I peeped out of the window and watched as the rain dropped. Each drop competing for a place to land. The ground was wet with glittering sparks reflecting the content of its surrounding.
I watched in amazement. The beauty of such weather could not be put into words. The calmness rain brings. The snuggles and the wetness and its abundance.
It has become part of me to stare at falling drops of rain. I love this experience. Rainfall is personal to me. To my childhood. To my siblings. This experience always brings with it a hint of sadness, a drag to the path of my childhood I do not like to remember.
My family was among thousands of families living in abject poverty in the 90s. As a child, rain meant torture. I never wished for rain. I lived in a room with my mother and my siblings. Our room was where love lived. This was our room where stories were told, waves of laughter were formed, memories were made and tears of sadness were shed.
Growing up, this room was all we had. With the old vintage metal bed which bored years of suffering due to its usage. Beside the foot of this bed, housed our beloved retro furniture with our television set.
The furniture had a compartment which my older sister kept her belongings and on top lined my mother’s beautiful vintage plates. Then, there was a refrigerator which was later replaced with a wooden store cupboard and suspended from the roof of our room was a ceiling fan cooling us on scorching hot days.
Sleeping at night was a tug of war, we were usually lined and tucked away. I sometimes get a space on the bed beside my mother with two other siblings, while the rest spread across the floor of this tiny room. Ours was just somewhere to rest our sleepy heads. It was normal to wake up with aches and pains from our posture a night before.
The roof of our room had gaps that let in water whenever it rained. The raindrops escaped as they landed on the roof of our room, forming huge puddles as they found their ways into our beloved room. The puddles, in turn, took sleep off our tired faces. We all knew what to do whenever it rained; with plates, cups and buckets scattered all over the entire width of our little room-saving our belongings from spangs of raindrops.
With no space to sleep on rainy nights, we perched like birds on our little toes, trying so hard not to sleepily disrupt the line up of our many rain savers.
It was okay if it rained when we were home, but, the torture always began whenever I was in school or away from home. The only thing in mind would be home. The rain and the drippings of water.
I was well known to have a faraway look whenever it rained. This experience did not affect just me, the observation of this fact and event affected us all. We were damaged psychologically for a few years.
We made a play out of the rain and its torture. We danced to the tune of the drops of water. We formed melodies to it drummings and we lightening the burden by shrugging it off.
In the midst of this chaos, my mother paid some local carpenters to patch up the leaks with no success. It turned out the whole roof had to be replaced with new one, but, money was tight and she could not afford this for many years. Many times, I saw my mother crying whenever it rained. The sadness on her face made me hate rain falls, thunder or lightning. 
For about 10 years of my life, I longed for a normal room, a place to sleep without the thought of rain. I worried a lot. This event touched deep within me. It taught me a lesson. A lesson of appreciation of NOW.
Despite the pain, the deprivation of sleep and the shame that came with longing, waiting and wanting; I look back and appreciate now.
I have the affluence to sleep without worrying about leaking roof. My children sleep on a dry warm bed. I could sit and watch the rain enjoying the bliss it brings. To me, this is affluence. A luxury. A luxury I once longed for.
There are people in the world going through that phase of my childhood right now. There are mothers shedding secret tears for not being able to protect their children from danger, hunger and poverty.
There are children wishing, praying and longing for a roof over their heads. There are people around us praying secretly for warm food and a warm bed, we only need to look closely. Reaching out will save them from hunger and discomfort. Just look closely.
I appreciate the affluence of a dry room and the luxury of a warm bed. I really do.
This Post Has 15 Comments
Beutiful story touched my heart and reminded me of how lucky we are and how many unlucky families are still suffering this every day and night, it’s a reminder to help the needed and be thankful to every luxury we have been given by Allah.
We are lucky. Very lucky.
SubhaanAllah!
What a touching story! Jazaakillahu khayran for sharing with us. This is a great reminder.
"There are people around us praying secretly for warm food and a warm bed, we only need to look closely. Reaching out will save them from hunger and discomfort. Just look closely."
Jazakillah khayran for sharing this thought provoking reminder! I thank Allah upon all conditions.
Thanks for stopping by
This is so, so touching. Alhamdullilah, see how far you have come. I am indeed very thankful. I
I am always very proud to have you as my sister. Thanks for stopping by.
Weldone for your good works. It's certainly a reminder for us all to always appreciate what we have and remember the needy. May your handwork be blessed.
Thank you my beautiful sister
Alhamdulillah you can appreciate the rain now. A touching story.
We underestimate how lucky we are until we look around and see those that are in worse situation.
Masha'Allah.
Jazak'Allah Kyran for sharing this.
Gratitude to Allah swt always for all the pricessless blessings.
Indeed, we underestimate how lucky we are. Thanks for stopping by
A reflective mind is truly a blessed one and should be most pleased with His Creator for the gift to reflect.
Reflection is about what goes around you and how much you are able to identify with it and mentalist.
In every situation there is always room to give thanks!
👍🏿
*mentalise*
Keep it up ma.... Alhamdulillah always
Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Alamin for His graces and Mercies in our lifes, may we always have the cause to look back on our lives and appreciate Allah's grace the more. I still remembered you and talk about your past on Sunday with my sister Tope, to always know that life comes with difficulties and eaee aftetwards with patience and perceverance. May Allah forgive our dead ones. Its always good to be good indeed, take care dear