They say: ‘No one can understand a mute person except their mother. It is the same with a madman–only it’s not his mother that can understand him, it’s only another madman! It’s only if you are mad yourself that you can actually understand and get along with a madman!
A couple of years ago, a madman ran away from an asylum. This asylum is where they put madmen who were uncontrollable, such as those who would scream or cut themselves or start fights and hit or even kill people. So they put these madmen in the asylum and guarded them carefully. Sometimes they would tie them up in chains and even throw them against the wall.
One day, one of them slipped past the guards, made it to the door, and then went out. Once he was free in the street, he began running. and people started to shout: “A madman has run away from the asylum!” They began running in every direction, afraid they might get hurt. He was like a lion coming out of a cage—his eyes were glowing with rage and his beard was frightful, since they never gave the inmates a shave in the asylum or looked after them in any way.
As soon as the main guard heard about it, he grabbed a chain and went to chase him. The main guard at that time, about 50 years ago, was named Berber. He was the one in charge of keeping the madmen under control in the asylum. He ran after him, but he couldn’t catch him. People were trying to avoid the madman and get away. The madman ran until he reached the ‘Kasbah’ mosque, where he found a man strolling along with his little son, buying him clothes on their way home. The boy was two or two and a half years old and still couldn’t even control his steps, which was why his father was holding his hands so he wouldn’t fall down. As the madman felt there was no way out and knew that Berber was approaching, he kidnapped the boy and went into the mosque. The minaret door was open. He entered and went upstairs.
By this time, people had begun to crowd around and Berber caught up carrying his chain. As for the father, he was deeply distraught and was a bundle of nerves. Someone tried to enter the minaret, but as the madman heard the steps, he proceeded all the way to the top floor. He looked out the window along with the boy and said:
“If anyone comes closer, I will throw this child out.”
If the boy were thrown from the minaret window, he would surely be dashed to pieces. Everyone was in shock and wondered what they could do. Someone suggested bringing a ladder, but others said: “Once you set the ladder up against the minaret he will throw down the boy.” Another suggested setting up a safety net, but they said: “If you set it up on this side, he will throw him out on the other.” Each thought that they came up with was shot down, until they finally gave up. As for the boy’s mother, the bad news had reached her and she was now caught up in the panic.
Meanwhile, Berber had arrived. Since he spent all day everyday around madmen and knew how they think, he said: “Hold on, everyone stay put and keep calm. Let me deal with this.” Then he returned back to the asylum.
He came to one of the madmen, untied him and took him out of the asylum.
“Listen,” said Berber, “I know that you’re sane. I’m sure of it.”
“Yes, uncle Berber.”
“Mm-hmm, you’re just misunderstood. But, what can we do, son? Here I want to make your life better, I will see how I might get you out of here. But, did you see that man? He caused so many problems today. He ran away and took a little boy up to the top of the minaret and is threatening to throw him down. A little boy who had done nothing wrong and has yet to see any of this world, an angel. Listen, man, I know you’re the right one to handle this. Deal with this, bring him back to his senses, and save this boy from death.”
“Don’t worry, you know I can handle this.”
When they arrived at the Mosque and reached the minaret, he looked up and saw his friend.
“How ungrateful can you be?,” he said. “How could you leave all of us? That one guy you like, the other one that you play checkers with, and the other one too… How could you not care for any of us and just leave us? Our gang will be missing one, how will we spend the evening without you? And what will our evenings be like and the morning chats that we’re used to? How will we spend them without you? … Come on, stop being foolish and let’s go back.”
“You stay away, or else I’ll throw this child down to the ground.”
He didn’t care about anything, he wouldn’t even listen to his friend.
“Leave him as he is,” said the friend to Berber. “Everyone stay quiet and don’t bother him or say anything to him. Come along, uncle Berber.”
Then they went out of the mosque. He was going into each store, the tanner, the grocer, the hairdresser… They went down ‘Marr’ street until they reached Sherif Zribi’s store, where you find photographs, sieves, saws and whatnot.
“Hey there!”
“Hello!”
“Will you do me a favor and let us borrow that saw for just one minute?”
“Sorry? That the tool that I work with. It doesn’t make sense to give you this tool, my son!”
“Just do me a favor, give it to me for just one minute.”
“I will guarantee it,” said Berber. “Don’t worry, I’ll bring it back to you myself.”
The madman’s friend then took the saw and went to the mosque followed by Berber. He headed straight to the minaret where he set the saw against its wall.
The other madman was looking down through the window and saw his friend approaching the minaret, setting up the saw, and starting to cut.
“Woah! Wait? What are you doing?”
“I’m going to cut this whole thing down from the root.”
“Just like that? Would you let your brother die?”
“You come down and return the boy back to his parents or else I’ll bring this whole minaret down.”
“Fine, don’t do anything. I’m coming down.”
Then, the madman came down, step by step, and gave the boy back to his mother and father. He returned to the asylum, hand in hand with his friend, while Berber was behind, striking the chain on the ground.
