Till the next sunrise by Mr. Feruz Akbarov

Till the next sunrise

Ahmed is a 9-year-old school kid who was born into a middle-class Egyptian family in the coastal city of Alexandria. His parents are always busy making ends meet for their little boy to grow in abundance as he is the single child in the family and the only successor to his father’s fortunes and possessions, the tradition of familial handover is customary in Muslim families. However, little does Ahmed know that he is an adopted child to his new parents who have yet to break the potentially troubling news to him. Ahmed, on the other hand, is not in the monetary world. He finds comfort in his cozy study room, immersing himself in hourlong reading, exploring, and seeking knowledge in its manifold forms. One of his favorite activities is to open the windows of his study room into the Mediterranean Sea and stare at the vastness that seems so enchanting unlike anything in his real world.

It was late autumn when the tidal chills could be felt along the coastal Alexandria especially at the crack of dawn when little Ahmed used to hit the road for early morning jogging sessions with his adopted father. During this time of the day, only carriage owners could be spotted in a drowsy state. The millennial city is so serene before sunrise that it feels like complete silence hovers above the city. Ahmed is an elated kid who seems to be deriving a lion’s share of pleasure from what he calls moments of blessing in the very early morning. His dad is a military man who is oftentimes summoned for his state service as the country had to go through some civil unrest in recent times. Mostafa Nabil is a respected serviceman among his colleagues, friends, and social circle who is also known for his dedication, commitment, a strong sense of responsibility, and bravery in times of challenges and problems. Despite his muscular physique, he is always gentle, calm, and easygoing. Mostafa wants Ahmed to follow in his footsteps and join the army. He dreams of Ahmed becoming a loyal citizen and the one who is always ready for rushing to its service at the earliest call. Growing up in a military family is unlike anything you can imagine in a nonmilitary one. There are some stringent rules to be followed when it comes to household chores, studies, and physical exercise. Surprisingly though little Ahmed has been coping with all that as an obedient toddler. Although his parents are not biological ones, he admiringly tends to look up to them as his role models in life. Mr. and Mrs. Nabil are kind-hearted, caring, helpful, and above all generous people who have overcome years of familial challenges. Their parents like in any other Muslim family impatiently waited for the arrival of a new guest in the family, however, the couple has been unsuccessful in their efforts of having their own child to date. It was Mostafa’s wish to adopt his late friend's child who tragically lost their life during a car accident on the outskirts of Alexandria. That grim memory at times haunts Mostafa because he was one of the two survivors alongside little Ahmed who was just 1 year old during the fatal incident. It was then that he unwaveringly made a decision to adopt the cute little boy who had experienced his greatest loss at an unjustifiably young age. Mr. and Mrs. Nabil are quite cautious about breaking the news of adoption to Ahmed as he cannot remember anything from what could have been an early childhood trauma.

It is 7:45 am and Ahmed is going to a nearby school for his classes. Despite all that morning hectic routine, he is now amongst his peers dressed in a typical school uniform. At school, Ahmed is a diligent student who never dares to break the rules set by his teachers who he reveres as someone close to saints. In his understanding teachers are like idols and their instructions are like the holy preaching of a clergy. Ahmed is a standout boy in his entire school for his obvious traits like obedience, reverence, and commitment, the qualities which he took from his adopted dad. It is now time for his favorite geography lesson. The bell usually rings very loudly and students selfishly chase to the door of their classroom in order to avoid remarks from the teacher. However, Ahmed is always quiet during such recesses and has never been given a notice by his teachers. Sometimes the bullies in the class make an attempt to secretly devise a plan to put Ahmed to shame as there seems no other way of him being put embarrassment on his own. Though all schemes against him fail time and again. He has mainly been an elusive character during such times. For the very first time his mother showed up at the door of the classroom and she looked quite depressed. To little Ahmed, it is unusual to see her in this melancholic state and at his school during class. The geography teacher quickly approaches her and soon calls Ahmed to come out of the class.

The father’s funeral has seen a large crowd of people of all kinds: military men, neighbors, relatives, strangers, and you just name it. Sadly, Ahmed was shaken to the core having witnessed such a gut-wrenching scene where he was anxiously looking for his dad. Then suddenly he saw a large portrait of his dad and the corpse was put just beneath the nearby table. Ahmed was lost for words in those moments of silence. From his favorite geography lesson to now the horrible reality that felt unbearably hurtful…

The sun rose again the next day but Ahmed did not even pull the curtain on his window to welcome the morning rays into his room like he always fondly did. In a matter of 24 hours, Ahmed has gone through a lot and he has lost his dad for the second time. Nothing seemed uplifting, nobody could cheer up the little boy during times of grave loss. The innocent childish smile on his face vanished prematurely. Absolutely nothing seemed to work to heal the emotional wounds of little Ahmed.

Though there was only one hope. Till the next sunrise…

Mr. Feruz Akbarov is a native of Uzbekistan who did his Bachelor of Arts in English Philology from Samarkand State Institute of Foreign Languages. He furthered his studies by winning a state-funded scholarship for pursuing a 2-year Master’s Course at the University of Pune, India. He has been a winner of multiple awards both domestically and internationally. One of his most remarkable achievements was in China when he was awarded the ‘Best TESOL Teacher Award of the Year in 2014’. And he was recently awarded Universal Leadership Award for Outstanding Global Educators by Global Educacio.

Mr. Feruz Akbarov is a philanthropist by nature so he has committed himself to volunteering, and public engagement both at home and abroad, physically and remotely. There are several projects to his name such as TED Master virtual speaking club, a 20-minute talk with the Founder, a Zoom workshop for ESL teachers, and others. He has become an international ESL/EFL Instructor due to his extensive teachings abroad and his international teacher qualifications. He is one of the fewest English teachers from Uzbekistan with an international C2 level. Mr. Feruz Akbarov has been the most celebrated International Model United Nations participant from Uzbekistan with 7 awards.

Since 2020 he has firmly established his online presence across various international platforms as a successful international public speaker. He is the founder of a newly established ETA Uzbekistan (English Teachers’ Association).

His motto in life is ‘Take the first step’.