The Story of the Woman Who Kicked Out Her Husband, So He Lived with a Dog and Became the Richest Man in the Village
In the heart of the vast desert, the village of Al-Wadiyan lay nestled among high sand dunes, surrounded by a few oases and an ancient well that quenched the thirst of its people. The houses were built of mud, the alleys were narrow, and the people had known each other for generations. The sun here was as sharp as a knife, and the night was as cold as if it had come from distant mountains. On the southern edge of the village, “Karim” lived in a small house with crumbling walls, which he had inherited from his father who died young. Karim was a slender man whose dark skin bore witness to the harshness of the sun, and his eyes held the remnants of unfulfilled dreams. His wife, “Salma,” was known for her beauty but also for her sharp tongue and her extreme greed for money.
Next to them lived “Abdul Razzaq,” the village imam, a wise man whom everyone respected. In the market, “Fares” owned the largest store for dates and grains; he was a man of wealth and power, and the villagers never refused him a request.
Months ago, an illness began to creep into Karim’s body, exhausting him with a cough and leaving him weak, no longer able to work in the fields. He tried to hide his fatigue from Salma, but she saw a man’s weakness as the beginning of his family’s downfall. Salma always compared her life of poverty with Karim to the homes of the rich in the village, especially Fares’s house.
One night, Karim sat on the doorstep, watching the moon become full, while his chest tightened with pain. Salma, who was preparing dinner, lashed out at him with harsh words, accusing him of being useless and failing to provide for her. Karim tried to explain that his illness was severe and that he needed time to recover, but she showed no mercy. The argument escalated into shouts that the neighbors could hear. Umm Hassan, Salma’s neighbor, intervened to calm the situation, but Salma had already made up her mind. That night, she kicked her husband out of the house, leaving him with nothing but his old cloak and a wooden staff. Karim walked into the dark alleys of the village, not knowing where to go, with the cold biting into his bones. He stood in front of the mosque for a long time, then decided to leave the village for the desert.
Thus, Karim began his unknown journey into the sands, unaware that fate held something unimaginable for him. He walked alone among the dunes, leaving the faint village lights behind. His steps were slow, but in his heart was a silent determination to move forward. He carried nothing but his worn cloak and his staff. On the way, he sat down to rest by a dead palm tree trunk, remembering the words of Sheikh Abdul Razzaq, who had once told him: “Sometimes, Karim, we don’t know the good that God has hidden for us until after we have lost everything we thought was important”.
While contemplating the desert, he saw a skinny dog approaching from a distance, looking hungry and thirsty. Karim took a dry piece of bread from his pocket and threw it to the dog, which quickly advanced and ate it ravenously. Karim smiled faintly and felt a sense of companionship. He continued his journey, and the dog followed him with steady steps. At sunset, Karim found the shade of a large tree and sat down, and the dog came closer and lay beside him. That night, Karim dreamed he was walking with the dog on a long road that ended at a great golden gate. In the morning, he decided to look for a better place. They walked for hours until they reached a sandy depression with an old, covered well. That moment was the beginning of a strange friendship between a man and a dog in the heart of the desert.
Days passed, and Karim lived by the well, subsisting on small birds he hunted or wild plants he found, and the dog never left his side. The dog, whom Karim named “Wafy” (meaning loyal), would go out in the morning to search for food and return before sunset with his prize.
One stormy night, Karim heard distant sounds, so he got up, and the dog ran ahead of him towards the noise. They reached a high sand hill, where he saw an elderly man lying on the ground, half-buried in the sand. Karim rushed to save him, and the old man sat up, breathing with difficulty, and whispered: “Beware, my son, the desert is not what it seems. There are things buried for years, waiting for someone to reveal them”. Before Karim could ask what he meant, the old man passed away peacefully.
In the morning, Wafy began barking continuously and heading towards the eastern desert, so Karim cautiously followed him. The dog stopped at a lonely tree in the middle of the sands and began sniffing the ground insistently. Karim knelt to examine the spot and noticed that the soil was softer there. He began to dig with his staff, and with every stroke, a strange feeling of fear and curiosity ran through him. After an hour of continuous work, his hand hit something solid. It was an old wooden lid covered in dried clay. He used a thick tree trunk to pry it open, revealing an ancient box covered in strange carvings.
Karim slowly opened the box, and a strange rustling sound came from it. A golden gleam shone from inside, revealing small bags filled with ancient dinars and silver jewelry studded with gemstones. Amidst the sparkle, he noticed an old folded paper with faint words: “This money belongs to orphans, and he who takes it unjustly will never find peace”. Karim’s heart trembled, and he remembered Sheikh Abdul Razzaq’s words about the inheritance of orphans. He was torn between the temptation of wealth and the fear of punishment. He decided to close the box and rebury it for a while. That night, he had a terrifying dream of small children with tearful eyes saying, “Return our right”. He woke up panting, knowing that what had begun at that tree would not end easily.
With the sunrise, Karim decided to move away from the box’s location for a while. But before he could leave, he saw three men on camels approaching him from a distance. The men came closer, and one of them asked, “Man, have you seen a wooden box in this area?”. Karim feigned surprise and denied seeing anything. He felt a chill run through his veins when another man said, “We have lost something precious, and if we find it with someone, they will not survive”. They began to search the ground around the tree with long sticks, while Karim tried to hide his trembling hands. The dog did not move from in front of the buried box, as if it were a loyal guardian. Fortunately, the sand had covered the traces of his digging because of the night wind. After an hour, the men left grumbling, and Karim realized that this treasure was not unknown and that others were aware of it.
In the middle of the night, Karim saw a shadow moving on the dunes, followed by another and a third. He knew they were the same strangers. He quickly extinguished his fire and hid behind a sand dune. They began to dig quietly, which made his heart pound violently. The dog barked loudly and ran towards them, and one of the men tried to stab him with a knife, but the dog evaded him and attacked his leg. Karim took advantage of the chaos and lunged at them with a thick staff. He quickly grabbed the box and dragged it away from the tree. One of the men yelled, “You won’t get far, that money isn’t yours!”. Karim continued to run in the dark until he reached a sandy depression that hid him from view. He realized he was no longer just a poor man facing life, but a guardian of a heavy secret.
Karim decided to disappear from the village’s sight. He tied the heavy box to his back with a rope and chose to walk north. After hours, he reached a small oasis where a dignified old sheikh was sitting by a well. The sheikh said, “Security, my son, is not in a place, but in your heart”. He decided to stay the night in the oasis. But as darkness fell, he saw two shadows moving near the palm trees. He felt that danger had followed him there, so he left the oasis in silence. At dawn, he stood on a high hill and looked behind him where the oasis had disappeared, then ahead where the endless desert stretched out. In his eyes was the look of a man who knew that his return to his old life was no longer possible.
After two days of continuous walking, he saw a large caravan in the distance. A man named “Salem” welcomed him, a spice and silk merchant. He offered Karim to join them in exchange for helping to care for some of the camels, and Karim agreed without mentioning the box. That night, Karim noticed that “Abu Zaid,” the caravan’s guard, was looking at him from time to time. Later that night, Karim felt a movement near his belongings and saw Abu Zaid searching his bags. Karim felt that the man was suspicious of him and decided to stay vigilant throughout the journey.
One morning, a boy stumbled on Karim’s cloak, revealing a corner of the wooden box, and a flash of gold shone through. The boy’s eyes widened in surprise, and he cried out, attracting the attention of some men, including Abu Zaid. Abu Zaid approached and asked, “What are you carrying?”. Karim replied coolly that it was “old belongings inherited from my father”. Salem came and asked what was happening, and Karim tried to downplay the matter. But he felt that all eyes were on him. That night, he heard whispers among some of the caravan men.
In the middle of the night, two shadows crept between the tents. The dog felt them and barked sharply. Karim woke up, grabbed his staff, and struck one of them with a powerful blow, knocking him to the ground. The second man lunged at him with a knife, but the dog leaped at his arm. Some of the caravan men came out of their tents, including Abu Zaid. Salem ordered the two men to be driven away, but Karim noticed that Abu Zaid watched him silently. Karim realized that his presence with the caravan had become a danger to him. In the morning, he left the caravan and continued his journey north.
After several days, Karim saw the walls of a high city in the distance. He entered the large market, and the next day, he saw a face he knew. It was “Salma,” wearing a lavish dress, and behind her was “Fares”. Karim felt a bitter pang and hid from their sight. He returned to the inn, wondering how Salma had become Fares’s wife. That night, the innkeeper came to him with a warning that someone was asking about a strange man. Karim felt that the presence of Fares and Salma in the same city was no coincidence.
He decided to disguise himself as a small merchant. On the third day, he saw Fares staring at him from a distance, and he knew this was not the end. Karim moved the box from the inn to a secret cave outside the city. He began selling small pieces of gold to get capital and sought the help of Salem, whom he met by chance in the market. Salem helped him buy a small caravan. Over the months, Karim’s name became known among merchants without them knowing his past.
One night, Salem brought him news: “One of Fares’s men is watching your warehouses”. Karim realized that Fares was becoming suspicious. But instead of retreating, he decided to buy his first plot of land in his old village. When Fares found out, he was furious, but he did not know that the buyer was Karim. Salma, in turn, felt an unknown anxiety.
At that time, Karim faced a new challenge: one of his caravans was attacked, and half the goods were lost. But he doubled his commercial activity and covered his losses in just one month. The name of the mysterious merchant became the talk of the village. Fares could no longer stand the mystery and summoned his men. One of them, named “Jaber,” pretended to work with Salem to get close to Karim. One night, Jaber sneaked into the cave where Karim hid the box. But the dog sensed the strange movement and barked loudly, forcing Jaber to flee.
In the morning, Karim told Salem what had happened, but Salem’s expression was unusually tense. Karim did not know that Salem had received an offer from Fares to reveal Karim’s identity. In the market, Karim saw Fares staring at him again with suspicious eyes. Salma was pressuring Fares to find out who was competing with them.
Salem decided to sell his information to Fares and went to Fares’s council. Fares said, “Just a name, and the rest is yours”. Salem hesitated, then whispered, “He is a man from outside the village”. The next day, Salem returned to Karim as if nothing had happened. But in the market, Fares began to buy information from village boys. At an unexpected moment, a major landowner in the village died without known heirs. Karim sent his agent to buy the land immediately, but Salem leaked the news to Fares. Fares arrived, and a fierce bidding war began. Karim himself entered the council and succeeded in buying the land at double the price. He left the council knowing that someone was working against him from the inside.
Karim sat in the courtyard of his new home and decided to test Salem’s loyalty. He created a plan involving a fake plot of land for sale. The next day, Fares knew about the supposed land. Karim smiled inwardly, confirming that the betrayal came from the person closest to him.
Fares decided to plan a direct ambush. On a moonlit night, Karim left with his dog towards the cave, and Fares’s men followed him. But the dog sensed them and barked, so Karim changed his route, leaving a false trail.
In the market, a mysterious rumor spread about a large caravan arriving soon. Karim decided to use this caravan as a trap for both Fares and Salem. The caravan entered, and the villagers gathered. Fares began bidding on the best goods, but Karim suddenly joined the bidding, raising the prices. Karim won the most beautiful rare items but paid only half the price. Fares felt humiliated. When Fares tried to leave, a boy stopped him, and he found himself in an awkward position.
In the evening, Karim sat and planned a final scheme to expose Salem. He called Salem to his council and told him a great secret: “Tomorrow, I will go to the cave to get the gold, and I need you with me”. Salem’s eyes widened, as the dream he had long waited for was now within reach. Karim instructed him not to tell anyone. But secretly, Karim sent a messenger to Fares, informing him that Karim would be going alone with a huge fortune. Fares couldn’t believe his luck and prepared his men for an ambush.
At dawn, Karim and Salem walked toward a narrow valley. The dog suddenly disappeared behind a sand hill, and Karim sent Salem to look for him. As Salem walked away, Fares’s men appeared from behind the rocks, blocking the path. Salem rushed back with fear in his eyes. Karim stood firm and said calmly, “Finally, you have gathered”. Fares yelled, “Where is the gold, you deceiver?”. Karim smiled and said, “Perhaps you will know after you discover who sold you the illusion”. Fares turned to Salem with angry eyes, and a heated verbal battle began. It quickly turned into a physical fight. Salem’s voice rose in self-defense, but he was exposed when one of Fares’s men shouted, “You are the one who sent us the false messages!”. Fares realized that Salem had also been using him and ordered his men to seize him.
At that moment, the dog appeared, leading a caravan of camels loaded with rare goods that belonged to Fares. Fares’s heart sank. A villager shouted, “The properties in the market are now in Karim’s name! Even your house, Fares, is up for auction!”. Fares stepped back, his face burning with shame. Salem tried to escape, but the dog blocked his way. Karim approached Fares and said, “Wealth is like a mirage; you see it in front of you, and then it disappears, just as you have disappeared from what is right”. Fares hung his head, realizing he was nothing in the village.
Karim returned to the village, surrounded by people, while Fares disappeared into the alleys like a defeated shadow. After Fares’s downfall, Salma noticed the dark changes in her life. One evening, Fares returned tired and told her, “It’s all over, Salma. No house, no land, not even respect”. She said coldly, “I don’t want to live with a broken man”. The next day, Fares packed his things and left, leaving the door open.
Days later, Salma heard news of Karim’s expansion, and the villagers called him “the Master of the Sands”. A messenger from Karim’s palace knocked on her door with an offer of work. Salma needed money, so she accepted immediately. The next morning, she entered the palace and was amazed. But when she reached the main hall, she saw Karim sitting on a luxurious chair. He told her, “Welcome to your new place. You will work in the kitchen and clean the palace halls”. Every step she took made her feel humiliated.
Meanwhile, Salem was secretly visiting the village, trying to persuade some men to sell secrets about Karim. But Karim had eyes everywhere. One night, Karim sent his men to raid the place where Salem was meeting the strangers. They caught him negotiating to sell maps of Karim’s lands. They tied him up and took him to the palace. Karim said to him, “This is your second betrayal, Salem”. He then ordered him to be taken to prison.
As for Fares, he worked as a guard in the palace’s warehouses. One day, Karim discovered that some valuable goods had mysteriously disappeared. He ordered a secret investigation, and Fares was caught stealing. In the morning, Karim summoned Fares and said, “Do you know what’s worse than being poor? Being a traitor and a fool at the same time”. He ordered his guards to tie him up and take him to the same prison as Salem. Salma stood helpless, watching her husband being led away.
Salma was now completely alone in the palace, doing hard labor. One night, Karim invited the village elders to a lavish feast and made Salma serve the food. He deliberately called her name loudly, “Salma, hurry with the water for the guests!”. She felt humiliated but swallowed her tears. The next day, she received news that Fares had tried to escape from prison and failed, and more years were added to his sentence. She began to remember the moment she had kicked Karim out.
The next day, Salma entered Karim’s presence, and he told her, “Today you will witness something you will never forget”. The guards brought Fares from prison, tied up and emaciated. Fares stood before her, not daring to look at her. Karim smiled faintly and said, “This man whom you chose over your first husband betrayed you before he betrayed me”. He then ordered the guards to separate Fares from her, leaving Salma distraught.
Karim stood before everyone and recounted how he had been expelled from his home and how he found the treasure that changed his life. He emphasized that the treasure was not just gold but also patience and determination. He turned to Salma, saying, “You were the cause of my downfall, and today you are a witness to my rise”. He ordered her to be released from her work but also forbidden from entering the village again. Salma left the palace, realizing that money and prestige are temporary and injustice does not last. Karim sat on his balcony with the old dog beside him, smiling calmly.
