Ali and the Gaming Lesson
Ali and the Gaming Lesson
BY:Ubaid
One day, as soon as Ali entered his room, his mother, seeing the mess scattered all around, held her head in disbelief and sighed deeply. She muttered to herself, âWhat am I going to do with this boy?â and then turned back without saying anything more. She called Ali, who was completely absorbed in a video game on his computer, the volume turned all the way up. He didnât even hear her at first.
Seeing that he wasnât responding, she walked over to him, calling his name again. Still, Ali was lost in his virtual world, unaware of anything else around him. It wasnât until he felt a light slap on his back that he realized someone was there. He turned around to see his mother standing behind him, her face showing that today was going to be a stormy lecture.
Ali nervously asked, âWhat happened, Mom?â
She said firmly, âFirst of all, I have been calling you for the past ten minutes, and you acted like you werenât even in this world! Youâve completely lost touch with reality, including your sixth sense, which shouldâve warned you to pay attention.â
Ali replied in a low voice, âSorry, Mom, I didnât realize.â
She scolded him further, âAnd tell me, what was happening in your room? Was it a storm or a hurricane?â
Ali, a little embarrassed, admitted, âIt was a storm with a hurricane and even some rain.â
âAh,â she said. âIf this storm, hurricane, and rain hadnât passed in ten minutes, your computer might have been taken over by some ghost or spirit! Donât do that again.â
Ali quickly said, âMom, Iâll go clean my room right now.â
With that, he ran to his room and started tidying everything up. His mother even helped him, and soon the room was neat and organized. Ali then asked, âMom, can I go back to my game now?â
âNo,â she said. âI need to talk to you first.â
Ali protested, âBut Mom, the game is on! I might âdieâ in the game if I leave!â
His mother was startled. âWhat did you just say?â
Ali laughed and explained, âI didnât mean myself. Iâm talking about the character in the game that Iâm controlling.â
His mother sighed, âAlright, just make sure you donât say things like that again. You may go, and weâll talk later.â
Ali, relieved, hurried back to his game.
A few days later, when Aliâs father returned from work, Ali excitedly asked, âPapa, can I have your bank account number?â
His father was shocked. âWhy, son? What do you need it for?â
Ali replied, âI bought something in the game.â
âHow much is it?â his father asked.
âJust two hundred rupees,â Ali answered quickly.
âOkay, hereâs my credit card,â his father said, agreeing.
Ali quickly added, âPlease donât tell Mom. She might get upset.â
His father, though hesitant, allowed it. Ali was overjoyed. As he was talking to his father, his mother called him. He ran to her, leaving his game.
The next morning, Ali got up early, had breakfast, and started studying. His mother had told him, âYou need to finish three hours of study before you can play games.â He studied diligently, and after completing the three hours, he felt happy and proud. He put his school bag away and turned on his computer, quickly purchasing the item he wanted in the game, feeling thrilled inside.
About half an hour later, there was a knock at the door. Ali paused his game and went to open it. To his surprise, his father was standing there. Ali was both curious and nervous because his father never came home at this time.
âWhat happened, Papa?â Ali asked.
âSon,â his father said, âCan you show me the item you bought for two hundred rupees?â
âOf course! Come inside,â Ali replied.
As Ali showed the item, his fatherâs jaw dropped. The price tag, which Ali thought was two hundred rupees, actually showed five hundred dollars! Aliâs mother had also come into the room, and seeing his fatherâs reaction, she grew worried too.
âAli, what happened?â she asked.
Aliâs father explained everything. Hearing this, Aliâs mother said firmly, âSon, if you wanted to buy something, you should have told us first!â
Ali immediately apologized and promised never to do it again. âNext time, if I want to buy anything, Iâll do it with you sitting beside me,â he said sincerely.
She added, âAlso, donât let anyone in your class make fun of you by calling you foolish. Youâve learned your lesson, and you should always tell me everything.â
From that day on, Ali changed. He started sharing all his experiences with his mother, and he never tried to hide anything from his parents again. He understood the value of honesty, responsibility, and the importance of balancing his gaming with his studies.
Ali had learned a big lesson: games can be fun, but real-life lessons and family trust are far more important.