Rashidun
Chapter 5
[April 2, 661]
(Basrah, Rashidun)
The sound of the door opening woke Ibnd up. He opened his eyes slowly and looked at the entrance. Naaji looked at his friend with worry on his face.
Ibnd smiled slightly before he said, "My friend, you might have been right. I may just need a physician after all. My back pain isn't getting any better from a night of sleep."
"I was worried you might stay stubborn," responded Naaji.
"Yes, I admit I have been stubborn in the past. It does appear that old age has softened me up a bit."
"Should I go now?
"Please do. I want to get back onto the streets. I miss my work dearly."
"Do not worry, my friend. The people won't miss you if you were gone a few days."
"When you reach my age, you would learn that it's loneliness that makes you want to meet people. Please go now."
"Alright!" said Naaji and he walked out the doorway onto the street.
Ibnd waited on his bed and hate feeling so weak. He tried to sit up from his bed but the back pain was too much for him. A few tries later, Ibnd, with sweat soaking his shirt, decided that he was better off laying on his back. Shortly after, Naaji arrived with the physician. The physician got down before Ibnd and shook his head.
"Were you trying to move?" asked the physician.
"No, I would never do that," answered Ibnd.
"Tell me the truth."
"Alright, I may have tried to move around a little bit. My back was giving me plenty of problems."
"I thought so," said the physician who then called Naaji over to help him turn Ibnd over while limiting the pain he suffers.
Naaji and the physician tried their best turning Ibnd over but the old man still screamed a few times. By the time they got him on his stomach, he was swearing out loud.
"Are you two ... trying to ... kill me?" barked Ibnd.
"I know that was painful but it was necessary. You need some massage to lessen the worse of the pain," responded the physician patiently.
"I apologize. The pain was worse than anything I have experienced. Oh yes, Naaji. You should head to work now. You still have a family to feed. The physician is here so you don't need to worry about me."
Naaji looked at his friend and nodded. He headed out the door with a promise to check up on Ibnd when he could.
"How does it look, physician?" asked Ibnd.
"I would say you have injured yourself badly. Of course, it is partly due to your age. I wouldn't advise you falling off the roof next time. You were fortunate to not break anything from your fall."
"At least what breaks can heal eventually."
"At your age, it's very unlikely. Let's deal with your back now."
The physician positioned himself on top of Ibnd and began a few light pokes into Ibnd. Ibnd responded to each pokes with a scream or a swear word. The physicians used the reaction of Ibnd to determine the worst locations of his injuries. He then massaged lightly that still brought pain to Ibnd. Few minutes later, he applied more pressure and Ibnd, while being able to withstand the pain, had sweat dripping down his face. The massage took a while longer before the physician stood up.
"Try getting up slowly now. Don't use too much force," ordered the physician.
Ibnd slowly shifted his weight and, to his surprise, didn't feel the pain he felt earlier. He obeyed the physician and took his time sitting up.
"I don't know how to thank you, physician," said Ibnd.
"Well, there is a way you can help me. My wife loved the spices you sold her last time. If you can get some, I would be grateful."
"That's a deal."
"Here's a warning. You have gotten better but rest is still the best way to recovery. If I were you, I would rest up for this week."
"Maybe a shorter rest would suffice?"
"No, get too worked up and you may never recover. Imagine having that back pain for the rest of your life."
"Alright, I get the point. I will be careful."
"Good, I will leave now. Ask Naaji to call me in a few days if you aren't getting any better. Back pain for old people usually recover very slowly."
"I understand."
The physician said his goodbye and walked out the doorway before closing the door behind him. Ibnd, unwilling to risk further injury, decided to listen to the physician's warning and got back to a lying position where he felt the most comfortable. With the back pain no longer bothering him as much, Ibnd closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep. A few hours passed and, if it weren't for his growling stomach, Ibnd would have continued sleeping. Knowing that he could no longer sleep, Ibnd decided to get up and eat something. When he managed to sit up, he saw the door open and Naaji enter his home.
"I'm assuming you are hungry by now?" teased Naaji.
"How did you know? Just pass me the food. I'm starving, damn it," responded Ibnd.
"I knew you would feel that way. It's lunch time and I doubt you even ate breakfast."
"I didn't."
Naaji passed the food to Ibnd and the two men ate quietly. Ibnd finished first and looked around at his home.
"I really should clean up my home," said Ibnd.
"Let's save it for another day. You aren't in a position to clean anything," answered Ibnd who just finished his meal as well.
"Help me get up, friend."
"The physician said you needed rest."
"Yes, I will be careful. Just take me outside where I can get some sun as well. Being cooped up in here isn't fun."
"Alright, you better behave yourself though."
"I will. Don't worry so much!"
Naaji helped Ibnd get up slowly off the bed and led him across the room until they stepped out the doorway. The sun was shining brightly and the sunlight improved Ibnd's cranky mood slightly.
"Help me get to that rock there. I will sit on it and rest there. The sun will do me good," said Ibnd.
"If you say so."
Naaji helped Ibnd to the rock and the old man managed to sit on the rock experienced only a little pain.
"I'm fine now, my friend. You should get back to work. Your lunch break is probably over soon."
"Yes, but ..."
"No buts, my friend. Your family comes first. Don't waste time with an old man like me."
"You're not that old."
Naaji smiled a little and said goodbye to his friend. Ibnd watched Naaji walked away when a song being sung by a group of children caught his attention.
Come on ladies, Come on ladies
Come on ladies, Come on ladies
Have a, have a look, One Ducat Fish
Have a, have a look, One Ducat Fish
Very Very Good, One Ducat Fish
Very Very Cheap, One Ducat Fish
Ibnd couldn't help smiling from hearing the children singing the song. Ibnd used to sell fish at the harbor and he used the song, called "One Ducat Fish," to attract customers. Instead of selling more fish, Ibnd found his song becoming popular in the city. Even though he eventually quit selling fish due to poor business, Ibnd always felt proud that everyone in the city, including the children, knew the lyrics to the song he composed. He felt the song was one of his few accomplishments in life. Feeling his mood lighten up, Ibnd got up slowly and made his way back to his home. He hoped to recover quickly and return to his job soon.