“Dancing Through the Fire . . .” By Nuzhat Shahzadi

On the last loop of my walk, I entered the CVS drug store. CVS is about point 8 miles from our home. I picked my vitamins and then started walking around the isles . . . wasn't looking for anything in particular––just browsing. Even after the Covid era recovery (sort of), often shelves are empty due to lack of stock––supply chain issues or Trump-tariff.

This wasn't supposed to happen in America!

When I returned to the US in 2015, I was trying to wean myself off from the years of constant struggle with scarcity of everyday necessities . . . in Afghanistan . . . Kiribati . . . (also sometimes in civil conflict torn Nepal and Sri Lanka) . . . But old habits die hard! I couldn't let go––my tendency was to buy and stock (sort of, sometimes).

"Mom, forget your hardship-days. This is America––a land of abundance. Stores are always full. . . . you can buy anything, anytime . . ." my son used to joke, remind me I was in safe-waters.

And then what happened in 2020?? The mad rush to stock everything . . . hours and hours on the computer looking for slots to place orders for grocery online as we avoided going out to escape getting infected by Covid virus. Shadow of death loomed . . . People were lining up for free food, fighting over a toilet roll . . . We were scared . . . injecting bleach to cleanse the body of the virus as advised by Trump was like a crazy-horror show. . . we went underwater in every way.

. . . At these current times, mass firing of government employees, cancellation of federal contracts, closing down of development agencies, dismantling of the education department, national guards and ICE agents (US immigration and custom enforcement) engaged in deportations, insane tariffs, etc., etc. are factors pushing the country towards greater economic and social hardships.

I see empty shelves everywhere ––eggs are on the run . . . prices of many other necessities are rising . . . some products have become scarce or are totally out of stock.

. . . I kept browsing the shelves in CVS. There were empty shelves––here and there . . .

"Can I help you?" I turned to a pleasant voice only to discover a pleasanter smiling face. It was a young, Asian woman. She was so eager to assist that I had to say something . . .

"I am looking for a purple -shade lipstick," I answered. I wasn't looking for it at that moment, though.

"I am Saana. Let's look together," she smiled again. I spotted her staff badge.

She walked with me to the cosmetic isles . . . CVS doesn't carry hi-fi brands . . . it's more geared to the general-mid-level-economy population. We checked Revlon, Cover Girl, Loreal, Maybelline products . . . the colors didn't match . . . finally she coaxed or convinced me to try the NYX brand (acquired by Loreal) . . . their purple shade was exactly what I wanted.

"Are you from Pakistan or India?" I was curious. Her English was good.

"I am from Afghanistan. Kabul."

"Haley shuma chotur aasth," I greeted her in Dari, elated. Many memories of my time in Afghanistan rushed into my brain. I told her about Herat––faded into a fairy tale now.

Saana and her family of 3 sisters and two brothers came to the US in 2024 as refugees. Only the oldest sister was already in England, married.

Saana was a medical student in Kabul. Her parents don't work due to language barriers but all her siblings are working in retail stores.

"I want to save money to go back to medical school. It's very expensive here, I know but I don't want to give up on my dream of becoming a doctor." Saana's voice held determination, courage.

I told her about the other Afghani young people I have met at the Home Depot, Safe Way, Giant and similar stores.

According to Google:

"While an exact, up-to-date figure is unavailable, estimates from 2022 and 2024 suggest the greater DC area has a significant population of Afghans, with at least 17,700 people of Afghan ancestry in the DC-Baltimore metro area as of 2019 and potentially a few thousand newly arrived refugees after 2021. The DC area is considered the metropolitan region with the largest population of recent Afghan immigrants in the U.S. following the Taliban's return to power."

We talked about the current situation in Afghanistan.

"Taliban are okay with men. Their problem is women . . . girls. They want us to be invisible," I heard some sadness in Saana's voice. "I love my country, I miss it. But I can't survive there. We can't speak freely . . . move freely . . ."

Can we speak freely in America? Can we move freely in America?

Even late-night show comedians are targeted for their free speech laced with political humors National guards have been deployed in 17 States and the District of Columbia––the capital. They challenge anyone who isn't white.

We are dancing through the fire . . . Only stubborn audacity can save us now . . .