In a world of shattered glass, broken people fused themselves together to become whole. A husband and wife completed their days in union with each other. The husband dried the dishes from dinner. The wife prepared a roast. It was the usual, weekly routine in this household.
A song played, “You’re my hope and my beloved…”
The singer’s voice was like an open window – a breath of fresh air. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. An unexpected guest arrived. He said, “I’m in need of a place to stay.”
The wife said, “Please come in.”
The guest, a weary traveler, introduced himself, “I’m Nas, a photographer, just visiting the area.”
The wife said, “I’m Malkie. This is my husband, Mendy. You’re welcome to stay with us for a night or two.”
Nas broke down and moped, “My camera was stolen. My life is ruined. I lost so many photos.”
The lady of the house offered hope. “We can take you to the store tomorrow to buy a new camera. You’ll be reunited with your old photos in the world-to-come.”
Mendy, the man of the house, inspired confidence with his statement: “Nothing happens outside the will of HaShem.”
Malkie got the guest room ready for Nas. She moved furniture, cleaned the adjacent bathroom, and made the twin-size bed. Mendy shared what was left of dinner with their grateful visitor, who chomped on the food.
After a night of peaceful sleep, the three of them visited a camera store the next morning. In the used section, Nas came across his digital SLR. He did not expect to see his camera ever again. He was thrilled. He asked the shop clerk if the memory card was still in the camera. The clerk replied that the camera arrived yesterday with an almost full memory card. Out of curiosity, the store clerk held onto the memory card. He planned to erase it later that day.
“Wait, I can prove that’s my old camera. I’m in some of the photos. My camera was stolen.”
The shop clerk was astounded. He looked at the photos in the camera. They were exceptionally done – well-composed, well-lit. As Nas promised, some of the photos included him.
At no cost, the shop clerk handed over the camera to Nas. This stroke of good luck was better than what Nas had prayed for. He was elated. He returned to Mendy and Malkie’s home to take pictures of them to say thank you. They worked on portraits that afternoon and invited friends, couples from the neighborhood, to join in the photography session.
Nas became very popular in this small town. He became legendary, a well-known name. Years later, after his coffee table book was published, he mailed a copy to the couple who hosted him when he was down and out on his luck. They said they wanted to visit him in-person, so they booked a flight and arrived at his doorstep.
“Now it’s your turn to host us,” Mendy said. “I love your photos. It looks like your career really took off.”
“Yes, I’m blessed. Thank you for your good deeds. I’ll always remember your generosity.”
“It’s our pleasure.”
“Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said that we should be in this world as if travelers. This is not our final destination. Each one of us is on a journey.”
You never walk alone.
- Yerusalem Work
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