Two days ago, the camel figurine which I had kept for 2 years (and 23 days, to be exact) was broken. One moment my niece was holding it.. the next moment, I heard a thud, and there it was, on the floor, the body had lost its head. Most probably she had thrown it - I am not 100% sure coz I was looking at another direction.

I don't know why I kept this figurine for very long. It was the only one in the house - the rest are plush toys.. teddy bear, donkey, elephant, among other animals.. belonging to my niece - and there has always been that tug at back of my mind: I should not keep any figurines, otherwise the angels would not enter my home. But every time I considered discarding it into the bin, I stalled. For nostalgia.

I got the mini camel at a souvenir store at the base of Mount Sinai. There was a row of shops still open in the middle of the night. 2 of my friends wanted to buy batteries for their torchlights. We went to a shop manned by a Christian Arab (I immediately assumed that he was Christian because the displays in his shop were mainly Christianity-related stuff). I remember he complimented one of my friends' looks (she was not wearing a niqab) and gave each one of us a friendship band. And pieces of rock imprinted with shapes of trees; supposedly when God was about to reveal Himself upon Moses' request, the trees in the vicinity were so shaken with fear that they ran and hid behind/in rocks. I don't know how true the story is, and, even if it is, how authentic the rocks that were sold at the shop were. Well, never mind that. The shopkeeper was nice and friendly.. it was just a short encounter, yet I will remember his pleasant demeanor forever :) Oh, and one camel figurine. My friends did not want it.. they insisted I take it, as memory of my visit to Sinai.

Now that it's damaged, I'm feeling somewhat relieved; now I have a good reason to throw it away. And a bit sad.

So, ummm..

Goodbye, dear mini camel~