The Test(21)

I wanted to leave—not the room, or the house, or the town. I thought the pills were the only thing keeping me here, so I stopped taking them for a week. I’m still here. I think about leaving from time to time. I wonder if anyone would miss me. I think about leaving, but I don’t. I’m still here. I choose to stay. I stay because I’m a father. I will always love my children, and I will be there for them, to cherish them and protect them, even from me. I stay because I am a husband. Even in the darkness I carry, my wife still shines bright. She is the beacon I follow whenever I have doubts. I owe Tidir a life. It’s a debt I can never repay, but the least I can do is try. I stay because I am a doctor, a neighbour, a friend. I stay because I have a responsibility to the people around me.

My name is Idir Jalil, and I’m a citizen.