Corona ;A blessing in disguise.

             Pixabay.com 

As Nayma reached for her pink pajama, thoughts of how the new norm had changed her life and that of those around her streamed in. This time it wasn't overthinking, everything she thought of was just the true side of matters.

She adorned her long white hijab and sat on the prayer mat. Nayma was tired but it was her habit to recite Suratul Sajdah before sleeping. She was too exhausted to read the whole text. She concluded she'll read any verse she saw upon opening the mus-haf.

وَعَسَىٰ أَنْ تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ ۖ وَعَسَىٰ أَنْ تُحِبُّوا شَيْئًا وَهُوَ شَرٌّ لَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

“You may dislike something although it is good for you, or like something, although it is bad for you, But Allah knows, and you know not.” – Qur’an (2:216)

This verse  was just a coincidence with what she had been pondering over. She put the mus-haf back on her study table and resumed to her blue, six by six-bed. Nayma's sister was off to slumberland as she finished tucking in the pitch flowery, square,mosquito net. Nayma thought of her undergraduate sister who had to do laundry for their nephew to earn some money.

The nephew dropped out of school in form two. He joined the driving school and now he was a bodaboda guy. But this one wasn't a typical bodaboda guy. He was always dressed to kill, he went for the famous African boy T-shirts and Gucci designs. His house was full of a two to three months stock, he kept this in case of any emergencies.

Nayma couldn't believe what had just happened that day not because she is choosy, in fact, she suggested to her sister to get something to do instead of waiting for schools to resume. "Education and financial freedom are two different things,"she thought.

Nayma reflected on her married elder sister, who always had wedding invites for each weekend. She heard her letting out on her mum about how much the corona pandemic saved her from debts. Yes, debts, Nayma's sister would lend classy outfits to attend each wedding.' Rona 'was a source of relief to her.

The weddings she noticed every weekend were overwhelming. A day before, Najma told her about how easy marriage had become amidst the pandemic. She was explaining about the reduction in wedding expenses. Weddings invites were for family and close friends unlike before. Some weddings took just a day for the _Nikah_ and _walimah_ . The idea of going to wedding halls was imploring for a goodbye. 

Nayma's mother who was a teacher was very grateful for the situation.

" _Alhamdulillah, Hakuna Ngoma watoto wametulia  siku hizi, Ngichu muuza maspeaker naona apata hasara,"_ lamented Nayma's mom. She was rejoicing because wedding parties attracted so many students, it was just a chance for fornication, drugs, and the likes. Such gatherings were banned. 

Nayma said her muadhatain and slept off, knowing that it took a pandemic for her and those close to her to realign their lives. 

Mwanamisi Kasirani

write_with_mwanaa

12/8/2020