Happy Eid Mubarak

Hello everyone, how's it going for you all? It's been a glorious day of celebration all over. And first of all, I wish all my Muslim friends a happy Eid-Mubarak.

I'm a Christian, but I have lots of Muslim friends. I grew up in an area where the ratio of Christians to Muslims was usually equal. So I know lots of Muslims and thankfully, many of them live in my neighborhood. But out of them all, my favorite is Qudus. He lives in the building just adjacent to mine. And we play football every evening along with our other neighborhood friends. And it was in his house we all decided to celebrate the feast.

Today started very differently from any other day, it began bright and cheerful. Everyone woke up with anticipation of the blessed feast that was to come. Yesterday, I had seen the number of rams that had been bought just for the occasion, and I knew it was going to be a blast.

Soon, the streets were filled with people, young and old in very colorful attires. The ladies were dressed beautifully in their hijab covering their clothing while the men were dressed in the popular Jalamia.

Soon, when I got confirmation from my friend Qudus that he and his family were back from the mosque, I left home at once and went to their house.

Their house was crowded with people. I could see fellow Christians and other Muslims. Qudus came from a rich family and they were making sure that everyone partook in the celebrations. I was touched.

I made my way through the crowd till I got to the place my friends had set aside for us. It was under the cool shed of their mango tree. Three coolers were waiting for us. One was filled with jollof rice, that unique party rice that can only be cooked in Nigeria. The next was filled with properly cooked and spiced meat. When we opened it, the beautiful aroma alone got our stomach rumbling in anticipation. The last cooler held our drinks. It was also filled with ice to keep them cold.

As our host, Qudus led us in prayer before the meal. Then we settled down to eat. It was fun indeed. Taking spoonful after spoonful, out in the open enjoying food and drinks with friends. We talked and chatted, enjoying each other's company just as much as we were enjoying the food. When we were done with the food, we tackled the drinks and the rest of the meat. That evening, we ate till our teeth became sore from excess chewing.

With my heart light and a full belly, I returned home just as twilight emerged. I greeted my family and then made a beeline for my room where I crashed on my bed. I slept off immediately. I woke up a few hours later to write this down.

I'm happy this is only the first day, two more days to go. I would find somewhere else to go celebrate and bask in the joy of the season. And it would be glorious.

Thank you very much to the Muslim faithful for allowing us to partake in your joy, deeds like this are what help to foster unity. Not just across religion, but across races, tribes, and other ramifications. And with little acts like these, the world can eventually become a much better place.

Happy Eid-Mubarak to you all.

_{Thank you for reading.
P.S: The picture of me above was taken on my Tecno Camon smart phone.
Feel free to contact me via Discord handle below:}
bruno-kema#1355