Bismillahi ‘r-Rahmaani ‘r-Raheem,

With the name of God, the most loving & caring, the always loving and caring,

One summer, I was going to the US to visit my Aunt and her family. I traveled with my brother and parents, and we flew across several continents before reaching New York. The travel seems to have been a blur, with each leg of the journey blending in with the rest.

Having endured several days of a zombie-esque lifestyle, we were glad to have made it. We had eaten oddly, slept badly, and not relieved ourselves comfortably for a long time. Entering our Uncle’s car seemed an escape from all that. Whew.

But days of travel led to a build-up of waste in my system… and as I sat down in the car I realized my dire need to go the bathroom. I whispered to my Mom and she got in a panic and begged me to just hold on for a little bit more.

I obliged, feeling too shy while in the presence of an uncle who I barely knew. Each second felt an eternity, and all the small talk in the world couldn’t help my agony. Some true jihad was fought that day, and I relaxed as I got innards under a semblance of control.

But, right then, the car hit an unforeseen bump and out slipped some gas under me. It made no sound. I was hoped with all my might that there is no smell. Nobody reacted, and I was even more relieved as the situation took care of itself.

Then six eyes more fierce than I have ever seen all turned to me simultaneously. My mother seemed like she wanted to throw me out of the car, my brother forlorn as if he wished he did not know me, and my dad utterly disappointed and angry. The smell was real; the gas was not imaginary.

As they smelt it, there was no question about my uncle having smelt it. My week with cousins would begin on such a note, and I shrunk into my seat as another second ticked by.

“Whoops, looks like some bad air got in”

My uncle rolled down all four windows simultaneously to get rid of the toxic substance, and I was overjoyed! I don’t care, my family knows my flatulence; at least my honor in front of my uncle is saved.

The trip went on to be great alhamduliLlah. Half a year later as I reflected on this incident, I realized something: why would someone lower the car windows if they thought a bad smell got in?

My uncle had known that someone passed gas in the car, and probably that it was me from my family’s staring — but he effortlessly and ingeniously saved me from embarrassment. MashaAllah…

As salamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullahi, wa barakaatuh

May peace of every aspect be upon you, along with the mercy of God and also His blessing.