I stood for a camel in my dream, or shall I say in my nightmare?..

Last night I had a weird dream.

I remember the dream clearly, I was in Kenya (no specific city) with some friends, attending a theater play by some Somali talented group (this narrows down the cities!), though the play was unique and in a way could be improved a lot (I was commenting all through the play) I was awed by the unique stage props they managed to bring into the play, where in they brought some horses and camels to the stage!!

After the unique play finished, the actors exit from the stage and only one camel in particular remained because it was so stubborn to move and they couldn’t evacuate it out.

A black security lady came in, with her firm frowning emotionless face and a strong hand she started punishing and whipping the poor camel, I was shocked by what I was witnessing. Suddenly, I saw milk dripping from the camel (apparently it was a female!) all over with none stop, but she continued whipping and the camel didn’t move an inch.

There were many remaining spectators at the audience section, but no one seemed to care!. I couldn’t tolerate the scene so I went down the stairs, straight to the lady.

I wasn’t sure whether she was a Somali or Kenyan (her features were confusing), so I spoke Somali first “maxaad u dilaysa miskiinkaan, miyanad ogeen inay tahay raxmaad in lo moojiyeoo xata xaywanka? ”

She looked un-bothered or disturbed, milk continued dripping down on the ground, (and no one even brought a container!! What waste)

She continued her job, trying to move the poor camel, by hitting and whipping.

I tried English and said “Ma’am why are you hitting this poor thing, with no mercy??? Can you not try evacuating it in some other way? ”

I was thinking “where are the damned actors who brought it in from the first place, aren’t they responsible for this creature’s suffering!”

She ignored me again, maybe she was deaf!!

“Was the pouring of milk involuntary action because of the unbearable pain??”  I thought.

So I started shouting fiercely and indiscriminately “STOP IT, STOP IT, YOU NEED TO STOP HITTING THE POOR CAMEL, YOU MERCILESS LADY WITH A HEART OF STONE!!”

I was so mad, by her action, by the silence of the audience who were merely bystanders unaffected by the scene, conversing with one another as if nothing is happening before their eyes. What bothered me most is the fact that they were Somali and a CAMEL was being abused right in front of them and they didn’t say a word!!.

I don’t know what happened nextto the poor camel because I woke up frightened from my sleep. It was a nightmare indeed!!