Taraweh 4: Shoes…
“Someone passed by and kicked me, and my friend and I went flying to opposite ends…”
I am actually quite beautiful, straight from Pakistan. My lady bought me for a wedding. Why she flung me off her dainty feet with bright red toenails and rushed into the musallah, I do not know. I see a lot of people in there and am curious: what are they doing?
I can hear a melodious voice reciting the words of Allah. I recognize them, for I remember a portion where Allah says that everyone and everything was created in pairs like me and my friend and each has its rights, and those who do not respect them are dhalimoon which someone translated as tyrants.
My other half is weeping, for she thinks I am lost. I can’t move from my position, so I can’t tell her that I am all right.
Suddenly a woman and a little girl arrive on the scene. The woman says, “Tsk, tsk, tsk! We should pick up the shoes and put them in the cubbies. It is their right to be together and organized.” They start picking up the random shoes scattered outside the musallah and finding cubbies for them.
I try to wink at them with the jewel on my front strap. The little girl picks me up and asks the lady where the other one is. Then she walks around with me in her hand. I see my friend and try to wiggle, but alas, we do not have the ability to wiggle.
She finds her and places both of us neatly in a cubby.
“You okay?” I ask my friend, who is wiping her tears.
“I thought you were lost,” she sobs.
“Don’t worry. You know this is a mosque, no one steals shoes here, no matter how beautiful! It was only in the shop in Pakistan where sometimes poor people stole shoes, but they usually took ugly, rugged ones. Not delicate beauties like us.”
She smiles. “Am I beautiful?”
“Of course you are, but It is only when we are together,” I tell her.
I peek out of the cubby and see my owner coming in, her dupatta half slipping off her head, her heavily embroidered dress flashing in the light. She looks for us but cannot find us where she left us by the doorway.
We giggle. We know we become more valuable when we are lost, and inshallah she will never separate us or allow us to be kicked around again.
After searching the entire hall and every cubby, she finally finds us and breathes a sigh of relief.
Home we go…… leaving behind the Mosque of Light till tomorrow?