“People who judge me because I spend so much money on my pigeons even though I don’t earn much,know nothing about what is having a hobby means.
I am a rickshaw mechanic from the beginning,you see I don’t earn much. But 15 years ago I first bought 24 pigeons,with the whole money of my income. 24 of them died. I bought another 20 next month with my next month income. 20 of them died again. I didn’t know why. I was devastated. It broke me. But I wanted to see where it ends. I went to place to place, people to people, who knew about pigeons, talked to them, found out what was the problem. And month later I bought 30 pigeons again. By the grace of God, it’s been 15 years since then,none of my pigeons ever died because of my lackings in taking care of them, rest is up to Almighty Allah.
My surrounding people mock me,call me foolish. Make fun of me when they see I don’t join with them at tea stalls, lazily smoking all day, rather I am always busy taking care of my pigeons besides my work. Everyone can’t understand my foolishness. You tell me brother, people who aren’t a little bit foolish in this world, can they really find their joy? I am a person of hobby. My hobby is my identity. Even though my pigeons can’t reduce any of my pains,don’t understand how hard my life is,but they have something in them which gives me my joy. That’s what having a hobby means, it gives you your joy.”
Mohammad Moktar Hossain.
Rickshaw Mechanic.
Photo and story by © Al Forhad
(Collected from Al Forhad’s Facebook page)