Just fifteen steps

One of his hands was inside his pocket and was moving something right to left with his another hand. He started to count: one, two, three, four,….six hundreds and ninety eight, six hundreds and ninety nine, seven hundreds … he was chocked with stormy tears. He stopped counting. This part of the street was like an order of pass or death for him. Why he could not go on counting? He always reached to the bus stop by counting to seven hundreds and fifteen, did not he? His brain was hard as much as that cements which used as a bricklayer in his youth for the first time. Why he could not count to seven hundreds and fifteen? He had counted to seven hundreds and fifteen for twenty years? He felt heavy hearted for fifteen that was saying goodbye to seven hundreds innocently and it did not have any chance to reach it. As usual, he got into the bus without counting to seven hundreds and fifteen. He started to count again: the first bus stop, the second,…, the eighth .

-excuse me sir, I want to land

-here you are.

The strange sound made him annoyed.

Excuse me gentleman! Lady! Where is here?!

He did not hear any answer, moved forward a little…

Isn’t any body here to tell me, where here is?!

What’s up?

Hi, is it possible to tell me where here is?!

Here? It is Jumhuriye Eslami (Islamic republic) street, beside Tarbiyat Park.

Sure?

Yes I am sure!

The positions of bus stops have been changed?!

-yes, it is a few days. Where do you want to go?

Woo, what can I do now? I want to go to bank, Tejarat bank, finance ministry branch, and then I want to go to martyr soldier tomb.

-can I help you?

-if it is possible ,take a taxi for me to get me to finance ministry.

He was quite tired of counting, it seemed as if all numbers had migrated him at once and a big zero was the only number in his mind or maybe it was just an imaginary pumpkin !!

-lady? Gentleman? My brother, where is Tejarat Bank?

-if you move 15 steps ,you would see the escalator, if you ask there ,you would be helped …

He got happy very much, as if he started living newly. The numbers had come back. But what was escalator ?oh ,he meant bridge.

Azam told: they are not working good enough. One of its path always is out of work…let me to try!

-one ,two, three,…,fifteen.

He got close to the bridge, an old man took his hand and lifted easily .lifting of escalator reminded him the day, he fell over the crane ,after that day his world filled with numbers. Azam, his loyal wife told rightly that the other patch is not electrical. The sound of pedestrians moving shoes made him annoyed again. The old man was leading him as well…

-when there is not any electricity, how many stairs should land ?I guess they are 15 or 20?

-yeah,my son ,if you want to know exactly ,I can count?

No, It would bother you, I will count them later, you told me ,you are going to Tejarat Bank?

-yes, what’s up? Are you going there too?

-yes, if it is not trouble for you, father?

As they arrived to pavement, he started to count:

-one, two,…,fifteen

The old man went to ABM and guided him to go inside the bank. He stretched out his hand to open the door, because the old man told him that if he moves fifteen steps would reach to the door! As he prepared himself to push the door ,fell down. Holding his pocket tightly by one hand, avoiding dropping his moneys ,while he was searching for his stick by his another hand. The old man came to help him and took him inside .they went to the manager desk. The old man said goodbye and left him…

-hi sir, are you here

-yes, welcome, go on.

-thanks, I want to create an account for three million tomans and use its profit monthly. Possible?

-why not ?!but your money should be saved at your account for six months, and then you can use its profit monthly.

-I see, no problem.

-excuse me ,one of our family members should be with you, sorry, it is a rule.i can not disobey it.is not any body with you?

-as if a sledge hit his head…

What do you mean sir, am I a child?, I am forty five years old?!

-sorry!, it is our rule.

-which rule states that a person like me can not settle money to bank. Who has told to underestimate our value as low as a five-years-old child? We don’t have any right to live? And…

All of bank’s clients attention ships anchored in the anger ocean of the man. One person was sorry, another man did not know whether he was cleaning his sweats or is crying? And the other one was taking the part of the manager. Anybody was not aware of the depth of insolence to him. Staring to around did not help him too. But it seemed to fell over the crane again. For some moments, he sat at the furniture in front of the manager silently. He knew that if he did not settle three million tomans, he would face a big problem known as being moneyless… he asked the manager to address the closest telephone booth.

On the other side of the bank, one of the workers was busy with conversation throw telephone wires. Because of his sweating and manner of speaking , It was completely obvious that it was not related to an official work.

-hi, dear Mahsa,I call to tell you, get ready afternoon to go shopping

-Jamshid,I am at home ,dial home’s phone number. It would cost you high calling by mobile phone.

-no, my darling, I use the bank’s phone. No matter.

The manager turned to the worker and said:

-Jamshid,please disconnect to let him make a call to his house in order to call someone for help.

The man pulled off from his chair like his hope for creating account .

-No,sir,I can not use people’s right for doing my personal work .I would thank you if you tell me the address !

-Jamshid got stressful ,he self talked:

“he did not meant me, I was speaking silently , I am a worker, I can make call wherever and whenever “

As the manager became interested in his effort, gave him the address .

- move ten or fifteen steps forwarder ,you would see a telephone booth.

The man started to count ,but his heart was full of complains , start from his master because of not granting him to the operator of the escalator, city council and bank lawgivers!!he fell down again. This time his old wound start bleeding again. He did not know the people around him. He was lucky that his neighbor’s son was among people around him to take him to his house. a long this road to his house without noticing his bleeding over the seat of the car, he was listening to the special song of father day. He self talked:

“I could not create a bank account, am I imagined a father? How can I go to my home, now?”

The man did know anything about his best father’s day gift. His family had bought him a beautiful white collapsible stick. But it was very pity, that stick neither would not help him to create a bank account , make friendship among him ,alphabet and numbers, nor stick broken pieces of his self-respect!