The adhan echoed around the village, it was our typical alarm every morning. Mama is usually the first awake. She already started making breakfast. Every morning was a consisted a meal of pleasure and nutrition. It began with Hamza and I being the first up rushing to the bathroom. Most of the time he beat me to it but today was different. Strangely, the roaring call to prayer didn't wake up my younger siblings, so I gave them an extra nudge and rushed them so they wouldn't go back to bed. Now everyone was downstairs, what felt like hours was really twenty minutes, of constant arguing and bickering but we were all together. Baba and my brothers went to the mosque and my sisters, Mama and I stayed home to pray Fajr salah. Shortly after, our bellies grew with hunger, we were maddened by the smell of food from the kitchen. On the table laid, stacks of canjeero and a tower of malawah. There's a bowl maraq, eaten by mostly Baba and my brothers. I preferred malawah, it is my favourite thing in the world. It's sweet crepé-like pancake coated with sugar and a little bit of butter. It was heaven formed in a circle, it must explain where my large stomach came from.
The sun grew brighter and the streets were inactive, usually at midday people would be in their houses or other buildings as it would be too hot to work. This marked the end of my day. Expeditiously, I made my way home, attempting to avoid the brightest parts of the streets. After just turning the corner to enter my backyard, I saw Baba's friends and a couple of my uncles. They were preparing the weeks food, it's a sheep. A very large one. Gradually they crowded round the animal, while it's arms and legs were tied. There were no other animals in sight, this was done to prevent fear of the other animals. Shortly after the slaughter took place, uncle Zakariya was usually the one to take action. He held up the neck of the sheep, drew his large, sharp knife in the air, repeated the words 'Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim. Allahu Akbar' and slashed the neck of the sheep in one clean cut. Generally, I didn't like seeing the slaughtering happen but over time I got used to it.
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General FictionThe struggles of heroes expressed through their difficult yet extraordinary journeys. Halima moves her life along with her family to a completely different environment.
