4:47 am. Fajr. A lot of nasty cough around here. I remained optimistic to pull out of Mecca without a single spit of phlegm. We are leaving today.
“I felt so wrong. I felt so right”
Good things always come to an end. Although my mind felt so wrong to leave, it is so right to do so. I was drained, exhausted physically and mentally. The lessons learnt and experience gained remained within the layers and layers of frame of moments interlaced with aggressions and compassion. A complex social interaction that I have never imagined to be engaged in . I was exhausted of the constant trials and tribulations emerged at every corner of the path taken. Are they coincidental or the fact of life?
Beautiful moments, though, will be remembered dearly. Meeting new people, making friends, and knowing the things unknown to me before. This world is huge not only by its size but also by the diversity of its inhabitants. Yet, we could sit next to each other and felt the similarity of our goals. That’s magical.
One thing never changed was the colorful street sellers. Twenty years ago they lined the streets and solicitated the same way as today. Maybe the small child hid behind mom selling jalabiah for twenty rials years ago has her own merchandise now. Life seemed to run in a constant pace for these people. As I passed by, stopped and flipped the textiles once awhile just to get the feel again. I am,though, not in need of any purchase. Maybe I still have the same merchandise bought years ago left somewhere in my luggage.
11:00 The taxi to Jeddah was ready to go. It was tough to complete the tawaf wida’. The steps seemed long and heavy. I hope this is not my last goodbye. If it was, I will see you in my dreams. The grandeur of the pillars, the magical ambience and the electrifying vibes of divinity.
The 250 riyals ride to Jeddah was okay; I stole a quick nap along the way. Prof Rashidah, our host, invited us to experience Jeddah after a month in Mecca. She works at a university here. First impression as we entered the city- Wow! Forgot that we were still in Saudi Arabia. The green landscape and modern highways made it distinctive and out of the frame of old dusty barren land in a desert.
“Later we will go for a picnic”, Prof said through her niqab. I smiled and threw my sight far beyond the vast empty desert to a place I just left. At this hour, I would walk hastily to secure a spot for solat—— something I couldnt do it anymore. Sadness suddenly drawn on my face and trickled down my cheeks.
Be happy you’re in Jeddah now!
