Offline but Happy

It was a beautiful Friday morning. The sky was clear and blue, and the birds were singing in the trees. Tarek jumped out of bed, grabbed his tablet, and smiled. "Today I'll reach level 20!" he said proudly.

He pressed the power button. The game started, but when he tried to play, a message popped up: "No Internet Connection!"

Tarek frowned and tried again. Still nothing. "Mom! The Wi-Fi isn't working!" he called out.

His mother walked in with a smile. "The Internet is down today. Maybe you can find something fun to do outside."

Tarek sighed. "Fun? Without Wi-Fi? Impossible!" He sat on his bed, looking at his silent tablet. The room felt empty and quiet.

Out the window, he saw Laila, Amir, and Dina laughing and running around with their bikes. Laila called: "Hey, Tarek! Come outside! We're going to the park!"

Tarek shook his head. "No thanks! I'm… uh… busy!" But after a while, he started feeling lonely. He missed laughing and talking with his friends.

He looked at it again and said softly, "Maybe I'll just go for a few minutes." When he stepped outside, the warm sunshine touched his face, and a cool breeze blew through his hair.

Laila smiled and waved. "You came! We're drawing on the sidewalk. Want to help?" She handed him a piece of colorful chalk. Together, they drew a giant smiling sun, a tall castle, and even a rocket ship.

Then Amir shouted, "Let's race to the park!" They rode their bikes, laughing the whole way. At the park, they played hide-and-seek, and built a pretend shop with leaves and sticks.

Tarek laughed so much his stomach hurt. "I forgot how much fun this is!" he said happily.

Later that afternoon, Tarek's mom called from the house, "Tarek! The Wi-Fi is back!" He stopped and looked at his friends. They were all covered in chalk dust and smiling from ear to ear.

He thought for a second. Should he run back inside and play his game? Then Dina said, "Come on, Tarek! One more round of hide-and-seek!" Tarek smiled. "The Wi-Fi can wait!" And off he ran, laughing louder than ever.

At sunset, the four friends sat under the big tree, watching the sky turn orange and pink. Laila said, "This was the best day ever." Tarek smiled and nodded. "You know what? I didn't even miss my tablet. I think real life is more fun."

When he went to bed that night, he placed his tablet on the shelf and whispered, "You're fun, but my friends are even more fun." From that day on, Tarek still used his tablet—but only at the minimal use after he spent time with his friends. Because he learned something important: No tablet, phone, or screen can ever replace the joy of friendship.