The Neighborhood

I grew up in a neighborhood that was dominated by junior youths and youths. This neighborhood portrays a high level of community life. There was a close association with the different age groups. We had one community and one private for the primary and secondary education levels. We had two churches and one mosque in the neighborhood.

We had two different football fields that were used by the Junior youth and youth as playgrounds. Of course, the football game was the most played by all sex though other creative games were been incorporated into the field.

The parents all supported the youngsters in these activities and whenever it was 4 pm to 6:30 pm, everyone knows where to find the youngsters.

There was a stronger collaboration between older people and the younger ones kept on building on their bond of friendship even though the crisis was inevitable.

But, again whenever such challenges occurred the elderly ones were there to address them and guide us to the way forward.

The Graveyard

In the neighborhood, there was also a cemetery that was divided into two, the one for the Muslims and the one for the general public. They were both situated in the same location but the Muslim cemetery was a fence one and the other was opened.

The graveyard was having a land size of two acres of land which was divided into two for the Muslim and the Public.

My Encounter at the Graveyard

I grew up in this neighborhood and school at a missionary school that was located across the graveyard. Since we were all walking to school and the distance was quite long. We all prefer using the route through the graveyard which was shorter.

Been a young boy with a capacity for observations and been sensitive to my environment, I pay close attention to the happenings on the path to school through the graveyard.

The graveyard was always a very quiet place with the sounds of birds echoing in a melodious pattern.

The route was one that you hardly meet someone on the path and whenever we were passing through we also maintains a level of silence till we crossed to the other path.

They were three activities that I always witness at the graveyard.

The first was a group of boys who were always in two or three in the number who goes straight to the middle of the tree in the graveyard to smoke marijuana as a way of hiding from the police. I always wondered about the mindset of this set of boys.

The second set of activities where the people who were mourning and coming to buried their loved ones always in tears and sorrows which seems to be a painful natural process of life. I read a very powerful quotation from the writing of the Baha'i Faith by Baha'u'llah which is a great consolation for those who have lost a loved one. "

Death profereth unto every confident believer the cup that is life indeed... It conferreth the gift of everlasting life. As to those who have tasted the fruit of man's earthly existence, which is the recognition of the one true God, exalted be His glory, their life hereafter is such as are unable to describe. Baha'u'llah.

The third set of activities were the traditionally oriented people who were always visiting the graveside to offer prayers for the souls of the departed and offer some sacrifice in memory of the souls of the departed. Some of these sacrifices were in the form of cook foods.

Thoughts about the graveyard

We grew up in an environment that associated anything relating to death with mystery and fears.

The long walk to school through the graveyard wasn't fun.

One of the strange things that happen was the part of a junior youth who was nickname Burial Ground Horror who always visit the graveyard to eat and drink all the food and drink that were offered to the spirit of the dead.

These actions were so un-normal to some of us who had a mysterious mindset about the graveyard.

In all, it was an interesting and strange encounter.