Zain was a 13-year-old boy who was very picky about his food. He threw tantrums whenever he did not get what he ordered. One fine day, his mother called him for dinner, but soon he created a scene.

“Oh, mother! Why did you make chicken pulao for dinner today? This is literally the second time in the month. I am not having dinner today!” Zain yelled as soon as he saw a dish full of juicy rice with chicken lying on the dining table. He stamped his feet, gave his mother an angry look, and went straight to his room.

Zain’s mother could not do much as he was gone already, but she was displeased with Zain’s reaction. Not only did Zain disrespected her, but his lack of respect for a blessing such as food saddened her deeply. Also, it was not the first time that Zain had such a reaction towards food. Zain’s mother recalled the incident on last Sunday when Zain refused to finish his burger. The reason for his refusal was simple, and that was that he did not feel like eating it.

Zain’s mother acknowledged that the matter was getting out of hand and that time can make it even worse. Therefore, she made up a plan in her head and decided to execute it on the coming Sunday.

On Saturday night, Zain’s mother went to Zain’s room and excitedly told him to get ready, as she was going to take him to visit a few places the next day. Zain was happy, as it had been a while since his last visit to somewhere exciting.

The next morning Zain woke up early, had his breakfast, and then got dressed. He was eager to know where he was going, but his mother kept it a secret. Finally, he sat in the car with his mother, and the journey got started. Zain was hoping the car would stop in front of his favourite amusement park or perhaps a fancy restaurant. However, Zain was surprised when his mother stopped the car in front of a hospital.

He said to his mother, “Mum, are we here for a check-up before visiting the exciting place?” Zain’s mother did not reply to his question and asked Zain to follow her. His mother led him to the children’s ward.

There were numerous beds aligned closely together in the children’s ward. Zain’s mother took him to a little girl who was drinking a white liquid with a few chunks of chicken in it. Zain went up to her and said, “Hello! My name is Zain. I saw you drinking something, which looks a little weird to me. May I ask what it is?”

The little girl replied, “Oh! This is my special chicken soup. My grandmother made it for me because I can’t have the normal one due to some medical reasons. Would you like to try some?”

Zain refused politely, but he seemed a little disturbed. He started to think about the day when her mother had made chicken soup, but he refused to eat it because she had added some corn.

The journey was not over yet. After visiting the hospital, Zain’s mother took him to a slum. The living condition there was unimaginable. Zain noticed that those poor people were consuming unhealthy food items and there were flies and filth everywhere. He did not talk to anyone and asked his mother to go back home. Zain’s mother knew that Zain had learned his lesson.

On the drive back home, Zain apologised to his mother and promised that he would never complain about food again.

Readers, many people around us do not have access to healthy food and clean water, and some people cannot enjoy tasty food because of their health conditions. Therefore, we must value what we have and thank God for his blessings.

Published in Dawn, Young World, March 27th, 2021