Promise of Miracle
Author: Behrooz Arzhangpoor
Publisher: Keykyvoos
Year of publishing: 2015
Subject: Fiction ( Novel)
Language: Persian
No. of Pages: 213
Size: 14×21
Age group: Adults
ISBN: 9786007840160
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◙ English text is available.
◙ Copyright is available in all languages.
◙ German text is available.
◙ The book was honored in Iranian literary festivals.
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About the book:
“Navid”, the main character, is a single boy who lived in a rented apartment in downtown . He is a student at Azad University and not has a good financial position to meet the rent and tuition fees, so he works on a taxi .Zohre, his fiancée, to marry with him as soon as possible. Among such throes, his intimate friend calls him and informs that his little daughter suffering from a serious illness and he needs money for her treatment. Navid wants to provide money to help her daughter to have surgery, but does not succeed. He frustrated from all of the failures and difficulty in life and decided to commit suicide.When Navid decides to throw him from the top of a tall building an unknown voice from the unseen site talk with him and tries to warn him that the creation of human existence is a miracle of creation and this has not been made easy. For someone like Navid to become existence, complex process of fighting happened. In this way the voice tries to encourage Navid to stay in fight with problems and failures.
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This book tries to tell you that people often less able to balance their individual and social behaviors in life. They usually pay more attention to the small stuff on the contrary, some critical points are forgotten. Such attitude causes serious abruption in their lives, such as Suicide. The author tries to addressing this social issue and draw the reader’s attention to a vital subject in people’s lives “miracle of life and breathe” provides a mechanism to overcome these social ills. The writer’s benefits experiences in penning valuable books in addressing social problems and behavior , including 13-volume collection of short stories “thirteen” has caused him to become success to draw the readers attentions. The audience for this book could be included all human beings through the world because it addressing all people in the world.
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Sample of Pages:
- Dawn
“Where are you going Master?”
“Hello, young healthy man!”
“Hello. What can I do for you, Master?!”
“I want to go to the 22nd street.”
“Jump inside then.”
“Master, can you pray for me now that the sun has just started to light the day?”
‘‘Son, first of all I am not a Master. I am just an ordinary clerk and need prayer more than everybody else. But I will pray for you and others provided God will hear me and will accept my prayer.”
“But you do not look like an ordinary man like me with your long beard!”
“I understand what you mean son. It is a common mistake among us to value the surface of things and not the inside. Let me say the prayer:
“Omnipotent power, incomparable in merits. In the name of the blessed Prophet. O you who are our refuge from the beginning to the end. O torchbearer who illuminate the world and show us our way. O Master of Creation, accept our prayer and forgive our sins. Help us, protect us from insolent rogues. Help us achieve salvation. Amen!”
‘‘Son, I guess this was the prayer you wanted me to say.”
“Thank you sir, it was an excellent prayer!”
“I am going to stop here young man. How much I must pay?”
“You have already paid the fare!”
“When did I pay you? I can’t remember!”
“Your prayer was priceless, wise man. I wish you a good day.”
“Goodbye son.”
*******
“Taxi, Taxi!”
“Yes sir?”
“Take me to the end of the line!”
“I cannot take you to the end of the line but I can take you to the end of this street.”
“Why can’t you take me to the end of the line?”
“Sir I would have gone to the end of the line myself and wouldn`t have been here if I knew how to get there!”
“Why not man? You are holding the steering wheel and can maneuver wherever you want?”
“You said yourself that I am holding the steering wheel. Do you want to know why ?
“Yes.”
“Then listen carefully to me. The ceaseless and monotonous turn of the earth and the dull repetition of life discourage me from advancing further. I drive from early morning until late at night. My eyes roll in this taxi but I don’t feel that my body is moving. Every morning I fix my eyes to the end of the line but I never reach there. I waste my days driving this cab but I don’t see any light ahead.”
“Maybe you are taking a wrong route!”
“I ask the people every day what route I must take, but unfortunately I am no better today than I was yesterday. I am breathing and struggling to search a route that can cheer my heart and drive towards any light which the lamp shows, but I have not seen the one I am searching and I end up with a mirage.”
The silent motion of the sun and moon beats me;
Tired and panting for driving silences me.
Let me reach my end Master, disregard my behavior;
Help poor me to find the true path if I’ve made an error.
Every moment that expires I commit an error;
Send me a signal to know which path I must take and where?
“Why don’t you drive along a straight line on the street?”
“I do my best to drive over a line I know, but I don’t know why I deviate at the end of the street and find myself in an unfamiliar path. In my confusion sometimes I decide to take a shortcut and do whatever I like. I try and try but the steering wheel doesn’t obey my command.”
“Please stop the car. I want to drop here. I guess you made me to miss my destination too. I want to follow my previous path.”
“But I have taken you to the end of the street.”
“You are right but I wanted to go to the end of the line.”
“I would have gone sooner if I had known the end of the line. Have a good time. Seek and you will find!”
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Night of the first day
Again like every other day the torch which is lighting my day is fading. But it is no problem. I will light part of my dark world with the lamp which Edison has invented. Sometimes causing the pointers in of my watch to move forward becomes difficult. You see. Living in a tiny apartment with an artificial environment is unbearable for animals even – much less to men who have apparently been born to lead a free life. The fact is that we have imprisoned whatever we have seen or not seen in this planet which has no ceiling over it.
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(Next morning)
Ding, ding (the doorbell is ringing.)Are you in Mr.Montahi?
“Ah dear me, it looks like someone has remembered that I am still breathing and wants to check and see if I am here.”
“I’m coming. Wait a moment.”
“Hello Mr. Vakili.”
“Hello Mr. Montahi.”
“I will feel more comfortable if you call me “Promise” which is my first name instead of Montahi.”
“Mr. “Promise”, pay the monthly charge for your apartment.”
‘‘Sir, can I bring it to you tomorrow?”
“No problem Mr. “Promise”. But I have good news for you. You are late. You have not paid your apartment charge for the last three months. The game is almost over. Be quick because your respite is over.”
“Ah Mr. Vakili, aside from the fact that I am three months overdue I have not been able to keep up with the movement of the calendar and do the things which I must do.”
“In that case good night because you seem either drunk or careless!”
“Good night sir.”
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I appeal to you O Provider of all the mortals! I hope I will earn better tomorrow. O God, help me! Dear me, why are you going? Wait, don’t go away. You will not live again if you extinguish! What a mess. The lamp has extinguished too. Thanks God I have an extra bulb. I wish every person had a double!”
(After a few minutes)
Well this is the switch. Thanks God I can see light again. How interesting! My barrel-shaped lamp, which has cracked a long time ago and has several holes in it, is sending a dim shaft of light to the corners of the room through the holes in the chandelier which have appeared a long time ago. It seems as if the chandelier is emitting light in order to fulfill its duty.
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“Hello master! Hello!”
“What is this rumbling sound? Who is it? I wonder.
“I’m not a stranger master. I am your servant.”
“My God, only the master/servant classification I was missing.”
“Mr. “Promise”. One must answer people’s greetings.”
‘‘Sorry buddy. Hello. But nowadays no one says hello to someone without expecting something.”
“Dear master, we have passed the lunchtime hour.”
“Yes I remember it well. What do you mean?”
“I just wanted to remind you that you treated me as a stranger at lunchtime! You did not pay the least attention to your belly. Now that it is time for supper be kind to me. Don’t “Neglect” your duty!”
“Well now I recognize this beggarly servant. So you are my belly. You can see that I have lifted my hands; I surrender and obey your orders my mate. Please help me my good refrigerator. But tell me my refrigerator: “What do you expect to find inside the refrigerator of a moneyless unmarried failure?”
Wonder and surprise. I see several eggs here. So I have found you. I will fry them in the oil to serve my dear humble belly. Dear stomach you are my real master! Let me fetch bread from the bread pan first. But ah the pan has been attacked by mildew and I did not know. It is all musty. Let me shut the pan before the smell of mildew spreads everywhere. I better forget bread. Let me send these two eggs into my belly which is empty and waiting. I mustn’t keep my belly waiting. Then I will see what else I can find to eat.
“What happened? Why are you silent? You seem to be very preoccupied.”
“Dear master, how can I be content with two small eggs looking like pigeon eggs? Why don’t you satisfy me?”
“You are right my master. Wait a minute.” (I raise my hands to the sky to pray):
Learn from your empty stomach to be content,
With one loaf of bread it takes nourishment.
Think well about tomorrow; you filled your belly with empty words;
Days are flying fast. Try a solution; at least find curds!
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- Night of second day
That night blood flew from the brain of “Promise” to his half-starved belly and he enjoyed reclining on the sofa indolently. He was not in a mood to go to bed, although his heavy eyelids were falling on each other without his wish. “Promise” was trying to escape this world of trouble for a while when suddenly he heard an irritating loud buzz.
“My God, what is wrong? Why is everything shaking? Earthquake ? What is this rumbling noise? Thanks God the sound is dying. Damn to my prying cell phone, it often disturbs me. The cell phone breaks my peace even in the washroom where we find peace and can concentrate!” Again I feel insecure because of the buzzing phone.
I have forgotten the silence I used to enjoy at home;
May I avoid my nagging conscience which is bothersome!
“Promise” cast an angry glance at his cell phone and saw the phone number of his landlord or better to say his constant tormentor. That irksome phone number had become his eternal companion.
“What else does he want?”“Promise” asked himself. “Well. Obviously, the man wants his rent and he has a right to claim his rent. I haven’t paid the poor man for the last three months. He certainly needs the rent. But do I have any other source of income except the rented taxi that I drive? Due to my ill luck in collecting enough passengers I do not make enough. After deducting 40 percent of the money I owe to the car owner I save only 40 percent of my income which belongs to my landlord. It needs genius to manage my life with my miserable income. How can a backward fool like me, who has been unlucky ever since he was born, manage his accounts?
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“Oh help me God. I’m at the end of my tether. It is the end of June and tomorrow is the first of July. In August I must start a new college term. I have spent two college vacation terms without saving any money. I had planned to settle my debts during this vacation. Not only have I failed to settle my debts but I have added to my problems. If I fail to settle my account and wait for my next term I am sure they will kick me out of college. Everything has gone wrong for me. What can I solve my problems?”
‘Promise’ didn’t answer the phone and the house remained silent for a few minutes. Instantly he shut his eyelids and tried to profit from the golden opportunity to escape from the troublesome world for a few minutes, but before he could shut his eyes the cellphone began vibrating like a bulldozer and the house was shaken by its screeching wail.
“My God who else is calling? Thanks Heaven. If I have been unlucky in other fields I am lucky to be preoccupied with the cell phone.”
“Dear me, it is the landlord’s number again. I am compelled to answer him. I have no choice but to face my doom. I don’t like to be in touch with anyone but I must respond the pressures of life by pushing the green button on the cell phone and listen!”
“Hello Mr. Maleki. Are you well”
“There is no reason for me to be well. You know that I have been trying to call you for the last few days, but you did not care to answer my calls. When you were renting the apartment you claimed you were an educated man, but now that you are expected to pay your rent you have completely changed your character and behave like a charlatan!”
I don’t know where my tongue was hidden in my mouth and I had reached the end of my tether. I was sweating from every pore from shame. I thought my lips were paralyzed and I had lost the power of articulation. The poor man had a right to claim his rent. I made an effort to gather myself and stuttered, “Mr. Maleki… you are justified …to demand the rent. I promise to pay the 3-month rent I owe you tomorrow night at the latest.”
‘‘Stop fooling me man! A thousand times you have promised to pay me immediately and haven’t paid. Tomorrow morning I will come to you with an order from the court to vacate the apartment. I don’t want the 3 months” rent. Vacate the apartment as soon as possible. It is better for me to see it empty than full. At least I will not suffer from a rogue like you.”
He added many other insults to my wounds but I responded with humiliation and repeated that I would visit him next day and settle my debt. After many threats and rants he agreed to see me the following day and the cell phone went out.
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The footprints of my thoughts which I did not know from where had begun and where was heading was more and more confused[1]. The landlord’s uproar had thorn the thread of my thoughts into pieces and everything in my brain was befuddled. I had lost the power of speculation:
Where are my footprints? My heart bleeds from care;
I have left a thousand footprints behind but don’t know where!
The cells in my brain were so disorderly and confused that I didn’t have the strength to shut my cellphone. It slipped and fell down. I looked like a man whose spinal cord had been cut. It was as if a mild coup had happened in my nervous system and my brain could not issue order to my body organs. My hands and legs had become anarchic and didn’t obey my brain and my brain was powerless to function, I could not even inhale and exhale. I thought I had indulged myself to wander between life and death!
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- Same night, second day
“Ding dang, ding, dang!” It is the car alarm of my junk car screaming with a deafening noise late at night. I am stunned. Maybe the car is screaming to attract passengers. Maybe my landlord has put on the alarm system in my car to add more insult to those he heaped on me yesterday. But I doubt if my car is going to torture me with its shrill scream. I prefer to forget about the car alarm system and let it go off automatically.
Again silence prevails in my brain. Oh what a sweet silence. Again I hear a screeching sound. I have no patience to attend to my affairs, take aside others. The troublesome cellphone has decided never to let me alone, as if it intends to destroy the peace of my apartment.
Again I am in peace. But it doesn’t take long for the magic phone to vibrate and start screaming. Again I pay no attention to it, but I haven’t seen anything so much persistent. I stretch my hand which isn’t under my control anymore to pick up the phone. My hands seem to have no energy to hold the phone, but I struggle, pick it up and look at the caller’s number. I am alarmed. What an ill luck! It is Zohreh, my fiancé. What answer I have for her and how can I explain my miseries?
I hastily pick up the cell phone and touch the green button. I had just started to tell her about my ill luck when she discovered my distress. I tried my best to alleviate her fears but she wasn’t satisfied with my dubious answers and I was compelled to explain everything.
“Listen to me “Promise”!”She grumbled, “I also don’t know how to persuade my parents to wait. Every day my dad grumbles and asks me: when are going to marry me?” I am tired of myself and the people’s questions. I wish I had rejected you at the very beginning. We were supposed to move to our own house in a few months, but two years has passed since then and nothing has happened.”
“Zohreh, darling, you are quite right, but I really I don’t know what to do! I have been unable to meet my ends. I am laboring from early morning until night but I earn nothing whatsoever. My brain has ceased to function and I am angry with my incompetence. With my meager income I cannot cover my own expenses. I don’t know why I made the mistake of asking your hand for marriage. I am in a very difficult condition darling.”
Zohreh began sobbing when he heard my discouraging confessions. I apologized again and again for my desponding harangue and assured her that I had no intention of embarrassing her. I said I wanted to begin our married life as soon as possible. Finally, after much apology and begging I calmed her and promised to put everything in order.
In this chaotic world you don’t know what must be done;
Yet before wedding you talk about separation.
It seems to me that I will end up with a deadlock if I loiter in the house longer. I feel I am under heavy pressure and decide to get out of the house and take a walk.
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Ah what a lovely and refreshing park. Here I have got rid of my cooped apartment at least.
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Suddenly I hear a man’s voice.
“Good day brother. How are you?”
“Good day, I am OK.”
“Can you give me a cigarette please? Let’s smoke together!”
“Go away man. You are mistaken. I am not an addict.”
“Why are you getting upset friend? I did not ask you to share illegal drugs. I said let’s smoke an ordinary cigarette, allowed by the government.”
“Leave me alone sir” I thought it is better for me to return to my prison-like cooped apartment. It is safer than park with its thugs and bugs!
“Where are you going brother? Give me some money at least if you don’t have cigarettes. For God’s sake give me some money. I haven’t eaten since yesterday. I will pray God to cure your legs.”
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“I don’t know why I have so must fond of Zohreh. Maybe it’s because I lost my mother when I was born.”
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About the Author:
Dr. Behrooz Arzhangpoor (1966/Iran-Naghadeh)
Dr.Behrooz Arzhangpoor is an Iranian active physician, author, poet and research in the field of literature, linguistics, poetry and social issues He penned articles and books, in fiction in particular, more than twenty years and has given lectures in prominent literary and scientific meetings and conferences in Iran and abroad. Arzhangpoor is one of the few Iranian authors has penned on syllable poetic style and known as the founder of a new poetic style of syllabic-stop-stress. His book named” syllabic-stop-stress Meter “was the first book that is written in Iran and the world. Arzhangpoor married and is the father of two children and now lives in Iran. Meanwhile, treating medically in Tehran hospitals, he writes and research constantly in Literature and Poem as well. At present, Dr. Arzhangpoor has engaged in composing a long Epopee named as title “Love- letters of Sacred Defense”. In this valuable book, the writer narrates Iranian peoples’ resistance and courageous against rapists in contemporary time .The first Volume of the series has been published recently.
Some of his published books:
1- “Syllabic-stop-stress Meter” Keykavoos Publications, Tehran, 2015.
2-” Love- letters of Sacred Defense”, Raz Institute, Tehran, 2014.
3-“Promise of Miracles”, Keykavoos Publications, Tehran, 2014.
4-“Thirteen (13-volume set)”,Raz Institute ,Tehran, 2015.
5-” Persian Break time”, Raz Institute,Tehran, 2015.
6-“White Marriage”, Keykavoos Publications,Tehran, 2014.
7- “The Legand of Mayour”, Keykavoos Publications, Tehran, 2013.
8-“Barn”, Keykavoos Publications,Tehran, 2013.
- “Children’s Village”, of Raz Institute, Tehran, 2015.
10.” Azerbaijan”, of Raz Institute,Tehran, 2015.
11.” The Culture of Driving 13-volume set”, Raz Institute, Tehran, 2016
12.”Culture of Civilizenship, Raz Institute, Tehran 2016.
[1] When you are walking at the seaside you leave the print of your footprints on the sand. Everywhere footprints show the thoughts of the man who walks over the sand. When a man dies his works become obliterated like footprints which are washed away by the ocean on the sand.