THE ROAD TO BECOMING A SUPERTAR

Hamza gradually opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings—a place that appeared to be a military hospital. As he attempted to sit up, he suddenly felt an embrace enveloping him. Startled, he looked to see his sister, Zara, clinging to him. Hamza let out a relieved sigh and gazed at her, his eyes filled with concern. "How are you, Zara?" he asked, his voice tinged with worry. Zara, tears streaming down her face, looked at her brother.

Hamza, trying to lighten the mood, teased, "You don't seem too thrilled to see me, huh?" Zara responded with a playful punch, and Hamza playfully cried out in response. She then gave him a tighter hug and said, "You scared me, big brother."

Hamza's smile widened, and he assured her, "Don't worry, I won't leave you. Well, not yet, at least." He chuckled before asking, "So, how long have I been here?"

Zara, looking at her brother, replied, "Three weeks and four days." Hamza, still puzzled, questioned, "How did I end up here?" Zara proceeded to recount that after the military had rescued the hostages, Hamza had been in critical condition. Therefore, they initially took him to the nearest camp, Muna IDP camp, for medical care before transferring him here.

Confused, Hamza asked, "Why did they bring me here? Don't all refugees end up in camps? What makes this place different?" Before Zara could respond, a familiar face approached.

"Don't worry, you're not in trouble, hahaha," Nurudeen said, looking at Hamza with a grin. Hamza noticed signs of injuries on Nurudeen's face and asked, "So, why was I brought here?" Nurudeen replied, "The military appreciates what you did and decided to treat you specially." Hamza raised an eyebrow and inquired, "Special? How?"

Nurudeen explained, "They want to give you an award, and the major wants to speak with you, so..."

Before Hamza could ask more questions, another soldier entered the room. Nurudeen stood at attention and saluted, saying, "Sir!" The man ordered him to relax and approached Hamza. He asked, "How are you feeling now?" Hamza, still a bit perplexed, responded, "I feel alive, sir."

The man chuckled and said, "Good to hear. Get well soon, okay?" Hamza, eager to know when he could leave, asked, "When can I be discharged?" The man assured him, "I'll speak to the doctor about checking you. Just rest and recover." Before leaving, he nodded at Zara.

Confused, Hamza turned to Nurudeen, questioning, "Who was that?" Nurudeen explained, "That was Major Abdullahi, our chief in this base. He was here because of the hostage rescue. It seems that with the upcoming elections, those in power are searching for ways to secure their seats, and this rescue provided a perfect opportunity for them."

Hamza sighed, processing the information. "So, politicians just see us as opportunities, right?" he mused, looking at Nurudeen.

Nurudeen raised his hands in a helpless gesture. "Don't ask me, man. I'm a soldier. I follow orders, and I don't have a say in politics."

Hamza nodded, understanding Nurudeen's position. He then turned to his sister and inquired, "What about Shamshudeen? Did you see him?" Zara confirmed, "Yes, he's here with us in the base." Relief washed over Hamza, grateful that his entire family had made it out alive.