going to do this Ramadhaan?" Her cheerful face lit up. "Paint the
windows." Looking at my pretty white sheers I forced my head to nod.
"OK, what else do we do during Ramadhaan?" Omar jumped off the couch…
"Not eat, ah, I mean fast." "That's right, we fast for a whole month,"
said Tessniem, gently wrapping her arms around her chest and hugging
her self. "I love Ramadhaan, it's fun." Omar said, "Yea, it's great,
we get to choose whatever we want to break our fast with."
I could tell by his eyes that he was remembering steaming corn dogs
out of the oven dipped in ketchup with a glass of chocolate milk. "And
what makes that food taste so especially good?" I asked sitting upon
the couch. Omar raised his hand high into the air like he was in
class. "I know, I know," he screamed." Omar you can put your hand
down, we aren't in class now." Omar lowered his arm and smiled
"because we are doing it for Allaah and when we eat we remember
Allaah."
Tessniem jumped in, "and the poor people who don't have any food like
the ones in Somailia and Ba…" Omar turned toher, "you meanBosnia."
Tessniem looked up at Omar "yea Bas, that placeOmar said." Omar's head
lowered and his mouth's edges dipped down. Taking his hand. "What's
wrong Omar?" "I just remembered the stories about the Bosnians eating
grass because there was nothing to eat during the war." Breathing
deep, "yea, there is a lot to be thankful for." Tessniem walked up to
me with her shoulder raised close to her ears. "Remember that picture
of the Somalibaby on the ground and the vulture waiting for him to
die?" I did not even have to think back, the picture is forever seared
in my memory.
Placing my arms around Tessniem, I brought her close to me on the
couch.Omar scooted over to me and hugged my other arm. Looking at the
floor,he leaned his cheek against my arm. "Mama?"he whispered. I made
a soft hmm to let him knowI was listening. "Can we send them some
money so they can buy food?" Sitting up I smiled, "Yes, every year we
give them Zakaat."
Rubbing his eyes I could see his wheels spinning in his brain, got up
and ran to his bedroom. I thought for a minute he was going off to
cry. I could hear the closet door open and the soundof jingling down
the hallway. He quickly turned the corner and stopped abruptly in
frontof me holding out a plastic spice container filled with paper
riyals and change. With his facesolemn he moved it closer to me so I
could take it from him. "Omar, what do you want me to do with it?"
With puzzledexpression he looked at me like I was seriously confused.
"Mom… It's for the poor people, who don't have any food."
Taking the plastic container, I started slowly unscrewing the red lid.
"And how much do you want to give to them?" Omar scrunched up his face
and held out his right hand upward as if to say 'you still don't get
it?' He sighed heavily and took the container and dumped it onto my
lap. "All of it Mom!" I thought I should get into the concept of
percentages for Zakaat, but it just didn't seem appropriate.
Looking down on my lap,I knew he had been saving his money for a
Spiderman at Wonder World. I was getting ready to tell him about the
reward from Allaah when Tessniem appearedin the living room with her
spice container bank.Smiling she untwisted the red lid and dumped the
money on my lap too.Too touched for words, I hugged them. Looking
atthe money, Tessniem laid her hand on her cheek thinking. Softly she
whispered, "maybe it willbuy enough food for thatlittle boy so he can
get upand the vulture won't eathim."
Of course the most logicalthing to tell her is that the picture was
taken over two years ago and most probably the child never got up and
was never buried. But only Allaah knows what happened, and this little
girl needed to know that by the mercy she receivesfrom Allaah there
was still hope.
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