When the alarm rang, I woke up and bathed. It was almost seven o’clock and I wasn’t late for school. Suddenly I heard my mum call out, “Hasnain, get ready quickly.”

I quickly put on my uniform, laced my shoes up, took the school bag and rushed to the dining table where my mum had already been waiting for me. And after having my breakfast and glancing at my favourite magazine, I made my way to the door. It was almost 7:30 and I went to a nearby shop to buy myself a chocolate when suddenly I saw people gathering around something. I thought maybe two people were fighting or some quarrel was going on.

The nearer I walked to the people, the faster my heart beat, my nerves started getting numb and finally I saw what I don’t wish upon anyone. When I reached there, I observed the crowd with disappointment. I saw a boy who slept on the roadside lying there with his body completely hurt and blood gushing from his face.

“What happened to him?” I asked.

“A car ran over him, I heard someone yell out,” someone explained. Tears fell from my eyes at the sight.

However, no one was ready to help the boy out. Seeing this and realising there was no time to waste, I quickly hailed a cab and took him to the hospital. When we reached the hospital, thankfully he was at once taken to the emergency ward while I waited outside to know about his condition.

In a while the doctor came out and said to me that he needed blood quickly because a lot had been wasted. I became nervous but remembered my mother’s advise to remain calm even in tense situations. I had to think in a relaxed manner and find a solution quickly to this problem. I suggested to the doctor that he could take blood from me but the doctor said that I was too young, he would arrange it with a blood bank.

After that I went to school. “May I come in Sir?” I asked the teacher’s permission to enter the English class but the teacher scolded me that I was very late and he hoped I had a good excuse for it. I narrated my story to my teacher and also told them that the boy was in a bad shape and needed blood. Fortunately, our teacher was ready to donate blood and had the same blood group as the boy.

I felt happy and glad because I had been able to do something worthwhile for another person. I went together to the hospital with my teacher, who donated blood to that boy.

After a while, the boy felt a bit better. That day I returned home a bit later than usual. My mother was very angry because she had been told by my friend in the neighbourhood that I had been missing from my class.

“What was the reason that you bunked you class?” mum asked me angrily.

“Mum, I didn’t bunk the class! I was in the hospital to help a boy who had an accident,” I replied.

“Well done, my son,” she said smiling. “There is nothing better than to save a person’s life. Dear son, one thing we must not forget that we are here in the world for a short time, and until we remain alive, we should support and help the poor.”

I promised myself that day that I would help anyone in need and serve humanity.

Published in Dawn, Young World, April 11th, 2020