۲۴ ساعت

That morning, their mother, whose illness was worsening by the day, woke up with continuous coughing. Wali and Farid, who had just returned from school, sat beside  her with concern. Wali took his mother’s frail hands in his own and asked in a trembling voice, “Mother, how are you feeling ”

Their mother gave a faint smile, but the weakness on her face was evident. In a soft voice, she said, “My children, may God protect you. Don’t worry about me; you must focus on your future.”

Farid glanced at Wali and said, “Mother, we will get you medicine. One day, when we have enough money, you will never be sick again.”

Wali nodded and added with hope, “Mr. Karimi says that knowledge can lift us out of this life. We will study, Mother, and one day, we will take you to a warm home.”

A tear formed in the corner of their mother’s eye, but she said nothing. She only placed her hand on their heads and softly whispered, “May God watch over you, my children…”

That night, Wali and Farid, filled with newfound hope, slept once again in their small shelter. Tomorrow was a new day, full of struggles but also full of hope for a brighter future.

The next morning, they woke up to the sound of the call to prayer. The sky was still dark, and the freezing cold of Kabul seeped into their bones. Wali rubbed his hands together for warmth and walked toward their mother. She was still asleep, but her breathing was shallow and weak. Farid, worried, called out:

“Mother… Mother, wake up!”

She slowly opened her eyes and gave them a faint smile. Her voice was weaker than ever: “My children… today, too, you must be strong.”

Wali, holding back tears, said, “Mother, today we will find medicine for you. I promise!”

Farid placed a reassuring hand on his brother’s shoulder and said, “Come, Wali jan. We have to work.”

After saying goodbye to their mother, the two brothers stepped out of their shelter. Snow had fallen the night before, covering everything in ice. As always, they headed toward the market to collect plastic bottles. But something felt different that day—Farid seemed lost in thought, speaking less than usual.

After an hour of work, Wali finally asked, “Lala, what’s wrong? Why are you so quiet?”

Farid took a deep breath and said, “Wali Jan, how long can we keep living like this? Mother is sick, our shelter is freezing, and every day we have to fight hunger. We need to find a way to change our lives.”

Wali sighed. “But how? We have nothing.”

Farid hesitated for a moment before saying, “Maybe we should leave. Maybe life is better in other cities.”

Wali looked at him in surprise. “But what about Mother? We can’t leave her alone.”

Farid pressed his lips together. He knew their mother was growing weaker by the day, and they had to do something soon. But they still didn’t know what fate had in

 . . . store for them