A Starless Night
“A generation without a hero is like a starless night. A hero must be born” Kaani had said. Kaani is my late father. He died trying to save some people during a terrorist attack. The soldiers arrived too late. Kaani died a hero, to those women and children, two decades ago, when I was only seven. “A hero is born in adversity. Playing small doesn’t cut it. Kika Kaani, will you be a hero or will you quit?” Father would ask. No father, I won’t quit. I’ll fight. I’ll rise up to the challenge. I’ll rather die, but I won’t, than back down. I thrive I don’t survive. I’ll be a hero, maybe not to the world, but to my family, to my friends, to all who look up to me, though it be just one fellow. “Papa, you’re my hero” Joy leapt within me when Shasha said that to me. Shasha my daughter, she’s four, has her father’s courage and her mother’s ebony beauty and love heart. There’ll be more children, but now she’s here and I do all I can to make her proud of her Papa. Become the
