Ali in the Mirror
A 747 FLEW WEST OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. At that altitude, the blue-green waters of the ocean looked serene and calm. From that height, no one can make out what goes on inside the deep waters—how the big fish feed on the small ones, how some sea creatures deceive the others for a meal. Unlike Man, the other species do not do it to fulfill their greed; their objective is to satisfy a genuine hunger. Once greed creeps into even the most genuine of intentions, the means and the results become obscure.
Ali’s intentions were still untouched by any greed or narrow considerations. His love for the nation governed his actions, but the same did not hold true for others. Ali was unaware of the vicious elements present in his own party.
From a row of three seats arose a man of Ali’s height and stature. He started to walk down the aisle toward the lavatory. He was carrying a small bag in his hand.
If Heidi was an expert with languages and accents, Ali was an expert in the art of disguise and distraction. He did it so efficiently and so convincingly that it was not an exaggeration to call it an art form, and Ali an artist.
Ali entered the lavatory of the plane, closed the door, and stood in front of the mirror for a few minutes. Soon, instead of just his own reflection, Ali saw his face flanked by the faces of his mother and father. After a minute, the vision changed and he saw a very pretty woman with light eyes, his wife, laughing merrily with an angelic baby girl, his lovely daughter. Their laughter shook him and he became aware of his surroundings again. What he could see now was his own sad face and his lonely eyes. Did he have tears in his eyes? He reminded himself that he was on a mission, one he had undertaken for his country.
He could not allow his thoughts to be overshadowed by the past at this stage. It was only the future that mattered, and the future promised happiness, peace, and progress for the people of his country. He wanted to bestow a stronger, freer nation upon the coming generations, a nation in which he would have liked his daughter to grow up. He was determined to secure this gift at any cost, even his own life.