Fear

It was a raw winter morning. People had gathered around the warm fire and some youths were exercising on the ground. The old men talked about their younger days.
"Those good old days, we had nothing to fear!" said an old man. "But age brings experience and fear in the minds."
"Well, we do fear ghosts, and the unseen. It's creepy to go alone at night, especially in a graveyard," a young lad next to him said. "But now as old men, you have nothing to fear but death!"
"Time will teach you that there are somethings which people fear more than ghosts and death. And those things are what would seem seem strange to a young lad. Let me tell you the story about my brother, Mansoor."
Mansoor wanted to be bus driver. People would admire his driving skills. He would run his bus, as he pleased. Man, he would risk getting anywhere. That was the spirit in him.
Where no one dared to go, Mansoor would go.
"You gotta out of my way, old man". Mansoor would hound people who were feeble and unable to walk quickly out of the way.
"That man is gonna kill himself someday and take many with him," someone would say, seeing Mansoor driving crazily. Mansoor didn't care.
It was just a miracle that Mansoor drove the bus all his life without any accidents. No, he was just very lucky!
He didn't care what other fellas said. It was his will to drive, and he drove effortlessly. And he had a deeep trust in himself, for he knew, he wouldn't make a mistake. So, Mansoor drove the bus, nearly all his life. During his later years he matured as a man, in his thoughts, action and experience.
"They say, a cat has nine lives while a driver has only one life!"
Mansoor had driven the bus for twenty eight years, and it was boasted he could drive down the town blindfolded. While once driving the bus on his way to school, the bus jolted on some pit and a car narrowly missed striking his bus, as Mansoor steered the bus carefully to a side and halted it.
A thought struck him all of a sudden. "What if, I met with an accident?"
All his life, he had never feared of accidents. But the thought, that one month was left for his retirement, and if anything happened at the end of his glorious career, his service record would get stained. The thought made Mansoor all the more nervous. He tried not thinking about it, but his mind was hit all the more with random thoughts.
His hand shook as he held the steering wheel of the bus. No matter what, he couldn't drive now. He stayed sitting on the driver's seat for a while, and seeing that the bus would be late, he decided to call the school staff and send someone to drive the bus to school.
It was not that Mansoor couldn't drive. But it was the fear, that held him.
He somehow managed the last month of his career by applying for leave as much as he could.
"There you see sonny," said the old man. "A man is not defeated by others, but by his own fears. At least, that's what I learnt from him."
"Ha. That's indeed fear for him. But what is your fear, old man?" asked the lad.
The old man smiled but his eyes reflected the sadness of bereavement. "She is dead!"