It was very cold that night. At midnight my mother took out another blanket from the cupboard and wrapped it around my body. Getting two blankets on his body made him feel like he was playing boxing. I tried to sleep and then I remembered Rafu.
I'm sleeping wrapped in two blankets and Rafu is probably groaning in this cold winter. I fell asleep thinking about all this. I woke up in the morning calling my mother. I got up, took off my college dress and immediately ran to fill my bag with the money I had deposited in the bank. Mom is calling from behind and shouting,
Won't you take a bath today and go to college?
I shouted louder,
Mother, mind bath is a big bath. You don't have to take a bath every day in winter.
The younger brother stopped his mother with a smile and said, "Hey, mother, why are you shouting? Look, maybe Abanti Apu has called, so your son has been deceived in a hurry." Who doesn't know that brother loves Avanti Apu.
I came to the market and took out the money including Shubh. I separated the five, ten, twenty, one hundred taka notes, then the two of them went to the shop and bought a blanket and stood in front of the college gate. Rafu laughed when he saw us from a distance. We gave him the blanket. After getting the blanket, I could see Eid happy in Rafu's eyes.
The boy's name was Rafi and we used to call him Rafu. A little boy will probably be ten or eleven years old. Our college used to sell nuts and boots.
My acquaintance with Rafu was during my first year of college. My private was at 6 in the morning so I had to go at 8. One day sir was late so I was walking around the campus. I haven't seen much of Kanache in college since I was admitted. I went and sat on the steps of the Shaheed Minar. After a while a boy came in front of me with a basket of nuts and said,
Brother, will you eat nuts? Give me nuts. Or wear boots? I'll give you a boot for five rupees. I put the bag on the right side and said,
Yes. Boot this. Rafu wrapped it in paper and extended his five taka boot towards me. When I paid for the boots, Rafu left. Rafu raises his head, straightens his stomach and walks slowly. I'm looking at him from behind. After a while Rafu was walking in front of me again from the other side of the campus and I called Rafu.
- Come here once in a while. As soon as Rafu came forward in front of me, Rafu gave a simple smile. I said,
- What's your name? The boy smiled and said,
My name is Rafi ......
- Do you study?
- No, brother.
- At this age you are supposed to go to primary school. Carry a school bag on your shoulder. But, why are you burdened with almond boots at this age.
- Brother, when Ritika was one year old, her father died, mother said. Mother can't run the family just by sewing. Nowadays mother's body is not going well. So now I have to run the family.
I couldn't find anything else to say after listening to Rafu's words so I asked him to give me ten more rupees worth of boots and nuts. Folding the paper again, Rafu gave me boot-nuts. I took these from Rafu's hand and told him to sit next to me. Once he said that, Rafu came and sat next to him. I put the nuts and boots in Rafu's hand and said,
I see you eat these for you. And listen, your name is Rafi, from today I will call you Rafi. Rafu didn't say anything when he heard me, he just started laughing. The reason for this laughter is maybe who doesn't love to get a new name. Or this kind of talk of mine. Whatever it was, I liked Rafu's smile.
From that day onwards, I used to go to eat nuts from Rafu every day. Whenever he saw me, he would say, "Brother Badam Khan, you don't have to pay." I used to jigsaw in college one day, why didn't you come tomorrow, brother.
- Gradually the intensity of our relationship continues to grow.
My friends are growing day by day in college. My friends also started getting acquainted with Rafu. One by one, Rafu became the jewel in everyone's eye. Most of the time we would go out of college and go to the hotel for breakfast with Rafu. The rest of my friends also loved Rafu a lot.
There is another reason why they love Rafu so much. I still vividly remember one day when I went to pay for Shubh Badam, a note of Rs. Shubh kept the money to register the scout's t-shirt. Rafu keeps the money to himself and at the end of the class when I and Shuvo sit on the edge of the pond, Rafu comes and gives the money. Shubh was happy and gave him one hundred rupees. When Rafu leaves, he says to keep the good money in his pocket,
- Dude, you see, at this age, boys like him are stealing and robbing, but look at him, he is working hard and honestly taking care of the family.
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Every year during the winter, we see other friends also give her one winter dress. Some flower sleeves genji some sweater. That's what I would do.
Thus two years passed. Whether we wanted to or not, we used to take nuts every day so that Rafu would not have to return home empty handed. So many times Rafu didn't want to take money from us, we would give it even if we were forced to. If I could not see Rafu in college one day, I would feel empty. Everything seemed to be fine but there was something missing.
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I'm upset in class. Sir left after class. Abanti is pushing the books again and again. One by one, when everyone left the classroom, Abanti came to me and said, what will happen if you are upset like this. Suddenly Rafu lost that where. Let's go out together today to find Rafu.
I searched the surrounding houses. I searched the houses on the way Rafu used to come, but no one could say anything. Even if you tell the shopkeepers, no one knows the same thing.
After about ten or twelve days
I'm upset in class. Sir left after class. Abanti is pushing the books again and again. One by one, when everyone left the classroom, Abanti came to me and said, what will happen if you are upset like this. Suddenly Rafu lost that where. Let's go out together today to find Rafu.
I searched the surrounding houses. I searched the houses on the way Rafu used to come, but no one could say anything. Even if you tell the shopkeepers, no one knows the same thing.
About ten / twelve days later I saw Rafu standing on the verandah of the college. We ran in front of Rafu and surrounded him. I put my hand on Rafu's forehead and said, where is Chile Rafu for so long, your body is burning with fever. Why could Asli take treatment from home for a few more days with this sick body. Rafu looked at us with tired eyes and said,
~ Brother, we have been suffering a lot for a few days. I have to eat panta rice every day. Sometimes I cook for one day and eat for two or three days. Ritika is a lot
We were all stunned to hear Rafu's words. What a cruel game of destiny. Someone is spreading luxury by getting food. On the other hand, someone has tied a stone in his stomach to satisfy his hunger.
Everyone decided not to take classes today. I told Shant to take the home address from Rafu and deliver it to his house. Later I sent him to Rafu's house with good medicine and food for five or seven days.
Four days later all our friends went to their house to see Rafu. Rafu saw us and splashed water with both eyes. Rafu was trying to see us but Rafu didn't have the strength. Sitting next to his head, Rafur's mother was constantly crying
When I saw Rafu's condition, I told his mother,
Aunty, did you give Rafu the right medicine? Rafu was supposed to recover after taking the right medicines. Listening to me, Rafur's mother cried louder and said,
~ Dad, one of Rafi's kidneys is damaged. As you grow older, the rest of you will have problems with it, says the doctor a year ago. This is why Rafi is in such a condition today. The doctor says Rafi needs a kidney transplant anyway. Aunty took Rafu's hand and looked at us and said, "Dad, please be kind." You save my Rafi. Please, Dad. Listening to the words on Rafur's mother's face, it seems that the whole world fell on us. I became like a stone.
After being silent for a long time, I told my aunt how much it would cost to have a kidney transplant.
- The doctor says a total of two lakh rupees.
- God!
- So much money.
I tightened Rafu's hand and said, don't worry, Rafu, nothing will happen to you, we are here. I was tricked into saying that you will get well soon.
I started discussing with all my friends how to do it. Whatever happens, we have to save Rafu. After discussing, we came up with four ways to raise money.
First we gave what we had in the pockets of those present. Then we took something from our family about Rafu's problem. The total is twenty thousand. But a lot more money is needed.
Second, we start campaigning. We are divided into six groups. There were two types of campaigns. One is shop based. The third step is various school / college based campaigns. For this we make a box with Rafu's picture. He gave whatever he could, starting from one taka to one hundred and five hundred, he gave whatever he could. With the time behind the day and night campaign, in just four days, the total amount of money in our hands came to one lakh and twenty thousand.
I was counting the collections of that day out of the box. Suddenly a call came from an unknown number. As soon as he received the call, Rafur's mother started crying. He said Rafu's condition was getting worse day by day. Has stopped talking since morning.
We hurried to Rafud's house. I saw that Rafu's condition was very bad. I told Aunty that with the money we have, we can get admitted and take medicine. The next morning we admitted Rafu to the hospital. If you can raise all the money then there will be an operation.
A lot of money is still not working in my head
In this direction, the condition of Rafuta is also getting worse. There is no one left that we did not ask for help. I even asked for help from people I didn't talk to. We have not been able to raise money even after using three methods of raising money.
We started working one by one according to the fourth plan. I started doing two tuitions in the morning and afternoon. And sometimes I worked in a shop the rest of the time. Shubh took a job in a library. Abanti started selling flowers in our college. Other friends started doing other things. Our working condition was that we should pay our salary one month in advance.
Today we have collected all the money.
Going to the hospital, I will pay the full amount for Rafu's operation today. At that time Shubh said,
~ When Rafu recovers, first of all I will take him home. Ammu says she will see Rafu. Satisfying smiles appeared on the faces of all of us then.
I proceeded towards Rafur's cabin. As I approached the cabin, I saw a large crowd.
As soon as I removed the gathered people and went to the front of the seat, I saw that Rafu was called from head to toe with white cloth.
Rafu has left a basket of pride on us.
Forgive us this Ray Rafu. We couldn't save you. I couldn't do anything for you.
Good story.