i’m a jovial guy with charming manners, an out-of-whack sense of humor and an endless supply of jokes.
i can always see a humorous thing in every situation.
most of the times.
but i do have a bad temper when it is aroused and i do like to be given space and a wide berth when i’m in a foul mood because i will not be held responsible for what i say or do.
those who are my intimates know the warning signs: short, rapid breathing, low-pitched voice, terse and short replies, looks that are more glares than thoughtful stares and when i’m about to blow my top off, an ominous silence.
to those who don’t know me very well, when they come across me when i’m in that mood, i usually tell them; “i’m in a bad mood right now. please leave me alone.”
and just in case you’re thinking i’m a sociopath, you should try walking into my shoes and be in my situation, before you go off half-cocked about me, when you really don’t know what’s going on.
18 hour work days, most days of the week.
fatigue that only goes away for a few hours when you’re sleeping, and comes back with a vengeance when you’re awake.
constant tension from driving in a highway with some people who make sudden stops, don’t signal when they turn, and generally behave like they’ve never fully made the transition from camels to cars.
welcome to Saudi Arabia.
then there’s the situation at home in Kenya which is keeping me tense.
doctors are on strike for the 74th day.
no, i’m not a doctor, but i did leave behind people who need a doctor’s attention, one of whom is past her Due Date and can’t seem to find a hospital where they can induce labor because there might be complications and yeah, you got it; the doctors are on strike.
now, i’m here in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia’s capital city), parked somewhere waiting for my madam to emerge from a coffee restaurant and chatting with some fellow drivers, when one of them hurriedly begins to go away.
when i ask what the matter is, all i can get is “the Haiya are coming. its Dhuhur prayer time.”
for those not in the know, the General Presidency of the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vices (abbreviated CPVPV; Arabic: هيئة الأمر بالمعروف و النهي عن المنكر ), also informally referred to as Hai’a, is the Saudi Arabian government agency employing “religious police” or Mutaween (مطوعين), to enforce Sharia Law within that Islamic nation.
the number of police is estimated at 3,500 – 4,000.
members patrol the streets enforcing dress codes, strict separation of men and women, salat prayer by Muslims during prayer times, and other behavior it believes to be commanded by Islam.
they are known for having full beards (sometimes henna-dyed) and for wearing their headscarves (ghutrah or shemagh) loose without an agal—they often wear a besht as well—and for often coming from Saudi Arabia’s lower classes.
i know my Islam very well, having studied Fiqhi and other subjects in madrassah from the age of three until i reached puberty.
when you go to the mosque to pray, you’re praying for your soul’s benefit, not anybody else.
that guy who is forcing you to go pray won’t be admitted to paradise on the strength of your prayers.
neither will he be consigned to hell because of your sins.
i know where the mosque is, but i’m sitting where i am, because if my madam comes out, doesn’t see me, doesn’t see the car, calls me and starts yelling at my tardiness, will that Muttawa guy be there with me when i’m having my head handed to me?
i already have work tension and home tension and i’m supposed to run away like i’ve committed some crime when i’m within my rights?
no. i continued sitting there and stared at the Hai’ya SUV through my Christian Dior sunglasses as it came towards me, praying that it would stop and one of them would berate me so that i could get an excuse to vent my spleen on somebody.
but they didn’t. they stopped for a moment and one of them looked at me, sitting there, staring at them, not running to get inside my car.
just sitting there.
and they wisely left me alone.
when my dander is up, i stand my ground and take on all comers.
i DO have an attitude and i DO know how to use it.
abukarkenshin 