Just Another Manic Eid Day..Continued..

Although we arrive on time, the rush is crazy at Al-Farooq (Mosque) as Eid is on a Sunday this year. There is no parking so Ajee drops us off by the entrance. This takes a few minutes. Abba helps me get Yusuf out, while Amma gets Nani Amma out, Phuppi is carrying the bags and shawls. As I am getting the diaper bag out, I rip half of my right thumb nail..OUCH!!!..The officer wants us to hurry up as there are many cars behind us. So I take the baby from Abba, with my diaper bag (Thank heavens it’s a backpack) on my back and Isa holding my hand with the throbbing thumb and make my way to the ladies section with Amma, Phuppi and Nani Amma. We take off our shoes. Nani Amma and Amma take the elevator; Me and Phuppi decide to take the stairs as the line is too long.
We finally make it upstairs and re-unite with Nani Amma and Amma. There is absolutely NO Space. We all try going from room to room in hopes of finding Nani Amma a chair but with no success. We then run into Warda (My sister-in law) who finds a space just for Nani Amma beside her in the main hallway. The rest of us are still looking around for space in the midst of chaos, just then Nida (my other sister-in-law) calls me from the basement to tell me that there is some space and chairs downstairs. What awesome news!! I look back to find my clan but have lost all of them due to the stampede of women dragging me towards the door. So not able to take the claustrophobia anymore I go down two flights of stairs with the kids and find the room that Nida is in. In my excitement of being able to breathe and pray in peace I go in and wave to her, but this woman at the entrance does not let me enter the room and asks me to take the back door and not come in front of the women. "Really...are you serious lady??".. not wanting to cause any drama I go out looking for a back door that doesn't exist (At least in my world)..By then it's too late any ways as the Imam is calling for the Eid prayer. So I just sit right there with my kids and diaper bag, take out Yusuf's blanket and start praying on the cold white marble floor by the stairs, where some other women had decided to pray as well.
As soon as the prayers are over I take the kids outside to the courtyard of the mosque, where the mad-rush continues. Some girl then steps on my foot with her heels and breaks my sandals. Another OUCH!! Moment...(only the second one for the day, the 3rd one happened when my glass bangle broke and scratched the skin off the top of my left hand). .Btw my thumb nail by now is completely out and is bleeding profusely as well, the baby is in one arm, Isa is holding the other (asking for his dad repetitively) and I am literally dragging my feet towards the water fountain in hopes of finding some family member. Right then I see Abba and I breathe a sigh of relief. He wishes me Eid Mubarak and takes Yusuf from me, I then run into Hasan who takes the diaper bag, after which Amma comes to my thumb's rescue with a band-aid that she digs out of her gigantic purse. I finally see Ajee smiling and coming towards us, he gives me a big "Eid Mubarak" hug and takes Isa! I forget all my worries and look forward to spending a fun Eid with my Wonderful Family! MA!