When Ahmed turned fifteen, he seemed to have surpassed his true age. In just four years, he was able to master three languages: Arabic, the language of his heart and mother; English, the language of science; and Japanese, the language of his dreams. He was quick to understand and excelled in most of his school subjects, but mathematics was a small obstacle in his path. However, he did not accept that it would remain so; he sat for a full month, studying it with persistence until he broke the barrier of his weakness and emerged victorious.
But deep inside, he was hiding a bigger decision than just a school subject. He carried a secret that no one knew: he had accumulated a huge sum from his work with his father in plumbing and electricity, and from his diligence in small projects here and there, reaching three hundred thousand dollars. He did not tell his mother or his father about it, as if it were a personal treasure guarding his big dream.
One night, he told his family in a firm voice:
"I will leave at one in the morning... Don't let anyone know. Tell my grandfather and uncles that I died if they ask about me."
The matter was not just an escape, but a protection for his family from the evils of envy.
Thus, he carried his bag and left, leaving behind his mother's tears and his father's sorrow. His first destination was not Japan as everyone thought, but America. There, he spent six full months studying mathematics diligently until he became one of the brightest students in his class. His professors loved him, were amazed by his quick comprehension, and saw in him an exceptional young man who did not stop at limits.
Between his studies and his part-time work there, his financial balance rose to three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. He was generous despite his displacement; he sent twenty thousand dollars to his parents with a letter full of longing, in which he told them what he had done in America, and that he had decided to continue his journey in Japan, where he would take a rest before the actual phase of his studies began.
As for his family, they lived their days between pride and sadness, secretly repeating: "Our son Ahmed became a man before his time."