Tuesday
the 1st day of September, 2020 will forever remain an unforgettable
day in my life. I was picked up from work in the morning after my night duty
the previous day and then the bomb was dropped by my brother that the water has
reached our house once again. This was the third time water was entering our
house in as many weeks. Our expectation was that the water will be like the
previous two times, i.e. remain in the entrance and not enter inside our
sitting rooms and bedrooms. We were met
with a shocker. Throughout the trip back home, I was pensive, distraught and at
the same time hopeful that the water will be ‘mild’. I was in for a rude
awakening.
On
getting home, the water level was already above the levels reached by the
previous two flash floods. That was when I was realised that there was no way
we could avoid water entering inside our home this time around. We began trying
to lift all our major belongings to a high position within the house and at the
same time bring out all the appliances and clothes we could salvage. It was a split-second
decision. We managed to significantly raise our mattresses, important books,
some appliances, our furniture and other important belongings. We all packed
our clothes for a few days, I have to admit I packed a big box containing all
my new clothes, my credentials and other valuables. I couldn’t risk losing
them. Can you blame me? By the time we finally moved out of the house, water
was almost reaching my chest! Okay, maybe I exaggerated a little. But the water
was quite high and most of our belongings were submerged including our poor
generator.
On
reaching a safe distance away from the scene, we began contemplating where to
stay. I am a person that absolutely likes my independence. One of the reasons I
am a bit stuck is because I find it hard to ask or even accept help from
others. This was one of the situations where I had to make an exception. Our only option when it came to accommodation
after flooding, which we are kind of used to by now, is to our paternal uncle’s
house. I and my two brothers can crash there. Our mother and sister on the
other hand usually seek shelter at my maternal uncle’s (Mum’s brother) house.
That was settled. I then made the decision to work all the nights I’m without
shelter to avoid imposing too much on others. I did just that. One thing I
didn’t bother to find out was where dad stayed. I was afraid of the answer. My
only consolation was the knowledge that everything will pass and we’ll be back.
However, we must have a huge rethink and prioritize taking actions to ensure we
find a permanent workable solution to this menace.
I was
living on minimal sleep for four consecutive days. On the fourth day, we were
glad to find that the water had receded and that we can then begin the process
of washing our home in preparation for our eventual return. I couldn’t wait. I
had to return immediately. I can’t help my weird personality. We washed part of
the house and I made sure that my room was properly washed, including the
toilet. I slept alone in the house the night after we washed the house.
Working
the night shift is not easy. One can only have few hours of well interrupted
sleep! I did what I had to do since I hate imposing on others, not even my own
relatives. This is the reason I have learned to live with minimal needs. I am a
low maintenance person. And I thank Allah for making me live a simple life
without extravagant expenses. The only reason I may be moved to want to make
money is to cater and pamper for my loved ones. I am thankful to Allah for all
His bounties and blessings. We are not worthy.
As I
write this, I am flooded with emotions. Pun intended. I don’t have the words to
describe the horror I witnessed during the flood. However, like all times, all
praise and glory are due to Allah. He has reasons for all that happen in our
lives. I will take this as a wake-up call for me to repent and become a better
person. The person I have the potential to become. If this event turns out to
be the life-changing moment in my life, then I’ll consider it as Allah’s
greatest gift to me. Like Allah says in Quran 2:216: …”but perhaps you hate a
thing and it is good for you…”. I pray that this experience becomes a path that
increases my closeness to Allah.. I pray that Allah replaces all that we have
collectively lost and provide for us a way out of this disturbing, scarring and
horrifying situation. I had to make serious adjustments to how I live. Anyone
that knows me knows of my love for books. For a person like to me to stay for
two years without buying a new book….fill in the blanks.
Our
lives have been affected by the new status quo. For seven years now, since we moved
into this new place, we’ve been living in a constant state of fright and
distress during the rainy season particularly during the peak months of August
and September. Even this year, my younger brother was writing his JSCE exams
when we had to seek shelter in another place. It is destabilising and I hope it
doesn’t affect his performance in the exams. We are all tired of living this
way, of not having a stable shelter for at least two out of the twelve months
in a year. Of constantly losing our properties, and for me, of not being able
to buy and keep books. It is a constant struggle for us during the rainy
season. And I can see this impacting our lives in a serious way going forward,
Allah protect us from that.
A day
after we washed the house, the water returned and it will stay menacingly in
our courtyard for over 30 hours. We were lucky it didn’t put all the work we
put into the house to waste. I slept in the house alone for the two days of
threat. I was praying and hoping the water would recede and it actually
receded. I am thankful to Allah for all I’ve experienced this year and I pray
that this event becomes a major turning point in my life. I want to live a life
of purity, faith and steadfastness and in sha Allah, I would attain my goals
with the aid of the Almighty.
I am beginning to understand the POV
of those who find it hard to understand why we remain in a house where we lose
properties and where we are in a constant state of anxiety and fear. It can’t
make sense to an outsider. I am not saying that they are right to say this, but
I can understand why they feel this way.
The
essence of writing all these is to organize my thoughts. After the devastating
experience I had this week, I needed a way to let out some of the emotions I’ve
been bottling up inside. And as an introvert, writing is one of my escape
routes. After describing the situation as best as my limited English can allow,
I feel a bit relieved. I just pray that we are done with flooding for this
year. I fervently hope we have experienced that of this year. That said, I am
extremely grateful to Allah for the gift of life and health. For the fact that
I’m able to afford to take care of myself without resorting to asking for money
from my parents or any other person. Alhamdulillah.
I am not
too bothered about our situation because life is full of trials. Even without
the flooding, we’ll still encounter obstacles and challenges as we navigate
through life. Many of the people we associate with go through difficulties that
are unknown to us most of the times, which is why we think they live lives free
from difficulties and challenges, something impossible since Allah designed
life to be full of challenges. Only Jannah is free from such. My life is
significantly better than those of so many others despite the challenges and
difficulties I constantly face. For this and much more, I am forever grateful
to the Almighty. Life is meant to be full of tests, particularly for a
believer. Even the disbelievers are not left without challenges. They also have
to rise above their challenges. So, a muslim, who has hope of attaining Jannah
should be more motivated to rise above challenges and use them as a ladder
towards becoming closer to Allah. The ultimate aim in the end is attaining
Jannah. May Allah include us among the successful, those who inherit Jannah.
Ameen.
