A Gift for Omar——A story from Oman
All over the world there are stories about meeting strange travellers in lonely places. Who are they? Where have they come from? Where are they going?
This is one of those stories. It happens in Oman, on Route 21, the long road that runs across the lonely hills behind the great Al Hajar mountains.
Oman is a big country, and the roads in Oman are very long. 'Long and empty,' thought Abdul.
He was standing next to his car, by the side of Route 21, the long road that runs from Buraimi to Nizwa. He was waiting for a car to pass by, but the road was empty. There were no houses and no traffic.
Abdul was angry with his car, because it did not go any more. He was angry with himself, because he did not check the car before he left Buraimi. And he was angry with his mobile phone too, because there was no signal. He couldn't use it to phone for help.
Every Wednesday evening, Abdul drove from his office in Buraimi to his family home in Nizwa. He liked to spend the weekend, which in Oman is Thursday and Friday, at home with his family.
He put his hand in his pocket and touched a hard, flat box. It was a computer game – a gift, a present for his youngest brother, Omar. Omar was eight years old and loved computer games. This was a new game, the very newest game. Only one of the computer shops in Buraimi had it, and Abdul was the first person to buy it.
Omar will be so excited!' he thought. 'He'll have this game before any of his friends have it.'
He bought the game, left Buraimi, and started driving to Nizwa. He wanted to get home before Omar was asleep. So he did not wait to check his car before he left Buraimi, which was a mistake. A big mistake.
Now he was standing by the side of the road, with a dead car, in the middle of nowhere.
How long will I have to wait before another car comes along?' he thought. 'It's getting dark.'
He looked up at the sky. The sun was down behind the mountains, and the stars were beginning to come out. A hot dry wind was blowing. There was no moon.
At that moment he saw car lights.
It's my lucky night after all,' he thought. The car was coming very fast over the hills. Its lights looked unusual – very yellow, like the eyes of a cat … or a tiger.
That's strange,' thought Abdul. Then he saw that the car would be past him in a second. He moved into the road, put both his arms above his head, and waved.
The car made a noise like a scream and stopped right in front of him. It was a long, black car. Abdul did not know what kind of car it was, but it looked fast.
The door opened and the driver looked out at Abdul. He was wearing dark glasses and had a big smile – a very big smile. Abdul started to say something about his car, about going to Nizwa. The driver did not say anything, but he waved his hand at the seat next to him. Abdul got in and closed the door. The car screamed again and drove quickly away.
The driver was wearing dark glasses and had a big smile.
Inside the car it was dark and quiet. The only light was a kind of red or orange.
Where's that light coming from?' thought Abdul. He spoke to the driver, telling him again that he was going to Nizwa.
The driver did not answer. He just smiled his big smile and looked at the road. His glasses were very dark.
I can't see his eyes behind those glasses, but I think he's looking at the road,' thought Abdul. 'I hope he is. He's driving so fast!'
The driver was wearing a traditional long robe, which hid his legs and feet.
Abdul looked out of the window. The car was moving very fast.
That's good,' Abdul told himself. 'Fast is good. I'll get home to Nizwa quickly, driving like this. I'll see my family and give Omar his gift, his computer game. This driver's a bit strange – I really don't like that smile! – but it doesn't matter. The important thing is to get home.'
It was night now. The dark road, passing quickly, looked different from usual.
Where are we?' thought Abdul, looking out of the window again. 'I know this road very well – I drive along it twice a week. Why does it look different tonight?'
Inside the car, the red and orange light looked a little brighter.
Where's that light coming from?' thought Abdul. 'What is it? It's moving all the time. It looks like... it looks like fire. But it can't be. There can't be a fire in here, inside this car.'
He looked at the driver and quickly looked away again. The smile was even bigger than before.
That smile is horrible,' he thought. 'I don't want to look at it. I'm sure he knows I'm looking at him. But how can he see through those dark glasses? Don't think about it! The important thing is to get home.'
Abdul thought about the big family house in Nizwa, with its big wooden front door. It was safe there.
The thought of home made him feel better. 'Everything will be fine when I get home. I'll open the door and walk in. It will be late, and everyone will be asleep, but I'll see them all in the morning, and I'll give Omar his gift then.'
He put his hand into his pocket and touched the hard flat box of the computer game, the gift for his little brother.
There it is,' he thought. 'Omar's gift. I hope he likes it.'
Yes,' said the driver. 'He will enjoy your gift.'
Abdul was very surprised – and afraid. 'What's happening?' he thought. 'I didn't speak! I was thinking, not speaking, but the driver answered my thought. He knows what I'm thinking! He can hear my thoughts.'
He looked at the driver. The driver was looking at the road in front of him, and he was still smiling that big, horrible smile. The light in the car was brighter, more red and orange.
And then Abdul understood. The strange light was coming from the driver – from behind his dark glasses.
His eyes!' Abdul thought. 'His eyes are made of fire!'
It was only a thought. But Abdul knew now that the driver could hear him. He felt cold with fear. He tried to stop thinking about eyes of fire, about the road which looked different, and about the car which screamed like an animal. He thought about his family, about rain falling on the trees in Nizwa, about playing football with Omar.
The driver's smile got bigger. He turned to look at Abdul, and put his hand up to his dark glasses.
Oh no!' thought Abdul. 'He's going to take his glasses off!'
Abdul forgot about getting home. He forgot about seeing his family. He even forgot about his little brother Omar, and the gift for him in his pocket. He thought about only one thing.
He did not want to see the driver's eyes!
Abdul put his hand on the car door next to him.
The driver took off his dark glasses. Abdul looked down, away from the driver's face. The light inside the car suddenly got brighter. It was a moving light, red and orange, like fire. By the strange light, Abdul saw the driver's foot under his long robe.
By the strange light, Abdul saw the driver's foot under his long robe.
It was the foot of an animal.
The car door opened suddenly. Abdul fell out.
When Abdul opened his eyes, he was lying on stones.
He got up carefully. Nothing was broken, but he hurt all over. His face felt dirty and there were little stones in his hair. He looked around quickly. He could not see the long black car, but he still felt afraid.
Perhaps the driver will come back and find me,' he thought. 'If he comes back... What do I do then?'
He looked around again, and for the first time that night, he knew the road. He was near a place called Tanuf, which was not far from Nizwa. He could call a taxi out from Nizwa to take him home.
Home! Abdul stopped feeling afraid. He would soon be home. He put his hand into his pocket and found his mobile phone. There was a good signal, and he called a number in Nizwa and asked for a taxi to take him home. It was late, after midnight.
They'll all be asleep now,' he thought. 'I won't wake them up. I'll just go in quietly, and see them all in the morning.'
Abdul put his hand in his pocket again. It was empty. The computer game, his gift for Omar, was not there.
Abdul looked for the computer game, walking up and down the road. He moved stones and looked underneath them, but he could not find it anywhere. He was still looking for Omar's gift when the taxi arrived.
Abdul looked for the computer game, walking up and down the road.
In the taxi, Abdul started to feel better. He did not want to think about the driver, with his horrible smile and his eyes of fire. He thought about being safe.
The good thing,' he thought, 'is that he... it... that driver, did not take me all the way home. He knows that I live in Nizwa, but that's all. He doesn't know which street, and he doesn't know my name. He can't find me, or my family. So I don't need to worry.'
Abdul felt sorry about his brother's present. But Omar was safe. His family was safe. He didn't have a gift for Omar now, but it was not important.
I can buy another computer game next week,' he thought. 'This weekend I haven't got a gift for him, but it doesn't matter. We'll have a good time. Maybe we'll play football tomorrow. And that thing... that creature, with those eyes... he can't hurt us. He can't find us.'
It was a long time after midnight when the taxi stopped outside Abdul's home in Nizwa. Abdul paid the driver and walked to the door of his house. Then he stopped.
Outside the door lay a flat, thin box. Abdul knew what it was.
It was the computer game, his gift for Omar.
