Cora and I just witnessed our first miracle. I am delighted,
and not properly reverent.
Chatu came over this afternoon just as Miss Cora was heading
to her nap, but that plan was quickly postponed because Chatu wanted us to
accompany her to see the Miracle Egg of Yabello. We have been trying since last
week to see it; Chatu has visited the Egg house multiple times to no avail,
once with us along (the family had gone to Moyale for the weekend).
But today was our day.
The family’s compound was tiny and shared with other
families. We entered a room that was perhaps 10x8 and so full of large
furniture (a huge armoire, a TV stand, a tiny table and two chairs, plus random
assorted stuff stacked along the walls) that there was no standing room. The
egg was brought out of the locked door of the armoire and presented in its tiny
glass bowl and embroidered napkin. It was clearly a chicken egg that someone
had scribbled on in blue pen, and the ink has been slowly dyeing the eggshell
around it purple for the week that the Egg has been on display.
The group of people crowded in the doorway tried to think of
ways to explain to the faranji (that would be me in this case) who Allah and Mohammed
are. “Like Jesus” was one offering. “One God” was another. I did my best to let
them know that I understood who Allah and Mohammed are.
My friend Chatu was truly amazed; she kissed the Egg
reverently (Cora tried to grab it, of course). Chatu nearly glowed on our walk
home.
The best part of all is that the woman of the Egg house gave
each of us two eggs from the SAME chicken, the holy chicken?, that laid the
Miracle Egg. I am instructed to cook them for Cora. Tomorrow we will have a
blessed breakfast.
What a day!
2 comments:
Try as I might, I can not add a thing to that!
How was breakfast. Hope you two don't begin to glow!
Love always,
Irreverent grandmother/gr-grandmother
Jen, today's post quadrupled itself. I see I replied to one and Barbara replied to another. That's no fun, so I choose to join Nana Hutch in internet eternity (among others) by reposting my earlier reply here. Then you can easily reduce the multiple posts to one.
"The intersection of popular/folk religion and time-honed traditions is usually embarrassing to both. But it is what it is as human nature reaches out to its supernatural roots. While most of my Muslim acquaintances and their leaders would have issues with this egg (and see it at root as a kind of blasphemy), my tradition has to deal with the face of Jesus in waffles and wall mold. Ah well. But, if the two eggs were given in love, then maybe tomorrow will indeed be blessed. Even misled hearts can be loving (if not, then we'd all be in trouble!).
I'm tickled, Jen, that you are "delighted, and not properly reverent."!
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