Ahmed al-Zindani wakes up early every Thursday morning to head to the market, he buys the best produce as well as the best Khat money can buy, before heading back home.
At home, his wife works on cleaning the rooms and spraying beautiful scents around the house, lighting incense after preparing a variety of dishes for dinner. After dinner, in good Yemeni tradition, Ahmed and his wife start chewing Khat leaves, listening to authentic Yemeni, in a long romantic sitting lasting until the early hours of the morning.
Thursday evening with the wife is a "sacred ritual" for Ahmed — he forgets the headaches of the week, and enjoys intimate moments with his wife, that is a scared and sensual ritual for him, it washes the problems of the week and energizes him for the upcoming week. Thursday mornings, many Yemenis prepare for the day ahead by purchasing delicious foods and other necessities, while others prefer to go to the mountains to spend time there, taking a stroll along a river, before returning home after an adventurous and happy day to their beds, to spend a night of intimacy in the arms of their wives.
Most Yemenis, it should be noted, are not comfortable speaking about their private marital lives, often feeling uneasy when asked about the rituals of Thursday night. Despite the tragic economic and humanitarian crises produced by the war, most Yemenis are looking for happiness and joy, in their music, poems and folk songs, whether they be young or old — indeed, whether they be inside the homeland or residing abroad; In all cases, they remember Thursday night.
While the country's unmarried youth express their desire for marriage, the immigrants remember their families and the moments they spent with them. While Thursday night is fun and joy for couple living together, it can be hell for the lone Yemeni — whether residing inside of Yemen or abroad — and also for the youth who dream of marriage, with poverty standing as an obstacle between them and their dreams and aspirations.
