Morning has come. The sun has risen over the Yada mountains. Musa sits on the veranda. Saeed and Hussain beside him. Zakia is playing in the courtyard. Her laughter echoes across the space.
Saeed, holding a cup of tea, says, "Musa, yesterday you told us about your intellect. The doctor said you were extraordinary. What happened after that? What occurred at school?"
Musa looks up at the sky and smiles. A dry smile. "Friend? When I think about it, I never really had a friend. What I had instead were enemies. And the fire of that enmity still burns today."
Hussain asks, "Who were they?"
Musa takes a deep breath and begins—
Geneva, Switzerland
1988-1989 – The Fire of Hatred
My name spread through the school. 'The African boy', 'The genius', 'The miracle child'—they called me by many names. But beneath all those names burned a deep hatred.
In my class was a boy named Maximilian von Kruger. Everyone called him Max. His father was a powerful general in Germany. General von Kruger. His name stirred fear in European military circles.
Max was the richest boy in class. His pocket money could have covered all our expenses. Teachers gave him extra attention. But everything changed when I arrived.
At first, he tried to befriend me. One day during lunch, he sat beside me. He said, "Musa, you study very well. Will you tutor me?"
I said, "Tutor? You know everything already."
He smiled. But there was something else in that smile. "I don't. You're the smartest."
I agreed. He took tutoring for a few days. But one day, he suddenly stopped talking to me. I understood the reason—he didn't want to learn. He wanted to know how I could understand everything so quickly. When he realized it wasn't a trick but my natural ability, his hatred ignited.
Then the torment began.
It started small. When I answered questions in class, he would make comments from the back. "Here he goes again. Trying to make everyone look stupid." "He thinks he's the only genius." "He came from Africa—what kind of education do they have there?"
I would stay silent. But inside, a fire burned.
One day, he bought over my closest friend, Hans. Hans was the son of a Swiss banker. Max had given him an expensive watch. Hans stopped talking to me after that.
I became alone. No friends left in the entire school. Only the teachers loved me. But they were helpless too.
One day, something terrible happened.
The results of the school's annual exams were announced. I had come first in every subject. Max came tenth. He was furious.
In the afternoon, he called me to the field behind the school. With him were his gang—five or six boys. I went. I knew nothing good would come of it.
Max said, "Musa, did you think you're so smart? Do you know how the world really works? Not with intelligence. With power. And whose hands hold the power? My father's."
I said, "What do you want?"
He said, "I want you to leave this school. If you don't, you'll regret it."
I stayed silent. His gang surrounded me. One of them grabbed my collar. I still said nothing.
Max said, "Listen, if you don't leave, your parents will pay the price. They're foreigners. Not from this country. We can easily get rid of them."
That sentence set my mind on fire. I loved Robert and Elizabeth. They were my family. No one could touch them.
I looked at Max and said, "Are you threatening my family?"
He laughed. "Yes, I am. What will you do about it?"
I said nothing more. I just stared at him. His gang members became frightened and stepped back. But Max stood his ground.
I turned and left. But I made a silent promise—I would answer this insult. But not now. When the time was right.
That night, when I came home, I said nothing. But Elizabeth could read the language in my eyes. She called Robert. Both of them came and sat beside me.
Elizabeth said, "Musa, what happened? Fire is pouring from your eyes."
I said nothing.
Robert said, "Son, we're with you. Whatever you say, we'll do it."
I told them everything then. About school. About Max's threats. About his father's power.
Robert fell silent after hearing it. Then he said, "General von Kruger. I know him. A very powerful man. But he has weaknesses too."
Elizabeth asked, "What can we do?"
Robert said, "My company has many contracts with the German military. If I threaten to cancel those contracts, the General will be in trouble. But if we do that, we'll suffer too."
I said, "No. I won't ask you to do anything for me. I'll handle it myself."
Robert said, "You're still a boy. How will you handle it?"
I said, "I have a mind. I'll handle everything with this mind."
The next day at school, I saw Max's gang bragging. They thought they had won by scaring me. But I smiled. Inside.
I went to the teachers and told them everything. They had no proof, but they believed me. The principal warned Max.
Max became furious. He realized I hadn't stayed silent. After that, he became even worse.
One day he broke into my locker. He tore my books. Another day he slashed my bicycle tires. I said nothing. I just watched.
I knew his day would come.
That day came a month later.
In the school's annual science fair, I presented a project. It was software that could penetrate any computer system. I just wanted to demonstrate the application of technology. But it was far too advanced.
Max's father came to that fair. When he saw my project, he was stunned. He came to me and said, "Son, how did you create this?"
I said, "By using my mind."
He said, "Would you like to come to Germany? Work in my laboratory?"
Max was standing behind, listening to everything. His face went pale. He understood his father was giving me importance. Not him.
That night, Max stood in front of my house. I saw him from the window. He stood there for a long time. Then he left.
The next day at school, he came to me. His eyes were red. He said, "Musa, I'm leaving. Going to Germany. Father says there's no point keeping me here."
I said, "Go. Be well."
He said, "You won. But remember, this war isn't over. My father's power is immense. When you grow up, we'll meet again."
He left. But his words remained in my mind. I understood—this wasn't the end. It was only the beginning.
Musa stopped. The sun was directly overhead. Noon had arrived.
Saeed said, "What happened after that? Did Max come back?"
Musa smiled. "Yes. Many years later. But that's another story. That's enough for today."
Hussain said, "What did Robert and Elizabeth do?"
Musa said, "They stood by me. Always. They never let me be alone. They taught me—hatred destroys people, but love saves them."
Zakia called from inside the house, "Uncle! Uncle! Let's eat!"
Musa smiled. "Look, my little princess is calling. Come on, that's enough for today."
Saeed and Hussain fell silent. They knew they would have to hear the rest of this story another day.
The noon sun blazed on the Yada mountains. Musa lifted Zakia into his arms. The little girl was laughing. In that laughter was the light of the future. In Musa's eyes burned the fire of the past.
Two fires, burning together. Love and revenge.