The boy who would be President

I guess there are many such boys who dream of being President. I am going to talk of one such boy, like I talked, in a previous post, of a girl who lost everything. On the surface she possesses everything one could desire. In reality she has lost the most precious possession of hers.

Same is the case with this boy. He was born in a family of established earlier immigrants to a country where there was farmland aplenty, and the population was thin. In those days, there was a lot of immigration from the Middle East to this country - Jews, Christians and Muslims. The country was Christian. All these immigrants identified themselves as Arabs. This changed later. The Muslims thought the deen would take care of itself, and provided rudimentary Islamic education to their children at home. Many of these children fell victim to society, and became Christians. Some still remained Muslim.

A second wave of Muslim immigration from the Middle East took place a hundred years later. This time there were some religious preachers among them. They realized the importance of organized teaching, and Islamic atmosphere, and they set up mosques and Islamic centers.

One such center was set up by this boy's childhood friend's father. So this boy and his friend often attended Islamic classes together. They did together what boys do. This boy wanted to be President. He was a born leader. He took up law because he thought his way to the top lay through the Congress. He practiced it, and joined a populist political party. He ran for governorship, and was elected. Then there was a coup by the military, and his party's government was overthrown. He was arrested and tortured. He came out a more determined and knowledgeable man.

He had learnt that his country's constitution prohibited non-Christians from running for Presidency. It is then that unhappiness started creeping in. He wanted to be President. He thought he had it in him to solve his country's problems or so he confided in his childhood friend.

Eventually he made his choice. He became a Christian, together with his family. And he won the Presidential election, not once but twice. He did well, and turned the economy around. When he wanted to become President for a third term. There was an internal revolt in his party, and he had to give up the idea.

He lived an ostentatious life. He made money and influential friends. He put his country on the map of the world. He lived among celebrities, and like a celebrity.

Unfortunately, he too had opted for this world rather than the next.

This too was a deal of loss.