A Handful of Dates is a short story about a young boy in Sudan typically being raised by his grandfather who was also his best friend and hero. He spends more time with his granddad than he does with his father. He is very religious which was shocking to most to see such a young boy take that much interest in the Koran. He regularly learns the Koran at the Mosque whereas other children his age despised it. He was a quick learner and the Sheikh usually called upon him to recite the Merciful whenever there were visitors. After his readings at the Mosque, he hurries home and takes a plunge in the river, he often compared the river to his grandfather.
His grandfather was many more things to him than just a grandfather, he was his life teacher and his role model. He believed that he was his grandfathers favorite grandchild because he was an intelligent young boy and his cousins didn't care too much of learning the Koran or spending time with their grandfather. We learn in the story that the boy's grandfather does not like their neighbor, Masood, because he was an "indolent" man. All of the land in Sudan was originally owned by him forty years ago but 2/3s of it is now his grandfathers. Masood sold some of his land during each of him some ninety weddings to pay for things and his grandfather took advantage and bought the land.
During the time of the harvesting of the dates, the boy quickly learns that Masood was the opposite of what his grandfather had described him as. Masood was the only man that did not receive any dates and the boy's grandfather told Masood that he was in debt to him. He felt sympathy for Masood who he compared to as a lamb being slaughtered and ran off to the river which he swims in daily. He felt hatred for his grandfather at this time. When he reached the river, he stuck his finger down his throat and puked up all of the dates he had eaten.
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