Observation and story

“Congratulations, Hamna! Your story has been published again this month.” As soon as Hamna entered the house, her grandmother congratulated her warmly. Hamna was a ninth-grade student.

“Really! Again this month? That means my sixteenth piece has been published. I can’t believe it, Grandma! Very soon I’ll become a writer just like you.” Hamna put her schoolbag aside and hugged her grandmother.

“Our Hamna has already become a wonderful writer,” Grandma praised her proudly.

“But Mother,” Hamna’s mother objected strongly, “there’s a big difference between your time and today. You wrote many books and won awards, yet your other responsibilities were never affected. Children today focus on one thing and neglect everything else. Just look at Hamna—after schoolwork, she is only busy with magazine stories and writing. She has no interest in anything else.”

“Well,” Grandma replied calmly, “you must accept that not everyone can do everything. God has created different people for different fields. It is difficult for a businessman to do a job, and difficult for a sportsperson to become a writer.” Once again, Grandma’s support saved Hamna. Before her mother could say anything more, Hamna picked up her bag and quickly left.

“Hamna, Ayesha! Come on, it’s time to eat,” their mother called. Hamna came to the dining table immediately.

Grandma asked, “Where is Ayesha, dear?”

“I don’t know, Grandma. She’s not even in her room,” Hamna said, picking up a glass of water.

“I’ll go check,” their mother said while placing a dish on the table.

“No, daughter-in-law, you stay. I’ll go,” Grandma said, getting up. “I know where she is and why she hasn’t come to eat.”

Grandma walked toward the lawn and spoke gently, “Ayesha dear, you’re sitting here. Look, your mother has cooked your favorite food.”

“Grandma,” Ayesha said sadly as Grandma sat beside her on the garden bench, “did you see? Hamna Apa’s story has been published again this month. My story was rejected with a ‘try again’ reply. Why does this always happen to me? Whenever Hamna Apa writes a story, it gets published, and mine gets rejected.”

“Tell me one thing,” Grandma asked softly. “Do you regularly read the magazines that come to our house every month?” At this question, Ayesha fell silent.

“My dear Ayesha,” Grandma explained, “when the journey of writing begins slowly, the flight lasts longer.” She continued, “And until you read yourself, how will you write a good story? Also remember, you are still in sixth grade, while Hamna Apa is in ninth.”

Seeing Ayesha listening carefully, Grandma added, “Child, the stronger your observation skills are, the better, fresher, and more lively your ideas will be—and that will make your writing lively too.”

Then Grandma recalled something. “Do you remember when we went to the beach last time? A kite was circling over the sea.”

“Yes, Grandma,” Ayesha replied eagerly. “And when it picked up a big fish from the sea, but after flying a little higher, the fish slipped from its beak and fell back into the water.”

“At that moment,” Grandma said, “we all saw the scene, but Hamna immediately made an observation and noted it in her diary. Later, she wrote a story based on that idea. The theme was ‘Hard work and dedication must be according to one’s strength to achieve success.’ Just like the kite worked hard, but the effort was not according to the fish’s weight, so it lost it. That story was published as a cover story in a magazine.”

After hearing this, Ayesha said thoughtfully, “Grandma, I never thought about it that way. I just picked up the pen and started writing. Maybe that’s why my writing isn’t fit for publication.”

“Exactly,” Grandma said. “From now on, keep a diary with you. Whenever you see an idea, an incident, a scene, or whenever a thought comes to your mind or a beautiful sight touches your heart, write it down immediately. This will improve the structure of your stories, and perhaps very soon, you will also find a place in a magazine.”

From behind, Hamna Apa spoke up—she had just come to call Ayesha at their mother’s request. “Well said, Ayesha. You understood everything quickly.”

“Well done, Ayesha,” Grandma said with a smile, holding both Hamna’s and Ayesha’s hands. “You are very sensible. I hope you will soon become a good writer.” Then the three of them walked toward the dining table, where their mother was waiting for them.