After performing his sacrificial duty, Kaban found himself plagued by nightmares. Even long after the Feast of Sacrifice had passed, these nightmares haunted him, depriving him of restful sleep.
The first nightmare came about two weeks after the sacrifice, just as the last slices of meat had been consumed. This recurring dream became a torment he eventually shared with his wife.
***
Kaban was utterly shocked when an angel presented him with an animal.
“This is your family’s ride to paradise.”
Kaban stood stunned for a moment, then shook his head. “This isn’t our cow.”
“Yes, it’s not. This must be a mistake,” his wife chimed in.
“This must be someone else’s cow. It’s a mixed-up cow,” Kaban added.
“God doesn’t make mistakes,” the angel replied.
“But the cow we bought for sacrifice didn’t look like this. We bought an expensive, fat, and healthy cow. Its color was golden yellow, shining and smooth, like the sacrificial cow of Moses’ people. This is definitely not it,” Kaban said, stepping back and eyeing the cow before him with disdain.
“Yes, I was there. I witnessed it. When we bought it, I was with him,” his wife affirmed.
“Our cow looked more like that one,” Kaban said, pointing to another cow being ridden by another family nearby. “Not like this one!”
Kaban shuddered as he looked at the cow in front of him. It was emaciated, nearly devoid of flesh, with only bones wrapped in dry, dull skin. Even its tail was wrinkled and hairless. Most disturbingly, the cow had no head—just a body and spindly legs.