The treatment is too costly and unaffordable to this humble family, but surrender is not an option. Fadi will knock on doors to secure the necessary money. He took a day off work to make a round of governmental institutions since the early hours of the morning.
He got out of bed, carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. He put on the clothes he first saw in his closet, looked at Afif with eyes full of hope and compassion and went away.
At seven, he stood on the side of the road, waiting for a van to drive him to the desired ministry. An old one with black exhaust smoke arrived at great speed. He got in alongside many workers and poor people riding it. A few moments later, the van entered a fierce competition with another one to take on more passengers. The latter are dehumanized by these two drivers and become a mere vibrant and moving twenty thousand pounds.
“It seems we need a mass transport plan that works on organizing the work of these vehicles, the reduction of their emissions, and the assessment of the needs of society, taking into consideration the economic cost and commuting time.”
While the loud music of the driver’s tape recorder was played, Fadi’s only outlet was to look out of the window and reflect.
He stared at the horizon.
The seagulls and the ships in the sea were close to each other. But where is the beach and the sand?
Heaps of garbage covered everything and formed mighty mountains that became part of the terrain of the region and its landscape. The rest of the beach was confiscated by businessmen who built resorts and swimming pools unaffordable to the poor.
“The government should develop successive plans for waste sorting and recycling, in addition to cleaning the beach and regulating public property.”
While he was deep in thought, his head hit the ceiling of the van.
“It seems that this pothole is new, because I am familiar with the 14 potholes of the road, whose number is equal to the seats of this vehicle,” said the van owner.
The roads are also a problem that needs to be addressed.
He looked at his watch and noticed that it was eight o’clock. Could it be that a short distance takes such a huge amount of time? It is heavy congestion and a surplus of cars: in each car, one person enjoys prestige.
“If all four neighbors used one car, wouldn’t this save time, money and pollution?”
The van stopped and Fadi got off in front of a dilapidated building - an indicator of governmental institutions. He looked up and down counting the floors, “one, two,...eight, nine, no, eight...one, two, three,...eight.” Yes, his eyes did not betray him; it is eight floors.
He walked in carrying a thick file full of papers under his arm and searched through people’s faces, hoping to find Mrs. Samira who has the final say in the building. Some of those present told him that her office was on the fifth floor. He felt optimistic when he saw the elevator door and entered it eagerly. As soon as he touched the door handle, an old man waggling between crutches said immediately with a sarcastic laugh, “Electricity in Lebanon? You seem to be sleepy my son! You’re still young. Climbing the stairs is an exercise.” He gave the old man a faint smile and climbed the stairs of the building with disappointment.
Once he arrived at his destination, breathless and exhausted, he saw four women laughing and chatting while they were spreading delicious food in front of the computers and next to people’s transaction papers.
Fadi’s question “Mrs. Samira is there?” interrupted the laughter and food grinding.
They looked at him, but one of them answered saying, “She won’t arrive before nine, so wait for her outside.”
The miserable man had no choice but to wait. He put his file on the stairs, heaved a sigh, and sat down. He used the idle time to think about the flaws in this ministry regarding power cuts, lack of commitment by the employees to official working hours and observance of regulations and ethics. “The solution is to restructure the public sector and activate oversight and inspection.”
While he was thinking of reform plans, the desired employee showed up and gave him hope.
She examined the file and turned it left and right.
“You have all the papers but you need a number of stamps. Pass by the third floor for the controller’s signature, and then pass by the fifth floor for the administrative seal.”
Fadi received instructions on the administrative formalities, but his mind was set on the stamps.
“Where can I find these stamps?”
This female employee replied indifferently, “I don’t know. It is none of my business.”
He left seething with anger and wandered looking for someone to help him. When he failed and sat on the edge of a seat looking very miserable, a man who seemed familiar with trade came to him and inquired about his situation. He said to him, “No problem. I can offer you the solution.” He took stamps of all colors and types out of his pocket. Fadi felt optimistic and took out money to pay for them.
It turned out that the man was taking advantage of people’s need for stamps, which were unavailable, to sell them at exorbitant prices. It is a prominent example of monopoly and humiliation of people.
After strenuous efforts, he fulfilled most of the tasks. When he inquired about the time needed to carry out the transaction, he was told him that it needed a couple of weeks.
“A couple of weeks!! My brother is ill and cannot wait.”
“You can reduce the time if you want.”
Governmental employees want to take bribes, but ironically reject the term bribery and consider it a gift made to the young employees who will make an effort to carry out the transactions.
This is a small sample of a miserable man’s diary in our country.
Fadi dreams of a just and competent state where he does not see the manifestations of corruption and backwardness, and where the rule of law and equality prevail. It is a state that offers treatment to cancer patients for free, and provides mass transportation on a sound network of roads. It is a state where environment preservation is a priority, not a luxury, a state with absolute integrity and transparency.