Childhood Treasures, featuring Noman Shahidul

 "Childhood Treasures"

The 21st of November, 2002, was one of the most awaited days of my childhood. I remember reading about the numerous countdowns in my favorite magazine. My cousin Noman, my partner in crime at the time, would also reread the articles to make sure he got the date right. However, for some reasons I can't quite remember, we didn't talk so much that week... which was very curious, for we were as thick as thieves.

When Thursday came, I had almost forgotten about it. Actually I forgot whether I had forgotten about it... I think I did in fact notice the red mark on the calendar, but for some reason I was unable to attend the event for which I had been waiting since the downy days of summer. I remembered feeling terribly annoyed that day; but compared to the feeling I got to experience the next day, on November 22nd, it was nothing.

Friday signaled the end of the school-week. After school, instead of stopping at my apartment building, I ran to my father's shop. It was 5 'o clock, just in time for his shift. I met my father behind the counter and begged him to take me to the place where I missed the promo of November 21st. As most adults, he didn't take into much consideration the pleads of a 9-years-old child; he absentmindedly nodded and told me to go home before my private tutor came.

The lessons must have started at around 5.30 p.m., and although I would have usually paid attention to the teacher, my mind wandered off to the same place. I kept glancing anxiously at the clock; it was ticking alright, but it didn't seem like the sound was progressing in phase with the hands. It looked like time was passing by more slowly than the agonizingly loud tickings that echoed in the small room. At 7.30 p.m., I realized there was only half an hour left for me to hurry to the place where I had to go no matter what. My hands began to tremble, the beating of my heart increased, and I felt my eyes water - not as a result of my deep emotional need, rather as a physical reflex - and my voice quavered as I asked the teacher if it was possible for me to leave early. I don't know why she agreed; or maybe she disagreed to which I either protested or simply ran out of the room. I could do crazy and impolite things when motivated to certain levels. However, this part of the story is not relevant - what is relevant though is the fact that I was out on the dark streets of Rome by 7.45 p.m., arm in arm with my father, keeping up with his long and rapid strides.


In a matter of five minutes we reached the place - a building from which the brightest light protruded and lit up the narrow black sidewalk. When we entered the building, the lights blinded us for a moment - but as we progressed into the interior and then onto the next floor, the lights slowly started to disappear, for it was almost closing time. We, or rather only I with my father lagging lackadaisically behind, rushed across the smooth floors, unaware or ignoring the risk of slipping and paying a distressful visit to the hospital. When I finally reached the desired department, my heart stopped beating; standing majestically in front of my petty little figure was a tall, sumptuous showcase firmly locked from prying, unworthy hands. I was so overwhelmed by the splendor of it all that I almost ignored the voice of the woman behind me. You have come in time, she said with an amused tone, and proceeded to unlock the cabinet. My whole body shook with trepidation as I held out my hands to receive that which the lady had taken from one of the shelves to consign to me. At last mine, my inner voice screamed with delight when I wrapped my impatient fingers around the sapphire little box, almost vowing to never let it go.


I had to part from that treasure for a minute as the lady needed to record the transaction in the computer. My father took out a 50 Euro bill from his wallet to complete the bargain, and after that I seized the little blue box for good. It was mine to savor now, and I wasn't about to let it go for a long, long time!

When I came back home, at a much slower and relaxed pace of course, my smile was so wide my older cousin Alamin intuited that I must have bought something valuable, perhaps expensive. He kept poking me, his voracity for my secret deal growing stronger by the minute. I kept shrugging him off and went to Noman instead, whispering in his ears the good news. His smile was an indication of how proud he was of my achievement, however it did not reflect as much surprise as I had hoped it would have. When we tiptoed into the bathroom and locked the door before his annoyingly curious older brother could come in to spy on us, he revealed to me that he had a copy of my treasure too - only his one was ruby in color. I was jarred at first, maybe even a tad bit furious that my best friend had concealed such an important occasion from me, and also feeling a sudden stream of jealousy to hear that he had acquired his precious on the actual day of the release, which was yesterday. But every negative feeling fled away as soon as I opened the blue box to reveal the most simple yet extraordinary object I had ever seen up til then; a small, flat, rectangular disk, that fitted nicely in my palm, colored deep blue and a fancy glittery sticker on one of the wider sides that announced grandiosely in Italian: "Pokémon: Sapphire Version."


I was even more exalted when I held the actual cartridge in my hands. Without any further hesitation, I inserted it into my transparent, sky-blue Gameboy Advance, and slid the switch to 'on'. I felt Noman's head inching closer to the screen synonymously with mine, and our minds strayed off to the land of Pocket Monsters, oblivious to the imploring whines of our envious older sibling resounding from the other side of the door.

   

~Faty