By Abdur Rahmaan Umar
"Hey. Wake up! Moe! What's the rush?"
'Where you…..rushing?' Huffed Yusuf, 'What's… the…big hurry?'
He panted as he caught up with Moosa, grapping him by the arm and roughly turning him around.
"Where's the fire, buddy? Never seen you move so fast before. Can't be for free cokes or anything like that," he laughed, "I mean, you fasting, no?"
Moosa slowed his stride just enough for Yusuf to keep pace with him but kept up his determined steps, "I gotta get to the musjid!"
"But Mahgrib's still an hour away," said Yusuf pointing at his watch, "Let's go and catch up on the cricket. Amla is doing some real magic, my man," he whistled, "and we don't want to miss out."
Moosa stopped, straightened his topee(hat) and waited for Yusuf to catch up, "I'm gonna turn my machine, that's where I'm chasing."
"What machine?" cried Yusuf holding on tightly to his arm not too keen to run behind him again "and in the masjid. You going to stir the Haleem degh (gigantic soup pot) or something. Maybe you becoming hypoglycaemic?"
"Stick out your tongue, let's see if you dehydrated or something,"
"Naah, I'm fine," objected Moosa brushing Yusuf's arm away and straightening his jacket, "just trying to do what Sheikh Hamaad said last night."
"Oops, I missed that one, was catching up the on the cricket. Hey, you should have seen Amla at the crease, he was..."
Moosa didn't wait for him to finish, " Sheikh was saying...imagine if there is machine that printed perfectly legal money. No hanky panky. Real stuff. And you were given the machine for a month.."
"So you saying," shouted Yusuf, rubbing his hands with glee, "A real money printing machine!"
"And this machine can be set on any note – Ten Dollars up to Five hundred Dollar notes, your choice."
"What choice, my man, we go straight for the five hundred Dollar notes. Let's go for the kill! We talking big bucks here."
"But..." started Moosa taking smaller steps in the hope Yusuf would follow.
"Ha!" exclaimed Yusuf, jumping in front of Moosa blocking his path, "I knew there was a catch! Too good to be true."
"Yup, the catch is that you have to turn the handle yourself. Manual Bro! No automatic stuff. And ....and," explained Moosa gently nudging his friend out of his way. "And you only have the machine for thirty days"
"Ok ok! So we got the deal... we got the machine and we turn the handle and out comes the bucks. Just needs some planning. Brains!" said Yusuf tapping his head, "We get food served at the machine and we just down some triple expressos to keep awake."
"Toilet, that may be a bit of a problem," he said scratching his head, "Maybe a bucket."
"The smell...the smell," laughed Moosa.
"We talking big money, we can live with the smell," replied Yusuf huffing a little as he struggled to keep pace. Adjusting his trouser did little to increase his pace. "So we turn this machine for thirty days straight and out comes the bucks, Right? Then we rich for ever! Neat deal"
"Hold on! Hold on! What has this machine got to do with Ramadaan or the machine?"
Moosa paused, "Sheikh was explain that this month of Ramadaan is like this machine. It generates great reward but we have to work at it. The more effort we make the more we get out. And…he said exactly what you said – if people knew the value of Ramadaan they would leave everything else. Even the necessities, never mind the cricket. And…we would work day and night to cash in on the generous rewards."
"Aah, now I understand," he said standing in front of Moosa, hands on his hips, "So we wouldn't lose anytime making the best of it."
"So... we need to get the most out of Ramadaan."
"Yup," nodded Moosa, "That's why I'm rushing to the muasjid. To turn the machine! Get the rewards of this month. Rather than waste it on watching cricket or useless talk."
"Makes sense to me, brother," smiled Yusuf, grabbing Moosa by the arm dragging him forward, "What we waiting for? Let's go turn the machine. We'll meet Hashim Amla after Ramadaan."
Moosa smiled and chased after his friend.
