Behind my apartment, are two cobblers who are Muslims by faith. They sleep late and wake early. They ensure they finish the first prayers before the cock releases its first ‘kposa’. If we have not returned from the town before their last prayers of the day, we know we are late and begin to judge ourselves.

I am taught by my parents to rejoice with those who are rejoicing and mourn with those who are mourning. In the same vein, I join the Muslims to fast when the time is ripe, the same way l keep faith with my Christian brothers and sisters.

I have been trying all within my powers to keep the present times with the Muslims, although I lack the financial wherewithal to buy fruits for breaking the fast in the evening. Sometimes, I look so weak before the time set aside for the breaking.

But those my neighbours are ever cheerful. They tell you that they have mastered the act of fasting. They give the impression that they have conquered hunger and they can stand five days of dry fasting. This I find difficult to believe. As a former ulcer patient, I eat at regular intervals.

However, during time of fasting, 1 ensure I keep the time with God since He is the giver of life and healer of all diseases. Friends and relations have tried and failed to convince me to be of one mind - if I want to be a Christian, I should show example of a good one. I grew up in the northern part of the country and 1 like the Muslims way of speaking the truth and the act of giving.

This is why 1 am close to my neighbours who at 6 a.m., they have set out for the day’s business with their little box, tucked away in their arm-pit.

Unknown to me, whenever these boys leave our neighbourhood, they eat anything. When they are coming home, they buy malt or minerals in their empty kettles – depending on the profit of that day. While they pretend to be washing vital parts of their bodies including their ‘bura’ with a kettle, filled to the brim with water, they sip from the other one containing soft drink. The content would sustain them for a period before we trudge out around 7 p.m. to break our fast. Experience garnered from the northern part of the country where I grew, taught me ‘that we break with fruits such as garden eggs, apples or banana. These boys do not. They eat eba straight away, leaving us to doubt the intestine God gave to them. These practice had been on for a long time and no one noticed that these boys cheat.

Last week, a lady stormed the compound very early to demand for her change. She was on top of her voice, forcing all of us to come out. We even mobilised other friends who we believed would join us to ward off the invader. We were disappointed at the end of it all.

The lady took us to an excursion where we discovered how the boys ate in her canteen on book me down. If not for patience, some would have stoned the lady. How does she explain a situation whereby men who were fasting are being accused of eating without paying cash for such food?

However, we were all stunned when the Mallam attempted to bolt before he was caught by the helm of his garment by the lady who was ready for anything including fight.

“You must pay all the money you are owing”, said the lady.

Whereupon a register was opened. The mallam was owing close to a thousand naira. Those of us who emerged from our bedrooms with stones, threw the objects away. Let the mallams carry their cross if any.

But I learnt one thing that day, that is; not all those who shout during prayer periods are truly muslims. Otherwise our neighbours would have been voted as the best muslims around. For me, I have decided that fasting is no longer for me until I regain my lost strength and chubby cheeks. It is even clearer that Christians do not do as muslims when it comes to fasting.

It easily shows on their feces when Christians are fasting. They show you their stomachs which had been sagged by hunger. they want you to even help in the area of money to buy what food is convenient for breaking. Some take more than three meals which they had been saving during fasting.

The question is whether Christ will find a true believer when he comes to rapture. Some will rupture while few others may rapture.

May God let me be on His side when He comes to collect His people, Amen.