The crazy haunt public places [Archives:2003/672/Culture]

Abdulwahab Abdulqawi Al Sofi
Hodeidah
[email protected]
I asked my friends, my society and myself. Neither my society nor I could answer. It is not my case. It is not also my society's case. It is very clear to be noticed. I really have an ecstatically gush of feelings, but what I will say only a water drop of sea. While I was standing up hearing the motorcycles' din in the street, he whispered into my ear; shall I complain to you sir? Yes “I answered”. He said my companion has beaten me and taken my bed. His bed was actually a plate of cigarette cartoon. He used to sleep on it in the park. A beggar was near us. He quickly came and kissed my hands imploring to get ten rials. I moved to the park soon. I chose a vacant chair to sit down. Ten minutes later, two dirty shabby men came and sat beside me. One of them said, “Could you possibly buy me a bottle of Pepsi?” I refused as the other one waiting for his friend finishing his task to start his. I was obliged to move to another seat. Five minutes exactly passed, a woman with her child stood up in front of me and started to rave her address of prayers as usual. I interrupted her story by giving her fifty rials. He seemed to be a crazy man. He gave me a glance when I handed her the money. He directly hurried up to me and held my clothes firmly. My white costume converted into dirty as black as his body. He entreated for fifty rials.
He did not release my clothes until I gave him hundred rials, as I have no change. This crazy man went to his friends to inform them. Soon, three crazy men ran to follow me as I intended to leave the park. One of them was completely naked. Another could follow me. Unfortunately, he was smoking. I tried to escape from his hand but he wrongly burnt my new garment as he tried to catch me. Then I gestured to a taxi to go back home. Afterwards, I realized that wearing new white robe with red shawl in the street, park and seashores attracts beggars and crazy men like magnetism attracting iron. This uniform reminds those persons, guests coming from neighboring countries. A week later, I decided to go outside the home. I deliberately wore obsolete clothes to avoid mad, crazy and beggars' demands. It was on the beach, I sat on a chair looking at the splendid sunset. Sea, for me, is a source of inspiration. While I was meditating the mysterious world of the sea, an atrocious man with long curled hair wearing ragged clothes approached me. He started abusing the governor. He said that his house was plundered. He added that he was dismissed of his job. I moved to another safer seat, as I could not see any one around. Approximately, five minutes later two dirty strange men came and sat on the next seat. One of them was that mad I had seen last week in the park. He never stretched his hand this time. He did keep calm. He was only listening to register in his mind. The other was criticizing loudly using bad words about the livelihood. Then, he stood up on a rock and started to curse some of our principals. Behind me, I could hear a crazy bearded man with mustaches and long hair preaching a religious address. On the other side, I could listen to good words. A thin mad was describing his beloved as if he was addressing her with some love poems. Curses, commendation and preaching continue together everywhere. No call for astonishment, “neighbor said”. Crazy people are practicing their democracy, he added. It was time to move to another place where I saw a naked person chewing qat. He was leaning against a rock at the sand stretching to the sea. A bundle of qat was in front of him. His mouth was so full of qat that it was overflowing his mouth. He was murmuring when he saw me. Perhaps, he was abusing me. It doesn't matter; we are abused by wise men. My heart twists of pain for these sights. What's a pity that crazy persons and beggars appear increasingly in public tourist resorts and entertainment places! This phenomenon is wide- spread, so that many questions jump up to my mind. Are these people really crazy? And do those beggars deserve help? If the answer is yes, where is the ministry of social affair? This phenomenon reflects a bad reputation to visitors of our country. Can't our country gather those crazy people in psychiatric hospitals? Or, are they spread deliberately on the streets and public places for something else? I wish that our country could collect all crazy persons and beggars from streets and public places to special buildings, otherwise they will infect us with craziness!!!
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