Misery and Anger

By Rashid Ben Addi

An odd story collection, they might seem funny for a second, but they're actually a unlimited dose of misery and anger.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BadPress
• Release date: Jul 31, 2020
• ISBN: 9781071557297

Book preview

Misery and Anger

Incomplete stories

Rashid Ben Addi

The Scarecrow

It was four in the morning; he sat on his table which stood on flour that had nothing but a piece of cardboard as a carpet. His hands reached for a glass of dark water that supposed to be tea, he brought it close enough to his nose, and then, with sealed eyes, he drank it. He grabbed a piece of wood that presumed to be a piece of bread, shoved it into his pocket, and went out to his work dragging his worn-out clothes behind him. On the field stood just a scarecrow, shyly he greeted it and the scarecrow responded with a furious rage; you’re late, you son of a bitch, it’s five o’clock already. As shy as before he apologized and took the old scarecrow’s place which left like a raging bull! The Scarecrow was his father. They have been both, alternately, occupying its spot. For since the father found out that the birds figured it out about the wooden scarecrow, he forced his son to take its position. All he could do was standing on the spot, and moving his hands from time to time to scare the birds away. He will stay like that till four p.m, after that, it’ll be his father’s turn again.

Standing there, he cried with the one eye he had left, for a bird gouged out his eyes a month ago. A beautiful bird had landed over his head one day, he didn’t want to scare him off, and so he let him be. The bird thought that it was only a wooden scarecrow that wouldn’t move. The bird was intrigued by the eye’s pupil so it gouged it with its beak. And that was not it, but his father broke his left leg punishing him for his complacency with those damn birds.

Sometimes, alone in the middle of the field, he started laughing, he imagines his meeting with his beloved neighbor, to whom of course he couldn’t confess his love, but he told her about it dozens of times in his imagination, and in each time, she used to laugh which made him laugh too... Hello! I’m a scarecrow and I love you.

Even after his father’s death, he kept on working as a scarecrow, there was nothing else he could do! It didn’t last long though, especially after being humiliated by his neighbor right after he expressed his love to her. The truth is that she didn’t utter what could have hurt him, but she strangled him with her silence which he succeeded to translate it as: You are a Scarecrow for Hell’s sake!

He woke up early, as usual, performed his Fajer prayer, and sent a silent prayer to Allah; Oh Allah, may you keep the birds away from me! He sighed.. twice, then stood from his spot, wore his clothes, and got out without waking up his gimp dog! Few miles and he reached the field... he squashed his corps into the worn-out clothes and start pondering the view ahead of him! A divine serenity brought faith and joy to his heart, which made him forget what he shall suffer from for the rest of the day! A bird singing in the middle of the grass.. two frogs lying idly underneath the only existing tree on the field! An aunt carrying a grain of wheat!  Filthy underwear, an old shoe! Waking up from his mindedness, he asked for Allah’s forgiveness, entrusted his soul to Allah and he got up! He chased away the birds and stood up like an old boat sail, extended his hands forming Jesus cross, after five minutes, he burst laughing; what the hell am I doing? What a lame of a job am I practicing? Like father, like son! The sons of a bitch are mocking us! To hell with my father and his craft! I will not do this anymore.

After years of working as a scarecrow, Omar died alone, in the middle