Not Out Of Selflessness (Short Story)
He felt a bit ill but went on his day like usual. He would selfishly help others but he'd stubbornly refuse their help.
I wrote this story a while back, I tried to limit my word count as much as possible as a challenge to myself, unlike most of my other story this wasn't written for a contest. It was more like 'a thought I had to write.' So I hope you enjoy it:
Not Out Of Selflessness
His body felt heavy as he moved store boxes, but he smiled knowing he helped the store of Salah.
"Are you alright?" Old Salah gave him the last box.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He ignored the heavy weight and proceeded to put the box with the rest of them. "Finished."
"Thanks Ramadan, here's your payment." Salah brought an envelope to his face. "You saved our shop, you deserve bonus."
"Thank you very much for letting me help Salah." Knowing he helped people was his payment. The money for him was really a bonus. "Call when you need me again."
He struggled his way home, feeling sicker with each step.
That day was full of work. He helped organizing exam papers at his sister's school in the morning before starting his usual busy routine, and was already tired when Salah contacted in the afternoon. But he couldn't say "no" to anyone seeking help.
Judging his state, he must've caught a fever, but he will never tell anyone. He would rest at home and refuse to ask for help. Not out of selflessness. He knows that not asking for help when needed is the most selfish thing a human can do.
About The Story
For some reason, I think those who like to give are the ones who hate to take the most, it's wonderful to see these people but at the same time I feel they give themselves so little value... They should be reminded by the good they do more often.
About Character Names
I used common Arabic names for this story. Ramadan is the name of the main character, it's also the name of a lunar month that's approaching in the Islamic calendar. It's hard to translate the word but it can mean "Very Hot Weather." The name is more common for men that you'd think for a name like that.
The owner of the store is named: Salah is another male name, it means "ٌRighteous" or "Good" so it's obvious why it would be a common name in the Arabic world.
~ What do you think? ~
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