International women’s day

By Anonymous

My friend is a good man. That’s an accolade he earned largely on things he doesn’t do. He doesn’t beat his wife; hasn’t defrauded his father-in-law; has never done drugs; owes no money to people; doesn’t yell at his daughter every time she does something he doesn’t approve of. And he has, very graciously of course, relinquished his God given right to marry not just one but three other women.

In spite of carrying the titles good father, considerate husband, caring son and loving brother - all of course, by virtue of being the good man that he is - my friend can still expect a fresh pair of socks and immaculately pressed shirts to magically appear where he expects them to be every morning even if his wife had severe menstrual cramps the night before. He can still sit to watch his favourite TV show and expect dinner to be served on time every evening even if she has to juggle a load of laundry, a Quran class and homework in five different subjects for his child in the three hours she has in the late afternoon after work.

The man still is a long way from realising the incredible struggles of a mother, a sister and a wife to keep him on the high moral pedestal of good. He is the son of the woman who sat down at a dark soot-covered corner in the kitchen every day and secretly ate leftover rice from the previous day so that her sons and husband could have a little more of a better meal. The man is the brother of the woman who still carries multiple scars from the falls she had carrying him as a child. Every Friday, Eid, Ramadan and Salavaaiy-fatiha she got up in the wee hours of early morning, cooked with her mother, stood like the most servile housemaid to give the best pieces of fish and chicken to her father, brothers and uncles.

Here’s a wish for all the fellow ‘good men’ to take a moment to appreciate the unsung heroes - the mothers, sisters and wives who brave through insurmountable silent suffering every day to let us wear the badge of good and walk around with the pride of victorious gladiators stepping out of the Colosseum on the streets of ancient Rome. 🙏🏽Celebrating #InternationalWomensDay