A Disappointing Holiday
The cool breeze swept through my hair, making me shiver with excitement. I arched my neck to take full view of the breathtaking beauty of Eiffel Tower, which towered above me like some iron giant. It was such a lovely day. The melodious chime of the twittering birds filled me with glee. The sun too, it seemed, was in a playful mood, playing hide and seek behind the fluffy clouds. “Trrring trrring! ” The telephone rang all of a sudden; bringing me out of the scenic beauties my mind was roaming in. “Hello” I said. “Oh! Hello Ferva beta! I have some good news for you! ” It was my uncle. Yes, yes! I am listening! ” I replied enthusiastically. “Well! Your tickets have been confirmed for day after tomorrow. ” “Oh really! ” “Yes. Now be ready beta. Don’t miss out anything and take care! Goodbye! ” “Goodbye uncle! ” I replied, bringing our conversation to an end. I breathed deeply, thinking of the adventures in store for me. Ever since my uncle had invited me to visit his family in Paris during my holidays, I had been simply restless. I had been surfing the Net since the past few days for the best tourist locations, and had even set out a travel plan.
I was to travel to Paris and visit the monumental beauties of France. Switzerland’s picturesque locations would be my next destination, where I would scale the snowy Alps; move on to Holland and witness the magnificent windmills; a day or two in Italy, and then back to Paris. It was all perfectly planned! These vacations would be the best ones I ever had! The next day was spent fidgeting around endlessly. My mother gave me a box of chocolates as a token of love, and my sister just couldn’t stop reading out her endless wish list! My father was to drive me to the airport, and I counted each passing second in wait. Honk, honk! ” “Finally,” I cried, and headed straight towards the staircase in full speed. I really couldn’t believe it! My dream vacation was at last going to come true! Once again my mind wandered to the lush green valleys of Europe and I… “Ouch! ” A sharp cry of pain left my mouth as I found myself sprawled on the concrete steps. In my haste, I had hurt myself. The car that was to take me to the airport took me to the hospital instead. This was the most devastating moment for me. I could not help thinking that my flight was leaving without me, my dream had shattered within the blink of an eye.
At the hospital, what I thought was a sprain turned out to be a fracture, and I was strictly restricted to six weeks of complete bed rest. A pall of gloom hung over me as I heard my mother call my uncle to inform him of the accident. I was brought home, and though my fracture had healed to a certain extent, my misery never left me. “Oh, come on! ” said my sister, “my shopping list can wait until next time! ” she added cheerfully. But I could only answer her with a wry smile. It just seemed impossible for me to come to terms with the fact that my plans could fail.
And it was in this time of disappointment that I even complained to Allah. once when I was crying silently over how my hopes had been shattered, my mother came up to me and holding my hand said. “Beta, I know that you have been let down but you must learn that this is part of life. ” She paused to take a breath. “Always remember, God never harms his creations. In fact, there is always betterment behind every decision. ” The calm words of my mother made me realise that no matter how much we plan, the ultimate power is God. This moment of truth made me feel better than before.
