Empath : Curse or blessing? I don't Know ( Part two is next to this post)

I don't know if being an empath is a curse or a blessing, but I suffered these 4 days when I accidentally met an #Afghani patient in Hayatabad Medical Complex on a short visit to a relative admitted in the Cardiac ward. There is this hidden connection with Perian speakers, a soft corner like a lost, but not forgotten home that took me to this patient name Zahira from #Bamiyan, #Afghanistan.

As I silently uttered\" چطور هستید\" not knowing if I am making any sense, she smiled back at me with sparkly eyes and a lump in her throat. I could see a dreadful fear, disappointment, the dark shadow of helplessness in her eyes, total hopeless despair. That was enough to shake my backbone, so without saying much I left in utter pain. That night, I was tired so I slept.

In the morning, I had no work, it was the weekend, all the day Zahira's face haunted me as if trying to tell me something I am unable to comprehend. What was that? Was it poverty snatching youth away and prison caging them to tolerance and choicelessly making them be patient? Was it the truth of knowing one's own deteriorating health not going to fix, but an unbearable pain, or was it not finding anyone to talk to in a strange country or not finding anyone speaking her language for almost 3 weeks except for her uncle to share her sorrow. Or it could be all the endless unknown possibilities. I don't know.

All-day long, Zahira was on my head. I did not notice and realize time and hence, many missed calls from my parents, siblings, friends but it was as if I was out of the space and time with an unknown heart patient that I met for some time in HMC. My day went all in a panic and trying to keep myself away from the matter, but vain attempts. That night after a small nap, I woke up with Zahira's thoughts again, and I committed that the first thing I would do after school tomorrow is \" meet Zahira\". The other thing I thought to do was \" fundraise for her and take her to Shifa hospital for better treatment with their permission \".

I was dreaming big on what basis? A financially middle-class financially struggling person thinking so high on what grounds. I don't know. I could only afford to visit her, maybe buy some food and fruits for her. That is all, but  I wanted her to be healthy again, feel her youth, go home with hope, a better and a quick treatment, that required a lot of money that I didn't have. :(

That day, after school, I came home and along with my sister, set on a journey to see her. We bought her some fruits and went to the hospital with the hope that we will find her. Luckily, she was there. Seeing her made me so happy and accomplished. 

I went to her and said \" did you miss me \", I really did that's why I came to meet you. She said, I don't know and smiled, but was so happy to see us visit her. She definitely recognized us, but she never thought we would visit her and our company surprised her to a shocking extent in fact. Is this real? Did it really happen? Her eyes were speaking to me. The other night I was thinking of the communication barrier, and found an alternative; google translator. Luckily, I can read Farsi. 

They don't speak another language except for Farsi and her uncle's a little broken Pashto, we didn't know Pashto nor Farsi. This was one a hell of a problem, but the thing is we don't speak a language, we feel it. I was all ready with a data connection and google page open of translation from English to Persian to keep the conversation going on. The less we communicated, the more we felt each other.

While we were trying to verbally communicate, the doctor came and asked \" who are we to her\" we said, some strangers who accidentally met her and came to see today \". This day, Zahira was feeling a lot better. Her face was no paler, her eyes had hoped too. The doctor explained to me her health complications from heart wall issues to anemia to blood loss through urine, kidney issues to many more, but we have found her case and the treatment is on the track.

The doctor and I had a long chat, and I was happy to hear her health condition improving. Any blood transfusion needed, we asked \" o positive is her group and yes it is needed for every day \". My sister had this blood group, she went to the blood bank straight away.

The next day, we went to meet her again, this time I asked Zahira, did you miss me, she nodded her head and whispered, \" yes\" . There was light in her eyes. We hugged and I talked to her with my google translation.