Daughter of Sheena (51)

2015-10-6

Daughter of Sheena-51
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

At night I packed my hold-all. Early morning, we would go to the office of Revolutionary Guard Corps. It was planned for the bus to move from there. We had sat in a great waiting hall. Mahdi was in my arms and Somayeh was in my mother-in-law’s. Khadija and Masumah also were with us. A movie was on TV until the bus was prepared to move. A woman came into and said loudly: “In front of entrance someone wants to see Mrs. Mohammadi.”

I gave Somayeh to my mother-in-law and ran toward the entrance.

Samad had stood on the stairs. Worriedly I asked: “What's happened?”

“Give me a reward to break good news to you!” he said.

I laughed and said: “All right. I’ll bring a souvenir for you.”

He came forward and said quietly: “This on-the-way baby brings good luck for us. Be careful with it.”

And as he looked at my abdomen, said: “How about we named it Qadamkhyr[1], if it was a girl.”

He knew that I didn’t like my name, so sometimes he would tease me. I said: “Don’t do that. Come on, tell me what’s happened?”

He said: “Our name has been announced for buying a car.”

I was pleased and said: “Congratulations! We will go to Mashhad by our car next time, God willing.”

Raising his hands toward the sky, he said: “Amen! God knows how much I wish to go to Mashhad for pilgrimage.”

Going back into the hall, I said to myself: “How nice! Samad is right. This baby really brings us good luck; First, my travel to Mashhad for pilgrimage, and now having a car. I wish to God that the third event will be good too.”

“Mrs. Mohammadi, again someone wants to see you by the door.” We still were watching movie, when that woman called me again.

Samad had stood there. I said: “What’s the matter again? Another good luck?!”

He laughed and said: “No, I just missed you. Let’s come to walk around together, until they prepared buses.”

I laughed and said: “Oh, Man! Shame on you, you don’t have any work to do?”

He said: “I’ll get by-the-hour leave.”

“What about the kids? They’ll bother your mom. She’s impatient.” I said.

He said: “We’ll go nearby; the tomb of Baba Tahir, for example.”

I said: “Ok. You go and get your leave and I also inform your mother.”

I went back into the hall and sat down watching movie. As if the movie was endless. Shortly after, that woman came into and said: “Ladies! Bus has prepared to move. Please ride.”

I hugged Somaye and my mother-in-law gave Mahdi’s hand. Khadija and Masumah had also clutched my Chador. My poor kids didn’t know that they were not going to Mashhad. They expressed their joy and wanted to ride the bus earlier.

Reaching to the yard, I saw Samad has stood waiting. He came forward and took Khadija’s and Masumah’s hand and said: “Qadamkheyr! I got leave, but it’s a pity we couldn’t go.”

My heart went out to him for sorrow. “No problem!” I said, “I‘ll cook dinner one night and go to the tomb of Baba Tahir, when I came back.”

Samad brought his head close to me and said: “Qadamkheyr! I wish you could put me inside your hold-all and take me with yourself.”

I said: “Now do you understand me? Look how hard it is.”

Women slowly got on the bus. We sat by the window. Samad had hold Khadija’s and Masumah's hand. My kids were crying and wanted to come with me. It was the first time that I left them alone. My throat was choked with tears. Everything I did, I couldn’t stop my crying.

I turned away, so my kids didn’t see my tears. Later, I saw Samad and kids have stood on the stairs and waved to us. I wiped my tears swiftly and laughed. When bus moved, I saw Samad held kids’ hand and were running behind the bus.

To be continued…