury and haste, he took off his belt, slung it over a tree branch and hung himself. That was the end of Kassim’s life!
Almost every youth and teen faces such problems in the world of today. Infatuation, girl friends, sense of feeling that no one cares, school problems and others cause major phsycological trauma in the youth or teen. Parents and teachers must always be there and support them when necessary. And the youth themselves must always remember to stay away from bad influence and avoid getting into things that affect them They must have a moral stand. Also, to sit and talk to someone close about your problems always helps. Remember one thing, There is time to change! It is not too late! Let us all change today for a better tomorrow!
By Hussein Karim
Kassim kicked the empty soda can as hard as he could. He watched it soar in the air and land far in front of him. He sighed deeply. “Why me?” he thought to himself. He sat on a nearby bench and holding his head in his hands, began recalling. “Why didn’t anyone care about him? Why wasn’t sabira talking to him? Didn’t she care anymore? And why was everything bad happening to him?” He felt God hated him, or was he being punished for something? Just because he missed some prayers or listened to music or….. actually the list of wrong acts was long in Kassims mind…still he continued. “NO matter how hard I try in school, I keep failing!” Ah!” Kassim took out the Pariki (chewing tobacco) packet from his pocket and put a pinch into his mouth. He recalled the day he had started, it had been his friend Zoheib who had got him to start. He had said all cool people chew it. Kassim looked at the packet as he remembered the first time he had tried. He had gaged, coughed and felt dizzy at the same time. But he had kept chewing to look cool, and had developed the habit. Now, he couldn’t stop and his teeth were in a way bad condition. In anger, he flung the packet far away. That gave him some satisfaction as he remembered his maalim Shabbir explaining in madressa about nafs lawama. The soul which had a chance to change… “but is there really room to change?” thought Kassim. “its just too late!”
Then his mind drifted to his gang, K-unit, and he thought of the fights and bullying. They had recently beaten up the H-zone and he felt happy about that. But he kept getting his fathers image in his mind saying, “Son, its no good fighting! We are all creatures of God!” Kassim gritted his teeth. “All dad knows is his religion and work” he thought. “Always pray, study or read Quran is what he wants me to do! But I ask him for a night out with my friends or a N-97? Hmph! And why did he have to take my phone? Just cause I was trying to call Sabira? It was only 11:50 at night. Ah!” And suddenly, tears started dropping from Kassim’s eyes. “And sabira,” he thought “after all my love and gifts, she just stops talking and caring! Its not fair! And she cheated on me! That’s worse! Ah!”
“Why me?!” He shouted loudly. He took out the box of Embassy lights from his pocket, again another influence from Zoheib, and lit one and began smoking. “And mum,” he continued thinking, “all she cares about is those two little brothers of mine! Everything them! Ah! What about me? Aren’t I still her son?”
Kassim was fed up. He spoke the names of everyone who he felt had stopped caring…
“Dad, mum, Sabira, my teachers; ah! Everyone!”
Kassim finally stood up. “That’s it!,” he said “ I cant take it anymore!”. In fury and haste, he took off his belt, slung it over a tree branch and hung himself. That was the end of Kassim’s life!
Almost every youth and teen faces such problems in the world of today. Infatuation, girl friends, sense of feeling that no one cares, school problems and others cause major phsycological trauma in the youth or teen. Parents and teachers must always be there and support them when necessary. And the youth themselves must always remember to stay away from bad influence and avoid getting into things that affect them They must have a moral stand. Also, to sit and talk to someone close about your problems always helps. Remember one thing, There is time to change! It is not too late! Let us all change today for a better tomorrow!