‘They say that you are a Kurd. We’re going to turn you into Mr. Hyde! You are worth the honor! You should be proud to have been chosen.’
Sarbast looked away. He turned his eyes towards an invisible God, somewhere above the ceiling fan, who must be watching this happen, in this dingy office, behind a rusty metal desk. Who else could he turn to?
‘Sir, I cannot. Can you please not grant someone else this honor?’
‘No, you have been chosen.’
‘What if I refuse?’
‘Then you will be killed’
‘But, if I agree then I might die.’
‘Then you will be a national hero!’
In the glass room, Sarbast, tried hard to twist the knob of fate that had been turned on him. It was steadfastly locked. He started to cry. He called God's name, as he braced himself- ‘Ash hadu Ana La Illah Il Allah’…
The door opened. 'Why have you not poured the chemical into the glass of water yet?'. The voice was threatening.
‘I cannot. I do not know what will happen if I do.’
‘Well, you will know if you do. Do you want me to kill you with my own hands?’
Sarbast was again, confined in glass, a human guinea pig...
Suddenly, an Angle spoke into his right ear. “Pour the water into the chemical, you can make its impact less…”
At that, he fainted.
‘You are a hero! The experiment has succeeded.’ Sarbast opened his eyes to see the Commander’s shadow, towering over a side table fan. He observed his feet dangling from a hospital bed.
‘You have a week’s vacation. You can go home.’
Sarbast never returned to the Ministry of Military Poisoning.
Seven years later, Chra was born with little holes in her heart.
Sarbast looked away. He turned his eyes towards an invisible God, somewhere above the ceiling fan, who must be watching this happen, in this dingy office, behind a rusty metal desk. Who else could he turn to?
‘Sir, I cannot. Can you please not grant someone else this honor?’
‘No, you have been chosen.’
‘What if I refuse?’
‘Then you will be killed’
‘But, if I agree then I might die.’
‘Then you will be a national hero!’
In the glass room, Sarbast, tried hard to twist the knob of fate that had been turned on him. It was steadfastly locked. He started to cry. He called God's name, as he braced himself- ‘Ash hadu Ana La Illah Il Allah’…
The door opened. 'Why have you not poured the chemical into the glass of water yet?'. The voice was threatening.
‘I cannot. I do not know what will happen if I do.’
‘Well, you will know if you do. Do you want me to kill you with my own hands?’
Sarbast was again, confined in glass, a human guinea pig...
Suddenly, an Angle spoke into his right ear. “Pour the water into the chemical, you can make its impact less…”
At that, he fainted.
‘You are a hero! The experiment has succeeded.’ Sarbast opened his eyes to see the Commander’s shadow, towering over a side table fan. He observed his feet dangling from a hospital bed.
‘You have a week’s vacation. You can go home.’
Sarbast never returned to the Ministry of Military Poisoning.
Seven years later, Chra was born with little holes in her heart.