Assalamualaikum w.b.t..
saya menulis cerita pendek ini untuk mengingatkan diri saya agar berpada-pada dalam melakukan sesuatu yg kita suka.. kerana tak semua yg kita suka itu baik utk diri kita..
Once upon a time, there was a boy who loved ice-cream. He takes ice-cream every morning, in the afternoon and and also in the evening. He ate it at school, at home and at the playground while he played the see-saw with his friends. He loved the sweet heavenly taste of the vanilla ice-cream, and he just can't live without it.
Eating too much ice-cream had taken a toll on him. One day, he fell sick. He caught a terrible cough and cold. His life became miserable. Yet he still eating ice-cream as before. He loved it more than he loved himself. Even though he would die of eating ice-cream, he didn't care, as for him, a life without ice-cream was not a life at all.
One day, the Shopkeeper took the ice-cream away from him. The Shopkeeper stopped selling ice-cream to him. Instead He gave him a lemon.
"If you want to see the ice-cream again, eat this. If you refuse, you will never see your favourite vanilla anymore. Ever," the Shopkeeper said.
Heartbroken, the boy went back and ate the lemon. It was very sour. He cried. He missed the royal taste of the vanilla ice-cream. The sweetness was gone. Only sour and bitter that left with him now. Sour of the lemon, bitter of his tears.
A week later, the Shopkeeper gave him honey with the lemon.
"Eat them both. It will taste better," he said.
He took them without questioning. At first, he felt funny at the tip of his tongue. Sour, but with a tinge of sweetness. A different kind of sweetness. Not like the vanilla which have artificial sweetness from the factory. A kind of authentic sweetness which his tongue never taste before. And he began to like the taste.
After a while, he felt something different with his body. He felt stronger. He felt better. His youthfulness was coming back to him. His cheeks became pink again. No more coughing, no more running nose, no more tears. The long-forgotten smile was stretching back on his cute little face.
Now he understands. And he was very thankful to the Shopkeeper. As He taught him the taste of sour and bitterness, so that he appreciates the true taste of sweetness.
"Perhaps you hate something, but it is good for you. Perhaps you like something, but it is bad for you. And Allah is All-Knowing, when you don't know." (Al-Baqarah:216)
wallahua'lam
