It is 1 o’clock in the morning. But, everyone is still busy doing something. Some of them are doing the housekeeping tasks, some are cooking and some are altering their clothes. Everyone is preparing for tomorrow, the day of joy, Eidulfitri.
Suddenly, ‘Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong.’
Everyone stops working and remain silent. ‘Who’s that? It’s terribly late already!’ said one of them.
‘Shh…Just remain silent!’ whispered her mate, who is also the house leader.
Everyone feels afraid, thinking who is the person ringing the bell at this time.
Suddenly, ‘Bum, bum, bum, bum!’ somebody knocks roughly the door as if he or she wants to destroy it for good. ‘Who’s inside? Open the door!’ a shouting man’s voice is heard from outside
‘O my God, who’s that? I’m scared!’ cries one of them. Everyone runs in scattered to find places to hide, except one person, the house leader.
‘Bum, bum, bum, bum!’ the door is knocked again.
The house leader comes closer to the door.
‘Don’t, sister!’ cries one of her mates, from her hiding place.
‘It’s okay, dear. Don’t panic. You guys just remain silent!’
Then, she gets to the door closer, and says, ‘Okay, okay, I’ll open it! But, who’s that?’
‘How many of you, inside?’ asked the man.
‘What? He supposed to answer the question, not asking back!’ said one of the mates while hiding.
‘We are 8,’ the leader tells the man.
‘Hey, wait.. Why she answers it. This is so dangerous! We don’t even know who is he,’ murmured one of them, again.
‘Relax, relax. She must know why.. she’s been here so long, dear.’ claims one of them.
‘All are ladies or all are gents?’ asked the main again.
‘We are all ladies,’ said the leader.
‘Okay, open the door. Please be faster!’ asked the man.
Before her mates could say anything, she already opens the door, but only a little bit, just enough for a hand of a man to give out some money through it.
‘What?’ all the members of the house are terribly astonished.
‘Thank you, thank you very much,’ the leader said to the man, from the back of the door.
Then, without any word, the man goes away.
As everyone comes out from their hiding places, they find their house leader is smiling so happily.
‘It’s 1000 syrian pound each!’ said her.
No other words from them, but,
‘Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah, Allahuakbar! May Allah bless him!’
'Maryam, that's how syrian do their charity. No one knows no one expects.' the leader said especially to me. Every one smiles.
the street to Bait Qurratul Ain
in front of Bait Qurratul Ain