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Assalamoalaikum Sistas,
Hope you had a wonderful Eid!
Here are some crazy childhood experiences I had back home, during the Eid-ul-Adha season. Many of you might be able to relate if you were a kid in Pakistan or India back in the 90s.
I still remember...
The Terrifying Sights
Let's just say I witnessed a lot that I shouldn't have as a small child who was scared of everything (lack of supervision I guess?). Eid-ul-Adha was always an emotional roller coaster ride for me. I remember when the qasaie (and his team) tried to bring the animal down... I'd always make dua for it to break free and run away! We always heard news of some bail or gaien running away in the neighbourhood, but that never happened with us, our qasaie was way too good at his job. So I'd stand there and cry until I couldn't watch the qurbani anymore.
Next came the meat cutting. I remember, on more than one occasion, seeing the meat vibrate long after the qurbani was done. And no, I'm not making this up. That used to freak the life out of me... I mean just imagine, a chunk of meat, vibrating on its own. I used to think that the animal was still alive, even after being cut in pieces! Then somebody told me the logic behind it... and of course that went way over my little brain.
As if all of that wasn't enough, long after Bakra Eid, I still used to see oojries (animal stomachs) lying around on roads. It was sad to see the needy linger around in those areas in search of something to eat.
The worst nightmare ever!
Once I had a really terrifying nightmare. I don't remember the details... but from what I remember, a qurbani was about to happen... and I was hiding, because the animal to be sacrificed was ME! and the qasaie was none other than my own flesh and blood, my DADI !!! She was sharpening her knife and I was crying, telling her I don't want to be sacrificed. I never told me dadi about this dream from the fear of it coming true. What a crazy dream... It sounds funny now but I remember waking up terrified.
Speaking of waking up terrified, sometimes I'd wake up to the "moos" of cows... I'd wake up thinking there's a cow in my room, ready to charge at me!... Only to discover later that it was actually my dad snoring really loudly. Then, I'd jump in my mom's bed and sleep peacfully under her secure and cow/monster-proof blanket.
The Crazy Garage
Moving out of the grandparent's house into an apartment was an exciting time! That feeling of being on top of the world (on 5th floor ^_^), decorating our OWN room, and making new friends in the neighbourhood was all too exciting... until... the Eid season started. One by one, all residents of the building started bring their animals in the garage. After a few days, the garage looked more like an animal market/ slaughter house. I used to dread going to school every morning... because to get to my school bus, I had to walk across the garage packed with animals of all shapes and sizes O_O. I could barely deal with the presence of one animal back at dadi's house... and here I had to make my way through so many! This was by far one of the biggest challenges of my life! Sometimes, the chaukidaar helped me out... but other times I was on my own. Since we moved there, I stopped feeling sorry for the animals... I used to wait for the garage to be animal-free by the third day of Eid.
Red... a big "No no"
Some genius child told me that bulls attack the colour red wherever they see it.. so from that day onwards, I made the decision of never ever wearing red on Bakra Eid. I used to feel sorry for all the kids wearing red on Eid ("Ye tou gaie aaj, bull seing marray ga esko!", I used to think to myself). Little did I know, my mom sewed a beige kameez for me, with RED embroidery. I remember hiding the embroidery with my dupatta every time I stepped out. Like any bull would actually be interested in looking at the colour of my embroidery... What a paranoid child!
Feel free to share your memories! :)
-D.M.
