Posted to Sister Zeph’s Journal
By Sister Zeph
On 13 October, 2014
In 2013, when Qasim was just five years old, he was returning home from Zephaniah Free Education. On his way, a man attempted to harm him, but fortunately, my father witnessed the incident and intervened, saving the child. This, however, led to the man becoming our adversary. He brought his sisters, who were attending our skill center, and his family began spreading negative propaganda against us. One day, they even launched an attack on our home, forcing us to call the police for protection. During this incident, my parents were humiliated. Although I’m not one to easily get angry, I couldn’t bear to see my parents go through such humiliation. It was then that I decided to seek revenge against them. I had initially planned to retaliate in a similar manner, but it has been a year and a half, and I still haven’t found a way to exact my revenge.
My aim was to teach them a lesson, to make them realize that what they had done was grievously wrong, and that they had no right to mistreat any child or person. I wanted to impart the message that such behavior goes against ethics, laws, and the principles of any religion. I yearned to give them a lesson they would never forget; my anger grew with each passing day.
Finally, last month, an opportunity presented itself. The elder daughter of our adversaries, who had faced considerable hardships before getting married, had built a home from scratch with her own hands. She had worked tirelessly as a maid in numerous households. After her marriage to a man who never worked and forbade her from doing so, she bore three children who lived without a home, proper food, clothing, or access to education. Her husband had subjected her to physical abuse and humiliation. A month ago, she made the courageous decision to leave him and returned to her parents’ home with her children. I couldn’t have asked for a better chance to impart my lesson.
Last week, while shopping for new shoes for two of our students, I visited a bookstore and purchased books for the woman’s three children. I contacted one of my students, whose family had good relations with our adversary’s family, and convinced her to teach the lady’s children without revealing that I was sponsoring their education. It has been a week now since these children started studying, and I am exacting my revenge through education. When these children receive an education, they will eventually share their experiences with their elders, highlighting the injustice they had done to Sister Zeph’s family and to Qasim. This will influence the next generation, instilling in them a strong sense of right and wrong. Little do they know that it is me who is reshaping their perspective and mindset.