29th Ramadhan 2010
6.00 pm
As our family gathered by the dining table in the kitchen waiting for iftar (to break our fast), it started to rain. The downpour did not seem to bother anyone, yet. our family gathered, my two bothers, brother-in-law, three cousins, and three sisters, both our parents gathered to celebrate what might be the last iftar of Ramadhan, 1431. Everyone was anxious to hear the result from the moon sightings. This Ramadhan meant a lot to my brother, sisters and cousin, as we managed to read the quran and complete it together (khatam al-Quran) just a few days before Ramadhan ends. Alhamdulillah.
After the special announcement, I started to panic. Aidlfitri is tomorrow and I havent even bought my tablecloth! I glanced at the torn plastic edges that have been gracing the dining table for two years now (it was still in acceptable condition the year before). Its time to get a new one!
8.30 pm
It was still raining.... heavily. Off we go braving the heavy rain, past the traffic light down the main road to town centre. The road was already starting to flood. Water gushed and pushed its way from higher to lower grounds. Vehicles slowed down to a stop and it seemed that no cars dared to pass through. We took a u-turn to the highway instead. Obviously everyone did their shopping at the eleventh hour! The roads flooded everywhere. Supermarket blocks located on lower grounds and those close to the river were already a foot underwater. Unsuspecting shoppers were forced to wade through the knee-deep current to higher grounds... and some were forced to leave their cars to the fate of the rising water level.
We went to another supermarket that were fortunate to evade the raging flood...the continuous rain hadn't obviously dampened our spirits... to do last minute shopping for tomorrow's celebration.
Upon reaching home, our roads carried the heavy torrents of water into our front lawns and filling up drains. I walked home in the rain (from my cousins' house because I had not been out in the rain for quite a while). The cold wind on my face as I wade through ankle-deep water.
Our dining area was a bit slippery as some water splashed through the windows and onto the ceramic tiles. Alhamdulillah, we removed the carpet a few days before. Apart from that, we were saved from the raging water.
‘Ya Allah, let the rain fall around us and not upon us, (let it fall) on the pastures, hills, valleys and the roots of trees.
That night till about 3am... I was preoccupied with my last-minute eid preparation that I forgot about the rain.
....to be continued
