My First Day of Fasting

Since the beginning of Ramadan, I had been waiting for this day.

Every morning, when I woke up, Abi and Oummi had already eaten the meal before dawn, and I always asked them the same question:

"You didn't wake me up?"

Oummi would answer:

"You were sleeping deeply."

But this time, I had decided.

The evening before, I went into the kitchen and announced:

"Tomorrow, I'm fasting all day."

Abi looked up at me.

"All day?"

"Yes, until maghrib."

He smiled.

"So tomorrow is your first real day."

I was so happy that I immediately started preparing the meal before dawn, well... preparing was a big word, I mostly explained to Oummi everything I wanted to eat.

Eggs, bread, dates, a yogurt, a banana, and lots of water.

Abi looked at me.

"Are you planning to fast for one day or go three weeks into the desert?"

I answered:

"I prefer to be ready."

Before sleeping, I told Oummi three times:

"You'll wake me up, right?"

And twice to Abi, just in case.

When Oummi came to wake me, it was still night.

I opened my eyes, for two seconds, I didn't know why she was there, then I remembered.

The meal before dawn.

I got up almost immediately.

In the kitchen, the lights were soft, the house was silent, and Abi was already sitting at the table.

I don't know why, but I liked this atmosphere, everyone was sleeping outside, and we were awake for Ramadan.

I sat with them.

At first, I had announced that I was going to eat a lot, but in the end, at that hour, my stomach hadn't received the information.

Abi looked at me holding my spoon.

"So, the three weeks in the desert?"

"I'm working on it."

He laughed.

I ate what I could, I drank well, then the moment arrived.

My first day of fasting was beginning, and this time, I was part of it.

---

When I woke up later, my first thought was:

I'm fasting.

It made me smile.

I went downstairs.

My little brother was at the table with a piece of bread, he held it out to me.

"You want some?"

I answered proudly:

"I'm fasting."

"Oh yes."

A few minutes later, he came back with a cookie.

"You want some?"

I looked at him.

"I'm still fasting."

He thought.

"Even now?"

"Yes, even now."

He went away with his cookie.

The morning passed quite quickly, I read a little, I played, then I sat near Oummi while she recited the Quran.

Ramadan had always been special at home, but this year, I felt like I was experiencing it differently.

I knew that fasting wasn't just waiting for the evening to eat.

We fast for Allah, we abstain from what we could normally take during the day because Allah asked us to, and that thought pleased me.