The Days without Mirror (Part 25)

2019-5-21

The Days without Mirror (Part 25)

Memoirs of Manijeh Lashgari; The wife of released pilot, Hossein Lashgari

Edited by: Golestan Jafarian

Translator: Zahra Hosseinian

Tehran, Sooreh Mehr Publications Company

‎2016 (Persian Version)‎

Sometimes I thought that the existence of Mohammad Reza was somehow made distance between Hossein and me. Hossein spent much time for Mohammad Reza, almost all the time he was at home. When Mohammad Reza slept after lots of playing, Hossein was so tired of accompanying him in playing that had no energy. So, he immediately fell asleep because of fatigue and I knew that tomorrow we had a busy day again.

I was worried about Mohammad Reza; Hossein was nurturing a selfish boy. He allowed him to do everything he wanted. He liked, for example, to break a few cigarettes in half. Once I saw he has crushed two packs of cigarettes. I protested to Hossein: ‘Why don’t you say anything to him?’ He said: ‘he likes it, leave him alone.’

One of the things that made me to have heart in my mouth was that Mohammad Reza liked to sit in Hossein’s lap during driving. Hossein also sat him down in his lap behind the wheel and he himself controled it, so that Mohammad Reza felt he was driving the car and enjoying deeply. Whatever I warned, ‘Hossein, this’s really dangerous’, he did not care.

Hossein and Mohammad Reza went out together every day. And Mohammad Reza returned home with ten CDs and several toy cars.... Every several months, I had to collect those toys which had become repetitive for him and took them out of his room.   

Most of the time, he did not eat the food I made. ‘BabaHossein, order pizza for me!’ he said. Hossein, if it was ten o'clock at night, went out and bought it. ‘Hossein, honey, don’t do it,’ I told him, ‘this kid must learn to eat the same food we have.’ But Hossein did not accept and said, ‘take it easy darling, he wants pizza.’

Early on, I accompanied them when they went out. But later on, I did not, I got tired. When Hossein took Mohammad Reza, let us say, to Milad-e Noor mall, they both spent three or four hours walking in first floor, second floor, third floor… and the last floor that was a restaurant where they dinned. Sometimes Hossein rang me and suggested; ‘We’re in the restaurant, do you like to join us?’ I said, ‘No, you know I don’t eat dinner, honey.’

All habits of Mohammad Reza had become like Hossein; he ate like him; he walked like him, he slept like him, and... Wherever we went, everybody commended, ‘Mr. Lashgari, how much Mohammad Reza likes you.’ hearing this, Hossein rejoiced and walked on air.

I got mad at both of them little by little. When we went to a party with Mohammad Reza, he did not greet with anybody. He did not play with other children in the family and wanted all toys to belong with him. I protested to Hossein, but he did not care and said, ‘Now this kid should have everything he wants. That’ll make him feel confident.’

In the yard, some of the dwellers had dog and walked them in the ground. Mohammad Reza approached them and tried to thrust his fingers in dog’ eyes. He ran after cats. I did not permit Ali to approach cats and dogs when he was a child. We both ran away as soon as we saw a dog. Mohammad Reza insisted to buy a dog for a while. Ali agreed, because he believed that it’s a good idea because Mohammad Reza would be entertained and did not put us to trouble. But Hossein knew I hated the cats and dogs. ‘Mohammad Reza,’ he explained to him, ‘Mamana hates dogs. The dog shouldn’t be in the apartment. If one day we buy a house that has a yard, I will certainly buy a dog for you. Then we’ll build a wooden dog house in the yard.’

If Hossein told Mohammad Reza, ‘Listen to Mamana,’ he did, otherwise it was impossible to do what I asked him. Both of them had driven me crazy. I told Hossein, ‘You nurtured a selfish and spoiled boy.’ he said, ‘you have raised Ali; he’s introverted and self-contained. I want Mohammad Reza not to be so. He should be brave. He should be able to express easily what he wants.’

It was like that Ali transferred all his paternal rights to Hossein. He laughed and said, ‘I don’t interfere in Mohammad Reza’s nurturing; he’s BabaHossein's son.’

After two years working in the Studies and Research Bureau of the Air Force, Hossein sought to be retired. ‘The environment torments me. I'm flight man; I can’t sit at a desk. I feel I’ve no efficiency!’ He said.

Hossein had found some friends during several visits at the Steel Company. He began working as advisor of the board of directors for a while. However, after two years, he withdrew due to fatigue and his physical condition and also for the sake of Mohammad Reza. Since then, he became honorary managing director of our apartment building, i.e. the Pardisan apartment building, without being paid any salary and allowance. He organized the apartment building and most of the dwellers were satisfied with the created order and good conditions.

When Mohammad Reza was five years old, we enrolled him in a well-known local kindergarten with his choice. Ali went to clinic at 7 o'clock in the morning, but whatever he tried to wake Mohammad Reza and drove him to the kindergarten, was in vain. Mohammad Reza did not like to wake up early in the morning. Finally, Ali got tired and went out. Mohammad Reza slept until 10:00 in the morning. One day, the principal of kindergarten phoned me and said, ‘Mrs. Lashgari, Mohammad Reza came when the Foreign Language and Painting classes had been over! This’s not good.’ I communicated these words to Hossein, and he spoke with the principal, ‘I sent my grandson to kindergarten to have pleasure time. I just wanted he socializes with other kids. I don’t really agree he participates in different classes.’

Therefore, because Mohammad Reza slept late at night, he had the right to be awake at nights until whenever he wished and to be slept until 9:00 or 10:00 in the morning. Then, he had a light breakfast and went to the kindergarten with Hossein. Hossein took him to the kindergarten and then went to the office of the apartment building. In the afternoons, when coming back home, Mohammad Reza told Hossein all the events happened in the kindergarten in detail. Hossein enjoyed; as if the tolerance and patient of this man had no end.

To be continued…