By Mumtaz Moosa-Saley
3 April 2022

The simplest of tasks, at my age, seemed like a mission. As I painfully made my way up from the floor, having eventually found my errant slipper under the bed, the room door flew open, startling me. My slipper flew across the room like a boomerang.

“Nana, Mommy, has ordered you to come to the kitchen now, or you’ll be late for suhoor!” Luqmaan sang out loudly. Ya, Allah, this grandchild would be the death of me! “Ok, Luqmaan, tell your mother I’ll be there as soon as I find my slipper again,” I yelled back.

He’s a little firecracker, and I love him, but he is a test from Allah! Loud and boisterous – always giving you a skrik (fright). Why can’t these people make children that are good and seen, not heard like in my time, huh?

I finally make my way down to the table, and I look at my beloved granddaughter Nusaybah, the apple of my eye this one. Sixteen years old, and she is the best thing that could have happened to me in my old age. I smile at her, and she smiles back.

“Daddy, why must we always nag you to do things, huh?  Why can’t you wake yourself up like an adult and come down?” my daughter scolds.

I roll my eyes, and Nusaybah bursts into laughter as she sees me rolling my eyes.

“Daddy, that’s enough; you carry on like a teenager. Don’t you dare roll your eyes at me, nah.”  My Ayshoo is sweet, but not in Ramadaan. She becomes Shaytaans keeper, I tell you!

But as I look at the bunch sitting at the table, my heart is filled with gratitude and love. What a blessing for an old coot like me to have a family to sit with during meals. It sure beats being lonely.

Thinking about the joys of family, I’m reminded of my friend, Farouk. He has no family to spend time with his children living abroad, although they support him financially. For him, loneliness has become his companion, and it is heartbreaking to know that he spent much of his life working for his children’s benefit.

He is my reminder that Allah tests us all differently, no matter who we are.  And I am glad and grateful to be alive and spending my Ramadan with my family close by.