The floods have caused devastation and despair, yet they do not deprive humans of their ability to find solace and joy. Most mundane of things bring a smile to our faces in these times of national distress and here are two such incidents.
Bhoori the Swimming Cow:
When flash floods hit Kot Addu in the eastern Pakistan, it swept away many homes and among them it swept away the home of 70 year old Zainab Bibi. Thirty members of Zainab's family consisting her children and grandchildren were swept away while they were sleeping on roof tops to escape Pakistan's scorching summers.
Though the 70-year-old widow is optimistic about reuniting with them soon. For now, she only has the company of her cow, Bhoori.
“Allah Saeen Karam Karaisy na Bhoori?” (Allah Almighty will bless our Bhoori) says the woman in her native Seraiki as she addresses the cow which shakes its head in response.
“I was sleeping in the courtyard near the cattle pen while my sons and their families were present on the roof-top when a gush of water threw me up. Moments later Bhoori came from nowhere and I clung to her neck. We floated around for many hours and it was around Fajr (morning) that I finally felt ground under my feet. It was Bhoori that brought me to a dry spot from where our neighbours brought us here,” Zainab told Dawn near a relief camp on the outskirts of Muzaffargarh.
Residents of Kot Addu, Mahmood Kot, Sanawan and Gurmani where Zainab’s daughters lived had also taken refuge in the deserted residential colony which has several rooms without roofs and doors. None had a word about the missing daughters or sons of Zainab whose “heart says all her children are safe and would soon be with her”.
“I have made a pledge that once all of us have been reunited, I will first go to the shrine of Baba Pir Mitha with my children before returning to my village.” Ghulam Qadir, Lateef and four others of Khooh Keemaywala and Basti Chakkarwali too were away from their families when the floods hit but have since re-established contact with them.They shifted their cattle along an elevated portion of G.T. Road near Chenab Bridge some 10 days ago when flood water started surrounding their settlements on the small hills some eight kilometers away.
Source: Dawn News
The Two Brothers of Rajanpur:
This is the story of two brothers in Rajanpur, southern Pakistan. While the loss of lives, livelihoods, homes and businesses has been the main tragedy for most, the loss of their buffalo has been heartbreaking for these two kids.
The floods ruined homes and shelters, farms and livestock, however, the loss of their buffalo is the greatest for them which was the source of their daily ten liters dose of milk.
The house of Wali Muhammad, resident of Murghai village of Rajanpur district was swept away in the recent floods and with them the flood waters also took away the cow providing milk to his two children.
According to him, his seven year old son Sadaaqat Ali drinks 5 liters of milk daily and weighs 75 kg or 165 pounds. His other son, nine year old Bakht Ali drinks the same amount of milk and weighs 90 kg or 200 pounds.
Taking note of the event, the provincial home minister, Zulfiqar Mirza has ordered two cows from his personal stock to be delivered immediately to the affected family.
Source: Geo News
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