Cries in the Night

Two nights ago, John and I were just about ready to "close up shop" when he received a call.  It was Abdel*, a man he had met briefly at Yah-Yah's wedding.  Abdel had just returned from his travels and wanted to know if John would like to meet for tea.  John checked the time…10:15 pm.  

"Sure," John replied.  (If anyone knows John at all, they will laugh at him venturing out so late.)

He headed out the door and I prepared to go to sleep.  Around 11:30 pm, he returned quite glad that he took the time to go.  Abdel is a physicist with quite an interesting life.  He told me about their time together and finally around 1 am we were settling in to sleep.

I had just fallen into a deep state when I was startled by a loud sound.  I rose up and at first thought I had been dreaming.  The screaming continued which woke John also.  We looked at each other trying to figure out what was happening.  It was coming from the building next to us where the landlord's extended family was staying.

We jumped up and ran to the window.  One of the children was outside screaming hysterically.  We weren't sure what to do.  The father came out to see what was the matter.  The little girl had found her kitten in the jaws of a dog.  Once the other children saw it, they too began screaming.  Three kittens had to be accounted for and checked for good health before they finally calmed down.  

All was well, but I do believe I would need the paddles to get my heart going again.

Everyone went back inside and we tried to go back to sleep.  

The following day, we saw our friends who live a couple buildings away.  I asked, "Did you hear the screaming last night?"

She nodded and said, "Yes, we found out one of the ladies behind us died."

"What?! I was talking about the kittens that had been attacked last night.  What are you talking about?"

She said, "I don't know about the cats, but around 2 am we heard women wailing and continued all through the night.  We asked one of our local friends what had happened and he said that a lady from this village had gone to Cairo for surgery but didn't make it through the procedure."

The village was in mourning.

The next day, women from around the area dressed in black and lined the streets where the deceased woman's family lived.  They would stay with the family through the time of burial (which in Islamic law is the same day) and days beyond.  

I breathed a prayer asking God to be with this family and to give us wisdom in the days to come.

Last night, I had the "big eye" and couldn't go to sleep.  I decided to get something to drink and walked into the kitchen.  That's when I heard the mourners.  They were once again "carrying" the grief of the family and were wailing all through the night.  I've never heard anything quite like it.  Women screaming, crying, moaning, yelling…all to demonstrate their sadness for the passing of this woman.

I felt tears in my eyes beginning to well.  Their grief was profound.  The family had lost someone dear.  In Islam, a follower is not guaranteed a place in paradise by Allah.  You must wait until you are judged following death.  Only then will you know if you did "enough."

They grieve unsure of this woman's final destiny.  I grieve wondering if this woman had one time in her life been given the opportunity to know Jesus.

Cries in the night…only this time they were mine.


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*Not his real name
** Stock photo, but very much what it looked like...

Today's BOGO Blog:  Parallel Parking: Cairo Style