A Handful of Dates - By :Tayeb Salih

“Sometimes a single moment can change your thoughts towards others” This story is about a little Muslim boy who loves his grandfather and compares him to God and the river that is so pure to him. He described his grandfather as a very tall person that has a white, soft as cotton beard. He loved his grandfather because he was the only person who understood him and also the little boy was his favourite grandson. One day he asked something to his grandfather about Masood their neighbour. His grandfather replied and said that the fields or “feddans” that he sees once belonged to none other than Masood. The little boy never knew that his grandfather who currently owns more than hundred feddans, once didn’t even own a single one because he always thought that his grandfather owned these feddans for a very long time. He was also surprised in knowing that every time Masood would marry a woman he would sell some piece of land to the little boy’s grandfather. The sound of the words that were said by his grandfather made him wish that his grandfather never said that.

While looking straight ahead he saw Masood coming toward them to ask whether they wanted to join the harvesting. His grandfather agreed and went off to harvest. Crowded with other people whom the little boy (narrator) knew, his attention suddenly came to Masood. While looking at him he remembered that Masood once told a little boy to not cut the heart of a palm tree as it is also a living thing like a human. He also told this to the boy (the narrator) that the palm trees also have feelings like happiness or sadness.

The little boy saw some people weighing the dates , while other people were taking five to six of them and started munching, he even was munching on a few of the dates. Suddenly his attention came to his grandfather and Masood that were talking to each about the fifty pounds that Masood was still owing to his grandfather. Looking at Masood the little boy had some strange pain in chest. Then without knowing why, the little boy ran to the river bank. While he was running he started to feel some hatred towards his grandfather. Finally, at the river bank he threw up the dates that he ate, in the river that was once so pure for him.

In your opinion do you think that the little boy will forgive is grandfather or will he still hate him ?