Springtime In Afghanistan - SP2022

Ayub was a humble but prosperous farmer in Afganistan. Ayub tried to be a righteous man. He praised the name of Allah five times a day. He always adhered to its holiest of teachings. With his wives and children he worked the soil to run the family business. For Allah is great. He praised his good fortune and the crops bestowed upon him and his kindred.

Upon tending his blooming field one warm spring morning he had an unsettling feeling. He said to his son, "I can't explain it, but I feel trying times lay ahead". "Think nothing of it, we have each other", his son said back. "I saw a helicopter yesterday flying low and slow, and you know how the enemy doesn't care if we live or die. I've been seeing more of them lately".

The son paused, his expression changed to concern, "Do not worry Father, we are no matter to anyone." Ayub shrugged it off, "I'm going to go see to the goats".

Harvest time was hectic for Ayub and his family. They had to cultivate the crop, get it to processing, and then to market. Processing was old school. It required paid workers and a certain amount of precision, so having a facility on ones property was a profitable advantage that made Ayub a very wealthy farmer. And demand couldn't be higher this time of year, or any.

At the beginning of his first day of harvest he was already planning out the next moves. It was stressful but he felt blessed as he watched his wives and children eat together. "Allah 'akbar" he thought to himself as he went outside to get started.

He was about 100 yards from his home and adjacent warehouse when he heard it. A rumbling in the distance.  Like a bubble of hellish consciousness he had an inkling that it may be important. The rumble got ever closer.

"God will protect me", he thought to himself and kept on prepping for the day trying to ignore it.

But the rumble kept growing. From barely audible, to white noise, to the awareness there were jets coming. It rumbled and roared as it  became visible lower on the horizon. Only one for now.  He turned his gaze to a waiting stare. As if on queue a missile disengaged and roared to life. It took to flight and levelled the house where his childrern ate breakfast in front his eyes.

He fell to his knees and prayed as another missile took out his processing facility.  By collateral damage the air strikes had also killed his livestock. "Barbarians took my livlihood", he thought.

As he sat in shock and ruin armored vehicles pulled up to his property.  He saw camouflaged soldiers get out holding flamethrowers. "We are now going to torch this field. You have permission to neutralize any threat that prevents you from accomplishing your objective."

Ayub did not engage. He thought, "I will not defy your plan and wisdom, Allah."

It was at that point that he noticed his warehouse was less damaged than his house, albeit in flames. He figured the soldiers were too preoccupied with their task to noticed an explosion blackened man running towards a burning building. He cautiously walked to see if anything was salvageable. Particularly the Calcium Hydroxide he used to process his cash crop. As he approached a secondary explosion sent a hazardous chemical shower in his devestated direction. The damage was sinisterly timed. Chemical burn blisters covered his entire body. The torment was excruciating.

"Allah akbar", he maintained to himself. "This was the greatest test of my faith, but I will never doubt your wisdom or why you took everything from me."

Meanwhile at an airbase 340 miles away a brigadier general was awaiting his debriefing.

"So how'd we do today?", he asked his Colonel.

"Great sir. We got 35 poppy farms, two arms storage buildings, and 13 opium processing facilities."

"Good work, I love springtime over here, so much to do."

"Everything that makes the world go round, Sir"

The End.

a reply to: Degradation33

A heart wrenching story, one that is all to true!
In another time with different evil people at the helm of this world I can easily see this happening to a God loving Amish family right here in the USA.
God, please, protect people everywhere from the evil that is so entrenched in our world today!

S&F’s x 1000

Oh the ol flip flop... I see what you did there.

Congratulations on being the first official Story in this Spring Themed Event.

Good Luck in the Contest,
Johnny

Good story repeated 100s of times until the CIA took over the cash crops.

Springtime in Afghanistan???? Naah, it goes like this:- "Ahab, you know I said to you at the time of the Americans pulling out that they promised to leave quite a few million dollars worth of weaponry and to mollify us they gave us a few million dollars to say sorry". "Yes Akmed, I remember, we split the cash into our offshore accounts".
"Well we have more chance to get even more", "how's that Ahab"? "Well, that money we've kept should have gone to help our people, especially the children, you know the children".
"Fu## the children, lets get some more money off the soft westerners".
And so on this spring and next spring.
Question:- Am I being cynical?

a reply to: Degradation33

That was an amazing story, with a fascinating perspective. We can never know how others view their lives and culture. It was an unanticipated twist, and I'm very fond of stories with a hook. Also like the storytelling in which you relayed the tale -- you allowed our own minds to draw the pictures. Well done!

Like the guy thats son called him and said "dad there's a flood coming better get out of there." old man says "No, god will protect me" Cops show up to his house, "Sir, we are evacuating for the flood." "No thanks Gods gonna save me" Old guy ends up on the roof, water all around him and another fellow in a boat comes up, "get in sir!", "Nope, gods gonna save me", old guy perched on the chimney water up to his neck, helicopter comes by..same deal..old guy dies, gets to heaven.."God,why didn't you save me?" God says "I sent your son, the cops, a boat and a helicopter..next question."

Brutal story OP.

Question.

How long of a heads up did they give the Americans working security on Ayubs farm, or were they working both ends? Im sure the 'processed' material was already stateside by the time Ayub got burned..typical..again brutal story

originally posted by: Degradation33


roared to life. It took to flight and levelled the house where his childrern .

Reminds me of the idiots, having wet dream fantasies
annihilating the children at WACO
abcnews.go.com...
Mental heath counsel is a good thing and an adult thing
to do . . just saying
btw it's over, get on with it
levelled (sic) should be leveled
childrern (sic) should be children
but obvious,
foreign meddlers can't spell, while
pitting and dividing in contempt.

Thanks everyone for your responses so far.

I enjoy using literary devices in writing now that they're no longer a school requirement.

I'm also surprised (and glad) it hasn't come off more offensive.

The idea was, how can I shift a well known and revered parable to another perspective incorporating a modern theme with a twist at the end?

Really, I was basing it on the Taliban's view towards even things that are forbidden. The ends justify the means if it provides funding to fight The Great Satan.

It was trying to be a little layered in areas concerning cultural moral grey areas and the operative greater good.

I'm also surprised (and glad) it hasn't come off more offensive.

It IS offensive. Thats what makes it great. Your writing 'voice' is almost disgusting. Fantastic. Its like it was written from the point of view of a sadistic person with learning disabilities. Drives a point right to the gut...this is my rifle, there are many like it..

originally posted by: Degradation33
Ayub was a humble but prosperous farmer in Afganistan.

The End.

Nice! I really liked the twist in the story and really enjoyed reading this!

There are always two sides to every story. This is the side we never hear. Very clever.

a reply to: Degradation33

Excellent narrative! A tale that makes the reader sad, but also a little uncomfortable as the whole picture becomes clear.

Well done!

a reply to: Degradation33

Good story, I didn't expect such an end