Abdul’s Airplane
F. G. Baker

When Abdul saw the silver airplane high in the sky, he was elated. Everything he could ever want was on board that shining, winged dream machine. Oh, he was so happy. Everything was going to be happiness and joy very soon. Yes. Very soon indeed! All he had to do was remember what his friend Jaul had told him to do to play the game.

Abdul waited patiently in the market next to the vegetable stands. He had moved from the exact spot where Jaul had placed him, but the sun was unbearably hot this morning. And people kept shooing him out of the way when they brought their donkey carts of vegetables into the market place. And the new jacket that Jaul had given him was heavy and made him sweaty. It also smelled bad. But he was proud to have it as part of his duty as a man.

“Boy, I told you to stay out of my way. Now shoo!” one vender said to him good naturedly. “Here take an orange or two and go home.”

Abdul took one orange in his free hand. He would have taken two but he had to keep ahold of the toy that Jaul had given him. He had to hold on to it tight until Jaul signaled him to let go. Then he would be rewarded with all the good things on the airplane he had seen. Jaul promised. But his hand was getting tired from holding on so tightly and keeping his thumb on the red button.

Then he saw Jaul at the street corner where he said he would be. Jaul waved at Abdul and smiled. Abdul smiled back and was proud of the part he played in the game.

“How did they get all ninety-nine pure, virgins into that one sleek airplane? And what exactly was a virgin?” He wondered.

He let go of the toy and released the red button.