THE NIGHTMARE WITH A SILVER LINING

Tuesday the 1^st 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.