One Cold April Breeze 

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It is another Sunday morning in the elderly home and Amina just opened her eyes, reluctant to get out of bed. Looking outside her balcony window to the clear blue sky into the endless horizon as the nurse knocked at her door interrupting her serene moments, greeting her “Good morning Amina”; “Good morning to you too” Amina replied.  

 

 The nurse then suggested, “how about we go outside to the garden today, it is a beautiful spring day outside and ...”  

 “No! No!" ... 

 'you know that I can’t go outside my room' Amina interrupted her. “But it has been two years now that you have not set foot outside the room; it is unhealthy, and today is your 70th birthday and we will just stand outside the balcony… “ the nurse commented. Amina firmly replied, “I don’t want to leave this room, at least just not yet; if I walk out of this room I will die, I know it”   

 … “Ok! Ok!” …  

‘I will not argue with you again; do what you like and we will see you again at lunchtime,’ the nurse answered as she was walking out the door.   

As Amina barely closed her eyes to nap again; she heard small taps at the door that made her open her eyes, there she saw a handsome tall man with dark grey hair and deep blue eyes in his early forties walked in the room saying “excuse me mam, but isn’t Nadya staying here? This is her room, is it not?!.”   

 “No, she stayed in the room next door, but she left yesterday” Amina explained, Then the man hesitantly said “ Oh ok, well … since she is not here anymore, will you accept these roses if I give them to you since I brought them for Nadya; “Sure … how nice and gentle of you, please come in… I am Amina,” she said;   “My name is Abdul-Rahman, nice to meet you, Amina … have you been here for long?” Abdul-Rahman asked; “Well, for five years now,” Amina answered as she smelled a blooming rose in her hand.   

“Oh, and where is your family?” Abdul-Rahman was asking, “They all gone, I was never married and my older brother died two years ago, so his family brought me here, they are nice though they come to visit me once a week and bring their little ones too,” Amina replied. 

“Nice, I am going to go outside for a moment, sit in the hospital garden outside and wait for my ride back. Would you like to join me?” Abdul-Rahman suggested;   

“Oh no, I can’t. I have never been outside my room for two years now,” Amina answered, “Why?! How could you not go out of your room, especially on this beautiful morning, and just enjoy the wide-open outdoors?” Abdul-Rahman astonishingly asked;   

“I am afraid to die. If I leave this room, I feel I will die, I am not ready to go yet,” Amina sadly answered. Then Abdul-Rahman nodded his head and said, “no one dies because they leave the room. And death comes to all, and it is just a fact of life”   

Abdul-Rahman then suggested, “Come on, I need pleasant company now, would you be my date in the garden outside? just for few minutes?” 

Amina looked into his inviting deep blue eyes, smiling and feeling shy; She can’t remember the last time a man was so sweet and cute as Abdul-Rahman telling her all the sweet words.   

“Well, it is my 70th birthday today,” bashfully replied. Abdul-Rahman with his glowing eyes and beautiful gentle smile replied: “Oh, happy birthday and this is one more reason for today to be the day you come out of your room, and enjoy the outdoors in a semi date with me”.    

“But I am afraid ...” Amina sadly replied. “Don’t be afraid I will be with you every step of the way,” Abdul-Rahman with a supportive voice was assuring Amina. 

Amina smiled, nodded her head, and agreed to Abdul-Rahman's suggestion, then Abdul-Rahman held her hand and helped her out of the bed.   

Smiling and thankful Amina was as she walked side by side with the handsome man. Abdul-Rahman looked at her with his penetrating deep blue eyes and told her, “you see Amina there is nothing to be afraid of, it is a beautiful day, and there is a nice chilly April breeze”;   

Amina nodded her head in agreement “Yes, it is … “ then Abdul-Rahman told her “Amina, what do you feel now? Don’t you feel ok?” Amina with her dreamy eyes answered, “It feels good, I feel so free …”   

Looking at Abdul-Rahman who with a sweet and nice smile told her “Amina! look behind you? Look into your room …?” Amina turned around to see her bed, and to see her body lying in bed peacefully asleep, baffled and confused, she looks at Abdul-Rahman “What is going on?”   

Abdul-Rahman answered, “Amina dying is not so bad, it is not so painful, I am what you were afraid of, I am what you have been avoiding, and here you are walking with me peacefully, do you feel sad? Do you feel pain?”   

Amina smiled back and said, “I never felt better, and more peaceful or happier; I wish I had left my room a long time ago”.   

The nurse to the other nurse sadly saying “Poor Amina, she had to die on her birthday, I tried, just this morning, to get her out of her room, but in vain”. 

The other nurse commented, ‘Yes, we all loved her poor Amina, I guess we have to move her from this room, after all, clean up and inform her family afterward...’