Ravshonbekova Gulmira
By: Ravshonbekova Gulmira
It was March 28. Tomorrow would be Umid’s birthday. Every year, his father organized a big celebration in honor of his birthday. But this time, due to quarantine restrictions imposed in the country, it was clear that they wouldn’t be able to hold a party. Like many families, Umid’s family was also struggling financially.
That evening, while the family was having dinner together, Umid asked his father:
“Dad, tomorrow is my birthday. What gift will you give me?” he said, his eyes filled with joy.
“I want it to be a surprise. That’s why I won’t tell you. Just wait until tomorrow, son,” his father said with a gentle smile.
Morning came. A pleasant spring breeze blew through the slightly open window in Umid’s room, causing it to swing open. Umid woke up with a start. As he opened his eyes, he thought:
“Maybe my dad will give me the latest model phone or something even cooler,” he said to himself as he got up.
When he looked at the clock, it was already 6:30 AM. As he rushed to wash his face, he noticed a light on in the hallway and saw his father reading something. He had seen his father like this many times before. Forgetting to wash his face, Umid ran over to him.
His father looked up and asked softly, “Is everything okay, son? Why are you rushing around so early?”
“When I was sleeping, I heard a noise from the window. I went to wash my face to fully wake up. What are you reading, dad?” he asked, glancing around curiously.
“I always read the book your grandfather gave me at exactly 6:00 in the morning.”
“What kind of book is it, dad?” Umid asked with interest.
“This is the book ‘The Property of Humanity’ by Tohir Malik. I’ve learned many things from it,” his father replied.
Umid frowned slightly and thought to himself, “A book? What could you possibly gain from that? I don’t get it.”
“This book always reminds me of your late grandfather,” his father added.
It was now 8:00 AM, and Umid was still thinking about his gift. His mother called him for breakfast. When he ran downstairs, there was no one in the kitchen. Suddenly, music started playing, and his father, mother, and little sister entered singing along with the song. Everyone gave him their gifts, but Umid’s mind was still on the gift from his father.
Finally, his dad gently touched his head, congratulated him, and handed him a gift. Umid eagerly opened it and saw that it was the same book his father had been reading that morning. At first, he was surprised—he even thought it might be a joke. Then, he felt a mix of sadness and disappointment.
His father looked at him and said, “This book is the treasure of our family. I hope you will one day give it to your own child and preserve it carefully. Every time I read this book, I feel like I’m solving one of life’s puzzles. That’s why I never feel a lack in life—I’ve learned the value of contentment. A content person is the richest person in the world, because they are thankful for what they have and don’t torment themselves over what they don’t.”
Umid took the book and went to his room, treating it like a worthless item. He threw it somewhere and sighed. But to avoid upsetting his family, he smiled falsely. And so, they celebrated his birthday as a family.
Many years passed… Umid became a university student and was enjoying student life. One day, while waiting in the classroom, the lesson didn’t begin even though class time had already passed. After a while, their teacher rushed in, organizing a bunch of journals and papers. Then he addressed the students:
“Dear students, graduation is just around the corner. If you want to graduate with honors, you must correctly answer all three exam questions.”
Previously, Umid had had a disagreement with one of his classmates over who would become the group leader. Their teacher had appointed Umid as the leader. The disappointed classmate said:
“You can be the group leader only if you answer the three questions given by our teacher in front of everyone. If you can’t, you don’t deserve the title.”
Determined to prove himself, Umid buried himself in his studies. The exam day arrived. He managed to answer only two out of the three questions. This pleased his rival, who was about to mock him. But before he could speak, the teacher interrupted:
“We all know Umid—he’s been one of the top students for four years. I’ll give you one more day. If you find the answer to the last question, you pass.”
Umid turned to his teacher and asked: “Can you tell me which book this question came from?”
The teacher replied, “Tohir Malik’s ‘The Property of Humanity.’”
Umid immediately remembered his father’s words. Tears welled up in his eyes. He rushed home to find the book. But no matter how much he searched his room, he couldn’t find it. After all, it had been over seven years since his father had given it to him.
His father, who had quietly observed the entire scene, gently placed his hand on Umid’s head and gave him the book again.
“Do you remember your birthday, son? I knew you didn’t like the book then. I took it from where you had thrown it and kept it, promising myself to give it to you when you truly needed it. Here it is, son. But never repeat your first mistake. You will learn much from this book and, one day, you will pass it down to your child when I am no longer in this world.”
That day became a lesson for Umid. He learned the true value of books. He didn’t embarrass himself in front of his friends. He passed the exam with top marks.
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