Thief in the Dark

 

I constantly desired to know the unknown things. When my father brought toys for me, I took them to a place where nobody can see me and interrupt me to ask what I am doing with them. I usually broke them into pieces to know how they have been formed. My parents always hid their writing pads and newspapers from me it is because i tore them off just to listen the ripping, tearing sounds that made me curious to know how these sounds are being produced.

I usually dropped off my pencils and used to cracked them to separate the wood and pencil lead. I got amused to see the plane and birds soaring higher in the sky. I also used to waited enthusiastically for Eid days because that was the day, which was celebrated in a special manner like we often purchased new dresses, shoes and lots of other accessories to show friends and to other children and more importantly mother cooked delicious, mouthwatering food for us. I also waited for the foggy and frosty December that brought snowflakes and Christmas. I also secretly decorated  the tree believing in that Santa Claus will come to visit me. I have always been fascinated with his red coat, white fur collars and cuffs, red, hat, black boots, the reindeers’ ride, and lots of gifts.

When I was around seven years old, I remember that Christmas night, I saw the man’s hand grasping the tree's trunk in the courtyard. It was visible to me from my bedroom’s window. The man looked like a giant spider to me. When he bounced on the floor, i noticed that he carried a bag at his back. I observed more carefully sensed the motion in the tree had stopped, and there was ringing sound everywhere. I was astonished to see that he was a Santa Claus. I was stunned and shocked with happiness. I spent my four years thinking that he was Santa, but later my uncle told me it was he.

Yes, I have always been a curious person. I was that kind of a person who got always fascinated so easily and quickly. But all I can say is that sometimes curiosity can send you in the wrong way, and that cost you heavy at the time.

Like my parents were used to smoke. When they took their pack and lit cigarettes, their faces were covered with the smoke. They smoke cigarette after one another. The not so sweet and not an unpleasant smell also made me very curious because that smelt to me different many times and every time. I always thought that why they smoke it.

However, when I reached high school, I had a craze for skating. I wanted to become a good skater because it gave me the feeling of euphoria whenever I saw people gliding through the crisp outdoor air and manipulate their board to flip right that they can flash the deck at their friends made me mesmerized. It truly is a cheerful game that contains lots of fun.

So, i practised hard to become a good player, but i felt very inconsistent on a skateboard, and it made me feel like I was not progressing at all. For example, I tried to learn the kickflip trick, but it did not work no matter how many hours I practiced it. It made me very stupid, like my brain completely stuck, and i felt so incompetent in learning this sport’s tricks.

One day, I was trying to practice skating in front of my friends and fell down, which was truely an embracing moment, and I hurt a lot, not because of that injuries but due to that emotional wounds.

I took that incident very deeply and thought not to skate anymore. Afterwards, I started to get inspired by the virile, self-confident models who appeared on the TV screen by putting cigarettes in their hands in a sophisticated way. How stylishly they made circles with the smoke, how cool they looked. I saw them successfully persuading the men and women with their cool independent styles, and crossed them arrogantly.

Being a curious person, I also decided to juggle with the smoke of cigarette as I had already seen my parents smoke very comfortably. I chose this without any restriction and danger because I also wanted to be noticed among friends and gatherings. I also needed a spotlight. 

My parents did not know that the pocket money I received from them I spent on this cigarette. Initially, I coughed and struggled to inhale the nicotine; that is why I usually practiced making perfect circles in the bathroom. I eventually succeeded to make these circles in front of my friends and impressed them. 

I had no idea that when this nicotine goes into the body, it activates the nicotine receptors in mind, and I will start getting addicted to this cigarette unconsciously.

It is true that the use of tobacco begins in childhood because we are too naive to get fascinated by  each and every little thing. We are too young to understand the complexities of all the existing things in the world. 

Unfortunately, cigarettes are that globally acceptable product which becomes the cause to die in premature level. I was too naive to understand it in my teenage years that cigarettes have poisonous substances that badly impact our health.

Now, i better understand that Carbon monoxide is very harmful; when a person inhaled it, and when oxygen does not reach to heart it becomes the cause of heart diseases. In addition, the blockage of blood can damage the activity of brain, and bones stop healing after fracture.

Other than this, it disturbs immune system function and causes inflammation in the body. Plus, tar which is sticky brown, the substance affects our lungs and breathing.

When I became addicted to it i realized that it just not disturbs internal body system but also badly impaired outer look like teeth become yellow and hollow, lips colour changed into black, and a person slowly slowly get surrounded by dangerous diseases. Thus, smoking is the death sentence that we give to ourselves in the name of curiosity, and craving for the acceptance in the gathering. It is a thief in the dark that always ready to steal health, wealth and happiness from us. Please protect your young ones and always say No to smoking and save the life of your beloved ones by boycotting it.