girl, with no future.”
Altan’s mind lingered on his father’s simple code. If something would not provide benefit for
him it meant nothing to him. The shouting of the children interrupted his thoughts.
As he arrived at the small village, the children crowded at his knees. He grinned and patted
their heads in genuine affection. Shuffling back to his donkey, he produced a weight with 4
feathers. Waving it around at the children, he savored their curious faces. Dropping it on the
side of his ankle, he started kicking it in the air. However he started to lose his balance and,
arms flailing, he flopped on the ground, dust rising. The children giggled as he smiled crookedly.
Dusting himself off, he rose once more, while handing the newfound toy to the children. He
looked at them with a sense of illumination in his heart. Their innocence, their laughter, their
trust, their ability to be optimistic at the darkest times captivated him. The cost of the shuttlecock
didn’t matter. The children were happy and that was what mattered.
As the children immersed themselves with the toy, Altan decided it would be proper to pay his
respects to the chieftain of the clan. As he lifted the flap of the ger, the men immediately rose to
greet him. He pressed his lips together, greeting them with his fierce smile. Men were bonded by
their strength and determination to serve their chief and their family. Taking his accessories off,
he knelt on the soft mattress and pressed his head to it.
“Rise! We welcome your return, brother. It is nice to see you.” The Chieftain’s voice was strong
and firm.
Altan lifted his head along with his eyes. “Please accept my most sincere thanks for your
generosity and hospitality, how may I service you at such time?”
The Chieftain waved his hand dismissively. “You are a guest here. Eat, drink at our expense,
your mere company is a joy to our clan. Do not offer me any gifts. I mean my words when I say so.”
Altan looked the Chieftain in the eye. Seeing the honesty, he pressed his head down to the
mattress once more, before the food and drink started to arrive.
Sirens rang in Altan’s head. His father always told him, there is always a motive that drives
someone’s actions. Altan believed so too, though his father always believed motives would only
be for one’s advantage. His father never allowed free gifts given to him, he never allowed the
boys to take his camel. There was one time, Altan remembered, that his father’s camel had a
spike in its hoof. His father could not return home in time. The night was dark and the road was
empty. He abandoned his camel, carrying as much goods as possible and went to the nearest ger.
Arriving there, the family had welcomed him, gave him food and drink, allowed him to sleep.
He was exhausted and he went to sleep, knowing that he might find himself striped away from
all his possessions. But he awoke with his things all in place. As he left, he offered the family his
jewelry, but they didn’t accept. For many months, Altan’s father was haunted by the fact that the
family did not contact him to ask for the return of the favour. It disturbed him. Bothered him.
Challenged his set of beliefs. So Altan trusted the Chieftain, something that his father never did.
Altan walked out after the meal, allowing the chilly winds of dawn welcome him. Choosing
a spot away from the bustle of people, he sat down, facing the burnt orange sun. He looked down,
gently scooping the rough sand of the Gobi desert. Rubble of all sorts was mixed in with the small
particles. True, the sand was not the fertile land that can grow crops. But it had something more.
More. His father never saw the possibility. He saw the riches, and the powers. But he never
thought of the chances. The many enrichments of life. The enrichments that made life worth living.
More. True, life was yours to spend. But Altan could not sympathise his father. His father
