There is an Arabic restaurant along KL City walk which is just behind my office. It used to sell Arabic food inside the restaurant. I went to eat there once, took the roasted chicken and rice. It was tasty but nothing outstanding.
The shop was quite quiet when I went there. I didn't think the business were doing very well, considering the rental and location. The mood was kind of sombre. I must admit that I thought they would not last long. The Malay has a saying that describe the situation quite aptly, "Hidup segan, mati tak mahu"
Then one day as I walked past one Monday morning, I saw to my shock and horror that the restaurant was was burned down. The kitchen was totaled, leaving just the outside tent that houses a few tables. I saw distraught faces on the owners and workers. It looked as if they have just had their entire life savings up in smokes. I am sure rental is still due and they have no restaurant - no kitchen.
After a couple of days, I saw that restaurant area has been cordoned off with wooden boards. And outside, they placed their dishes on the food display cabinet, almost right on the pathway / sidewalk. It looked like a desperate effort to salvage whatever is left before leaving for good.
It has been weeks since and the restaurant is still not fixed and does not look like it is going to be fixed anytime soon. But something is different. I said earlier that it "used" to sell Arabic food in the restaurant; well that is no longer the case because it seems that now it is selling Arabic food in the TENT outside the restaurant.
But something is indeed is different. The crowd in the tent, eating the Arabic food is growing and tables are almost full if not full all the time during lunch. Indeed business has been different since and I myself have visited the place 4 times within a span of one month, fast making myself a regular visitor.
And today i grab hold of the owner, an old man in his 60s I think, and asked him directly. Sir, can I ask you a question? Yes please, sir - he replied in his Middle Eastern dialect. "Is your business better before the fire or after the fire?" I asked.
He replied with a big smile, "After the fire" and added "it is all from Allah".
The takeaways are these:
1. Don't give up when you seem to have been out
2. Divine intervention works in ways beyond your immediate comprehension.
When something bad has happened to you, don't give up. Lament for a while, grief a little and then quickly dust yourself off and pick yourself up. You don't know the future but you should know your capabilities and limits (which we underestimates all the time). If the owners of the restaurant gave up when the fire hit him, he would not have the great business he is enjoying now.
Something bad happened as a lesson or a guidance. A Muslim must admit that for no action can happen without Allah's permission. Some people call it divine intervention. It might look bad at the beginning but consider this.
If not for the fire, the restaurant would not have displayed their food outside the restaurant. No one would be able to smell the delicious aroma of the food and would not be compelled to even try it. Now that the food is outside, people smell and see with their eyes how delicious it smells and looked. That converted many to try the food and upon finding that it is delicious and reasonable, they start to bring their friends around. The kebab, which was grilled inside before, gives the ambiance of an open-air barbeque, adding to the attraction.
Because of the fire, I see more of the family members of owner at the shop, cajoling people to try their food. It seems that the shop is getting more hands and it is great for business. More hands means livelier ambiance and faster and better service. More reason for people to go there.
And after the fire I also see that more and more middle eastern customers patrons the restaurant (more like patrons the tent). It may have been that the news of the fire broke out in the community and many starts to visit the place to show support. But hey, that means free advertising.
On the whole, I admire the resilience of the owner, not to give up. And am truly amazed (not surprised) by the divine intervention and guidance of Allah.
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