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The memory of a street child’s flight!:
(True story, must read)
I had gone to Iran to visit my family after 16 years away. One day when I was in my brother’s car, a 14-15 year old boy asked permission to clean the car window in one of the busy streets of Tehran. I let him and by the way his work was very clean. I gave him a $20. He said in astonishment:
Are you from America?
I said: Yes.
Then he said: I may ask you some questions about American universities. That’s why I don’t ask you for cleaning the glass.
I was impressed by his polite behavior. I said:
Let’s sit in the car and talk.
With permission, he sat next to me. I asked:
how old are you
He said: 16.
I said: Sophomore in high school?
He said: No, I will graduate this year.
I said: How?
He said: My studies are good and I studied for three years, and now I am in my last year.
I said: Why are you working?
He said: I was two years old when my father died, my mother is a cook for a rich family. My sister and I work to help her, but we also study. He asked: Sir, I heard that American universities give academic visas and scholarships to exceptional students.
I asked: Is there anyone to help you?
He said: No one, only me and myself.
I said: Have you eaten?
He said: No!
I said: Let’s go to a restaurant together to eat and talk.
He said: provided that I clean the car later!
And I also accepted.
With my insistence, he ordered three types of food and with a special skill, he put his own food next to his mother’s and sister’s food. We talked for almost 2 hours. I saw that he knows about all the issues of the day and speaks well in English. Near the evening when I dropped Farid (his name was Farid) off near their own house, I had almost enough information about him. We agreed that the next day he would deliver his academic qualifications to me. I also promised him that I would do everything in my power for his stay. It took about 6 months until I was finally able to obtain admission to the university through a familiar lawyer, and I mailed it to Farid with an invitation letter from me. A few days later, Farid called angrily and said:
I can’t believe it. I just wanted to say that we have been crying tears of joy for two days now.
I had shared the story with my lovely wife, Nazanin, and she helped me with her innate kindness to make everything go faster. In short, 6 months later, we went to meet him at Los Angeles airport. His face was wet with tears and he was just thanking us.
When two years later he was introduced as the youngest specialist in new technologies in the New York Times newspaper, we were proud of ourselves. Without telling us, Nazanin found a way for Farid’s mother and sister to come. One evening when I came home from work, Nazanin surprised me and said that Farid’s mother and sister will fly tomorrow. It was a beautiful day. When Farid saw them, he did not have the strength to speak or even cry. He got lost in the arms of his mother and sister for a moment and looked at us and said:
What did you do to me?
We were receiving guests when Nazanin called me and showed me Farid who was cleaning my car with a towel and bucket of water like the first time I had seen him on the street. I went out of the house and hugged him. He said:
I want to never forget where you flew me to.
#Dr. Farid Abdul Ali is one of the distinguished professors of Harvard University in America today @erfanekeyhanii
This post is written by atarahmati