Daughter of Sheena (53)

2015-10-21

Daughter of Sheena-53

Memories of Qadamkheyr Mohammadi Kanaan

Wife of Sardar Shaheed Haj Sattar Ebrahimi Hajir

Memory writer: Behnaz Zarrabizadeh

Tehran, Sooreh Mehr Publications Company, 2011 (Persian Version)

Translated by Zahra Hosseinian

Samad’s going to and coming back from Mecca took forty days. Ten days more also elapsed until he throw his parties. As the days passed, he became more impatient and said: “I'll go crazy. It is fifty days I haven’t heard about my guys. I don’t know in what situation they are. I should go soon.”

Finally he went to the front. I knew that I shouldn’t be waiting for him so soon. Once a forty-five days, he came back home, stayed a couple of days and then returned. Summer passed. Fall also came and went. It was winter of 1364. The last time he was on leave, I said to him: “Samad! This time you must be here. As you said, it is the last one!”

He promised. But until that day in my last month of pregnancy, he hadn’t returned. My kids drifted off after they ate their dinner. But I don’t know why I couldn’t sleep. I went to the house of our neighbor, Mrs. Darabi with whom I was on intimate terms. We had more comfortable association with each other, because her husband was in the front too. Often at night, either she would come to our house or I would go to hers. By mere chance, that night she had guest, her sister-in-law had come to visit her. Suddenly Mrs. Darabi said: “I think your baby is born tonight. Are you ok?”

I said: “I'm fine. No news.”

She said: “Do you want us to go to the hospital together?”

Laughing I said: “No ... this time, baby won’t born until Samad comes back.”

It was twelve o'clock when I came back to our house. “Lest Mrs. Darabi is right and baby is born tonight.” I said to myself.

Therefore, I cleaned rooms at midnight; put baby’s clothe and stuffs at hand. Then I went to sleep, but I couldn’t. Doorbell rang as I was rolling in my bed. I was pleased. I said myself it’s Samad. But Samad had a key. I opened the door. It was Mrs. Darabi. “I heard the sound of an ambulance siren,” She said, “so I thought you are at labor state and they have come to take you.”

I said: “No, nothing has happened at the present.”

Mrs. Darabi said: “I’m worry. I’ll stay with you tonight.”

Less than half an hour later, I really felt labor is coming to me. One hour later I got worse; so that Mrs. Darabi went to her house, woke up her sister-in-law, took her to my house and wanted her to take after my kids. Then she took me to the hospital by a car. They sent me to the delivery room as soon as examined me. A couple of hours later, baby was born.

The next morning the neighbors came to the hospital and brought me to my house. One of them cleaned the room, another one took after my kids, the other cooked and several of them also took care of me. Mrs. Darabi sent someone to inform Sheena and Haj Agha. It was afternoon when my Haj Agha arrived alone. He got upset when saw me in bed. “My dear daughter,” He said in Turkish, “Why have you lain here at the state of being stranger. You weren’t kinless.”

Then he sat next to me, kissed my cold forehead and said: “Why didn’t you tell us that your baby has been born. They said us you are sick! Sheena wasn’t fine too, and couldn’t come.”

That night, Haj Agha followed my brother-in-law, Shamsollah, who lived in Hamadan with his wife and asked Shamsollah’s wife to stay with me. Then he sent someone to bring Sheena and he himself did shopping.

A week

passed. Sheena was not feeling well and couldn’t help me. She sat next to my bed and cursed herself that why she can’t do anything for me. My Haj Agha sent Sheena to Qayesh when saw this state. My sisters also stayed two or three days and then went to their homes. Only Shamsollah’s wife was with me, when one of our neighbors came and said: “your husband is on the phone. He wants to speak with you.”

Shamsollah’s wife, Masumah, helped and dressed me a warm clothes and threw a Chador over my head. She took my hand and we went to neighbor's house. Breathing hard, I picked up the phone. From the other end Samad said: “Qadamkheyr, honey! Is this you?”

I said: “Hi.”

As usual, he began greeting as he heard my voice. He wanted to know if our baby was born or not, but, as if someone was with him and he felt ashamed; so he said non-stop: “Are you ok? Are you fine?”

Neighbor's wife and Masumah had sat beside me and I also felt ashamed to say “yeah, our baby was born”. I said: “I'm fine. How are you?! Are you ok?”

Gesturing, Masumah said: “Tell him that the baby has been born. Come on, Tell.”

I felt ashamed from our neighbor. Being choked up Masumah took the phone from me and after greeting with Samad, said: “Haj Agha! Congratulation, baby was born. Now, Qadamkheyr is fine and comfortable.”

Samad had been so excited that he forgot to ask about baby’s gender. He had said: “I’ll come back home tomorrow.”

From tomorrow morning I let my eyes rest on door. I got up hurriedly, as I heard any sound from the door and said that it must be Samad. He came back neither that day nor the next week. Two weeks passed and we heard nothing from Samad. Everyone had gone and I was single-handed with five kids, lots of work, shopping, cooking and cleaning. Mrs. Darabi was the only one who came from time to time to help me. But she also busied with her husband, who was wounded recently. Early in the morning she came to help me out a little, and then she went on to her works. Sometimes she took after my kids, so I could go shopping.

That morning, Mrs. Darabi had come to help me as usual. I was busy with my kids. She sat next to me and poured out her heart to me. Her husband had been seriously injured. On the other hand, she should continuously entertain their lots of guests. She was single-handed and was collapsing.

We were busy talking, when the door was opened out of blue and my brother came into. Mrs. Darabi and I shook with fear. My brother shut the door and went out, when he saw a stranger woman is in.

I got up and went to the doorway. Samad and my brother had stood at the foot of stairs. Hearing that we are greeting, Mrs. Darabi came out of room and went to her house.

My brother laughed and said: “Haji! You see. We thought that how hardship they suffer. Come on! They’re very happy. We were behind the door for half an hour and they are so busy talking that didn’t hear the sound of door.”

Samad said: “He is right. I don’t know why the key didn’t unlock the door. We knocked very much. Finally, we opened the door.”

Samad went toward our new baby, as he came into the room. He hugged the baby and said: “Hi! Are you girl or boy? I’m your daddy. You know who is unpunctual dad? It’s me.”

Then he looked at me, winked and said: “Qadamkheyr, honey! Sorry. As always I was unpunctual, unreliable or whatever you say.”

I just laughed. I couldn’t say anything in front of my brother. He looked at my brother and said: “Look, please ask your sister to forgive me.”

My brother laughed and said: “Don’t struggle with him. He’s innocent.”

As usual, children ran toward Samad as soon as saw him. Kissing and stroking kids, he asked: “What did you name it?”

I said: “Zahra.”

It was only then that he realized his fifth baby is a girl. “What a good name, O Zahra!” he said.