The Ignorance over My Bleeding Vagina

“Let’s sit on that corner today.” He signed for us to move to the end of the alley-cum-madrasa right by the aluminum wall that separated our class from the fish lady-stand on the other side of the neighborhood. 

“Today we are going to talk about haydh.” He was the pseudo-expert on menstruation. “No being embarrassed,” Maalim continued. “Let us start off by turning to page seventeen of our books. I picked up a couple of Arabic words here and there as they rolled out of my mouth. I recognized the words women, wash, blood, prayer and a couple others.

“No praying during your periods,” our religion teacher went on as he listed the do’s and the don’ts of menstruation. “No fasting. But remember that these days that you miss fasting will have to be paid back before the next fasting month in the following year.”

 “You can wear nail polish during your periods since you will not be praying.” Maalim continued, “But I suggest that you do not since everyone will know that you are on your period then.”  And my next favorite rule, no divorcing when she is bleeding. After all, that would very suicidal for the man.  One major reason why a Muslim husband should always know his wife’s menstrual cycles. Just in case.

“Another thing that is completely haram,” he adjusted his kanzu, the white robe, as he switched sitting positions from one leg to the other, “there should be no sexual intercourse during menstruation.” Apparently God severely punishes those that do so.  “Have you ever come across the really white people?” He continued, “Not the wazungu (Caucasians). The other white ones, they are called albinos.” We all stared at him a little confused, we knew want albinism is but how did this find its way into the menstruation class.

“That is what happens when you have sex during your menstruation, you get an albino baby.”