Daughter of Sheena (4)

Behnaz Zarrabizadeh

Daughter of Sheena-4

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

Chapter 3
That evening, when guests left, my father told my mother: “I still don’t agree with marrying Qadamkheyr off, God knows. I do not know how the case ends up in this. It was my cousin's fault. His crying really made me to stand on ceremony. He sighed and with a lump in his throat said that if my son was alive, do you permit Qadamkheyr marry him? Now, think Samad is my son.”
The son of my father’s cousin had died several years ago in adolescence. After many years, he would still criy whenever he remembered his son, and his sorrow made others sad. Now, he had taken advantage of this and had got my father's consent.
It is our custom in Qaysh that family’s elders and men sit together and reach an agreement before the engagement ceremony. They determine the Mahr , estimate wedding expenses and other shopping, and then put them down on paper. This paper is given to the groom's family. The groom's family signs the paper, if they agree with expenses, and then it is sent to the bride's family with a gift.
That night I prayed that my father specified Mahr and wedding spending at most, so that the groom’s family wouldn’t accept it.
One of the very my father’s guests bore that paper to Samad’s father home, the next morning. At the same time I found that my father has determined fifty thousand Rials for Mahr. Samad’s parents didn’t agree with charges which my father stated, but Samad had become upset, as soon as he saw the amount of Mahr and said, "Why so little? Increase the amount of Mahr.” His family had opposed. Samad had insisted and added another fifty thousand Rials to the Mahr, and had signed the paper himself.
That evening, a member of his family brought the signed paper with a length of cloth to us. I was disappointed. My father simply said yes to my first suitor and married his last child off.
A few days later, the engagement ceremony was held in our house. The men were sitting in one room and the women were sitting in the other room. I've been hiding in storeroom in a corner of yard, wept bitterly. Khadijah had been following me everywhere until she finally found me there. She began to advise me when she saw me in that deplorable state: "Honey! What do you mean by this behavior? Don’t be such a child. You are fourteen years old. All the girls in your age wish that a boy like Samad to marry them. What’s wrong with Samad? He has a good parent and family, doesn’t he? If you don’t get marry this year, you must get marry the next year. Sooner or later, every girl has to get marry. Who’s better than Samad. Do you think you will find a better husband than Samad, in this small village? Are you waiting for a prince who comes from the other side of the world, gets your hand, and takes you into the palace of dreams?! Don’t be mad, girl! Do not spoil your chance. Samad is a good guy. He saw you and fell in love with you. Come on! Don’t do anything that makes them to regret. They’ll say then this girl must have a defect, so you’ll stay at your parent’s home for life.”
My sister-in-law’s words made me calm a little. Khadija took my hand and we went into the yard together. She drew water out of a well, poured it into round tub, and washed my face and my hands, as if I am a little baby. Then, she took me to the room. I felt shameful very much. My hands and feet were frozen and I heard my heartbeat. My sister stood up and threw a red scarf over my head as she saw me. Everybody applaud and sang songs in Turkish. But I did not feel anything about my engagement. I was praying for the guests soon leaving, so I could see my father. I was sure that as soon as he caressed me, all my worries will be disappeared.
A few days elapsed. It was a morning of spring day. I had stood in the yard. It was very large, surrounded by rooms, and had two doors. One of them would open to the alley and the other to a garden that we called it parterre.
Parterre was full of fruit trees. I took it into my head to go there. The parterre had been lush green and beautiful. The trees were sprouted, and under pleasant spring sunshine, their little leaves shined. Seeing this green nature and feeling pleasant air then was enjoyable, after leaving behind the cold winter. Suddenly, I heard a sound. It was like someone called me behind trees. First I was afraid and surprised. The sound became clearer, when I cocked ears little. Then, above the short wall behind the trees someone jumped into parterre. A shadow ran toward me and stood in front of me, so far as I wanted to have a go. I could not believe it. It was Samad. He said hello happily. I was embarrassed. I moved my Chador on my head and without saying anything or even hello to him, I looked down, ran for my life and went into the yard. I climbed up the staircase, went into a room and locked the door.

To be continued…