Thursday, September 10, 2009

Osama

This post is dedicated to Osama..

Who is Osama?

Many readers must be wondering if am going to talk about Osama bin Ladin in this post, but the answer is not!

Since my family moved to this neighborhood; that's almost 15 years ago, we got to know a kid who's living in the other side of the neighborhood. When he was a baby, a car hit him while he was crossing the street and the hit affected his head badly. So he has been having a severe mental retardation/disorder since then. I used to hate it when some people used to call him Majnoon "insane".

Anyhow, I used to see him a lot when I was young (7-12 years old) but then got busy with school/college...many years passed and I was barely able to see him walking or sitting on a chair outside his family's house, cheering and waving his hands for whoever passes by from the neighbors.

Last month, I was out with my sister walking to the park that's right behind our house. Osama was walking towards some kids there to play with them like he always do after Asir prayer. I saw him, and called him with his name. He was looking for the source of the voice as it was too dark "around 8 pm". He walked towards us and was like "Is that you Faith!!?"
It was funny and quite cute when he covered his face in disbelief when I told him that I graduated and that am working now and that I bought myself a car "his obsession since he was a kid!"..He talked about the guy who stole his mobile phone, and that his sisters have at last managed to pass grade 12! And many other funny and random stories. He left after he asked me to pass his regards to my other siblings and to my Mom.

Yesterday evening, someone rang the bell. My mother checked the door and guess what! It was Osama!
He asked her about every single individual in my family and told her that he misses us a lot.

Such personalities are so rare in life. I smile whenever I remember the way he talks, his facial expressions when he describes his favorite car(s). His life is so simple and easy. He doesn't worry about anything. He spends most of his time in the park playing with kids and defending them if they get into fights.

On a side note: I was wondering why don't we have special care centers for people like Osama? He's so smart and he has multiple talents :(

PS: Osama is almost 27 years old now :)

6 comments:

Maryam said...

That's so cute. Such people should get special kind of attention and all the help to improve their many talents.

Zaytoon Wo Za3tar said...

Mashallah!

This is such a lovely post sweet Faith. And yeah I agree...a center for talented people like him is a must.

God Bless!

Arabian Princess said...

Since we moved to the neighborhood way after you did, I did see him a couple of times in the road. He used to stand in the middle of the street and direct the cars :)

I am totally with you, we need such centers badly.

Salima Al Masrouri said...

Kitten,

I second what you said dear. They need a special attention so badly.

Thanks for your sweet comment, Kitten :D

G-chan,

You're the sweet one dear :)
They're so talented and I believe that they just need the right place to embrace and take care of them in a decent academic manner.
Thanks 7ayati...

PS: I truly miss you :(
Arby,

Yeah he does that too :D and it's so cute; he never ceased to makes me smile :)!

Thanks for your comment Um 3azzan.

Unknown said...

a center for ppl like him is a must indeed :)
One of your best posts. Keep it up :)

Nadia said...

Faith,

I love this post. And I can just imagine Osama. Oman definitely needs more centres for people like him. I'm working with a group of people to try and establish a rehabilitation centre for 'older' kids and young people with special abilities and needs in Salalah because we have none!! My best friend was paralyzed from the neck down and was in a wheelchair from when he was 18 until he was 27 after a car crash. He graduated from university (how did he do it? by typing on a laptop with his one good finger and by having an extraordinary brain!) and set out to establish a centre for people like himself and Osama where they can actually do something with their life. He passed away peacefully in his sleep last year, so we're trying to fulfill his dream. May Allah protect Osama and others like them. Allah may have taken something away from him, but he certainly gave him a special gift.