The severely malnourished child was on the verge of death. I quickly set up an IV to give him much needed nutrition and other supplements.

Hours later when he was stable I turned in anger upon the illiterate parents. " Why are you starving this child? He needs proper food! "

Tears dropped down the broken, skeletal man who stood before me with folded hands. "Look around you, Doctor Sammy, the land is dead. We have no food." I looked into his teary eyes and stood stiff because I was brought back to the reality.

"There really was no food" I looked down in shame because merely looking at the man would have been enough to answer my question as to why the boy was starved. He spoke of hunger without words, his displayed bones was an evidence of that, what father would starve his son only to bring him to the hospital.

And I was well aware of that fact, so I should be ashamed of myself.
Not able to form a word, I opened my mouth and closed it so many times.

How would I comfort an hungry man when I myself lacked food, but I still ate yesternight. I thought to myself and slowly patted his back.

"Malik will not die" was all I could say and the Father's bony shoulder shook as he cried. It wasn't because he was an illiterate, it was because he had nothing to offer his starvee son!




© Keenah