After a month of working in the woman's shop Cassim was given the necklace. He was about halfway home with it when he heard a voice behind him.
"Stop, thief!"
Cassim turned around to see some guards running towards him! He had been tricked!
Cassim took off running. Instead of running to hide he ran to the woman's shop by another way. He burst in the door, startling the old woman.
She turned to find herself looking up at the enraged young man.
"A deal's a deal!"
The guards came in. Cassim turned to them.
"It's okay. He's right. A deal is a deal. He can keep the necklace."
Suddenly Cassim fell a sharp pain in his back. He stumbled forward. He caught his balance and looked over his shoulder.
The old woman had stabbed him in the back!
"He can keep it if he makes it home alive. He must get home without anyone's help."
The guards left. Cassim looked at the old woman, his face already starting to turn pale.
"Are you crazy?"
"If you want the necklace you better hurry. That dagger also poisoned you."
Cassim left the shop. He found that all shortcuts home were blocked! He was growing weaker by the moment!
The stubborn young man refused to give up. By the time he reached the base of the hovel he was so weak he could barely walk! Yet he still climbed to the top room.
Carina and Aladdin heard the sound of someone breathing heavily. They looked at the doorway and gasped at the sight of Cassim.
His face was very pale beneath his deeply tanned skin, blood stained the back of his shirt and his cape, his dark brown eyes were dull, and he was breathing very heavily. In his left hand was the necklace.
He took a step forward and collapsed!
"Cassim!"
"Daddy!"
They rushed to his side. Carina gently turned him over onto his back and cradled his head in her lap.
"What happened?"
Cassim shook his head slightly and held the necklace up.
"Happy birthday."
Carina set it off to the side.
"Cassim, what happened to you?"
Cassim could hardly talk now, but he managed to tell Carina and Aladdin what had happened.
They carefully got him onto his mat and set him down.
Cassim was now struggling just to breathe!
"Aladdin,... bring... Daddy,... Mommy's... new... necklace." he managed.
Aladdin did as he was told. Carina bent down closer to Cassim. He put the necklace on her and kissed her. Then he smiled at her.
"I... love... you... both... with... all... my... heart."
Cassim said nothing else because he had passed on! Carina lay her head on his chest and sobbed her heart out. Aladdin, who even at that age understood death and what it was, began to cry too.
Suddenly they both heard the sound of someone gasp like someone would if they had been underwater for a very long and nearly ran out of air.
They looked at Cassim. His eyes were open! He was alive!
Cassim sat up only to be knocked over again by his wife and son.
"I thought I had lost you."
"You won't get rid of me that easily, Carina."
She laughed. Cassim kissed her tenderly. After a moment he pulled back.
"Happy birthday, baby."
"Yeah. Happy birthday, Mommy."
The Perfect Gift by Cassimfan