Daughter of Sheena (38)

Behnaz Zarrabizadeh

Daughter of Sheena-38
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

We came to Hamadan. I had left my house a few months. Everywhere was dusty and dirty. I was busy dusting and sweeping until evening. Happily and smiling Samad came home at night. He put a key into my hand and said: “This is the key of our own house.”
I kissed the key joyfully. Samad was looking at me and smiling. “Our house is ready.” He said, “Tomorrow morning we can move there.” Tomorrow morning we went to our house. We brought some furniture too. It was a beautiful house. It had two bedrooms and a small hall and kitchen. Toilet set was out, up the stair case, in front of entrance door. But bathroom was located in the hall. I danced for joy. I spread small moquette in the courtyard and sat down babies on it. I picked up a broom and started cleaning. The house had just been built recently and was dirty. Until noon, together we cleaned the glass and swept kitchen, hall, and rooms’ floor.
Evening, Mr. Shamsollah and his wife came together. With the help of few of his friends, Samad went and brought our trifling household goods and put them in the center of hall. Until midnight we arranged them. This house was bigger than the previous ones and I didn’t know where I can spread our only rug. “Do not be sad.” Samad said, “I floored whole house with moquette tomorrow.”
Early tomorrow morning, I got up and started to clean and tidy up the house. Shamsollah’s wife also helped me. Cleaning had been finished and everything had been arranged in their place till afternoon.
I turned on samovar afternoon, and then brewed tea. Shortly after, I went to courtyard with some cups of tea in a tray. Samad was sweeping and sprinkling water around. We spread small moquette next to the flower bed. Kids were playing around. We sat down and were busy talking and drinking tea. After a while, Samad got up, went into room, wore his clothes and came out and said: “I must go.” I asked: “Where?”
- “To the front.”
Sadly I said: “Why so soon!” He laughed and said: “Lady! You have had good time. I’ve come around one week. I had come home to stay one or two days. I just stayed because of this house. Thanks God, I am a load off my mind about having a house for ourselves. Now if I don’t return, you’ll have a house.”
Wanting to change words, I said: “When will you come back?”
He looked to the sky and said: “Just God knows when; if he wants, I’ll come back. If I don’t return, please take after our kids.”
He was tying the lace of his boots. As usual, I had stood next to him. He called his sister-in-law and said: “Miss! Please forgive me if I bothered you. These days you really helped us and bothered very hard.”
I saw him off up the alley. It had been night. Alley was very dark and silent. He walked off a little and I couldn’t see him anymore.

It was a month he had gone. I was busy with new house and Mahdi. One by one, the construction of new houses was finished and new neighbors were appeared. That day I went to the house of neighbor, who had just taken over their house, to congratulate them, when Khadija arrived and said: “Mommy, let's go. Uncle is on the phone and wants to speak with you.” I hugged Mahdi and didn’t understand how said goodbye and went to the house of next-door neighbor. They were the only ones who had a phone line on that alley. My husband's brother was on the phone. “Samad and I are going to go to Hamadan at evening.” He said, “I wanted to inform you.” It was very weird. Before his coming, Samad never informed us. I was very worried. I came home. I was in no mood to do anything. At one moment I consoled myself and said: “Sattar would have told me, if something bad had happened for Samad.”And on another moment, I said: “No, surly something bad has happened. Mr. Sattar wanted to prepare me.” Until evening I died a thousand deaths. By force I got up, cooked dinner and tidied up home. Little by little, it darkened. Minute by minute I sent kids to the alley to see if their dad is coming. I myself sat down behind the door and peeped alley now and then.
Seeing that I can’t wait like this, I took the babies, went out, and sat down in front of the house door. The city had been filled with the sound of Adhan. Tears had flowed on my cheeks. I begged God: “Oh God! I swear to you, please don’t make my children orphan. Mahdi still does not know his father well enough. Khadija and Masumah love their dad very much. See how restless they are and wait for their Daddy to come. Oh God! I want my husband safe and sound from you.”
I said these and wept; suddenly I saw two people are coming toward me up the alley in darkness. Limping in, one of them put his hand on the shoulder of the other one. I knew them when they approached a little. They were Mr. Sattar and Samad. I said: “Kids! Your Daddy comes.” and quickly wiped my tears with happiness.
Khadija and Masumah ran toward Samad screaming and wanted him to hug them. Their sound of laughter and saying ‘Dad, Dad’ made me cry. I ran toward them. Samad had been injured. Mr. Sattar said this. His foot had been hit with pieces of shrapnel. He had been hospitalized in Qom for several days and just discharged today. I ran into the house, lay down Mahdi into his cradle, and readied bedclothes for Samad. Then I returned to the alley and helped to bring Samad into house and lay him down. Kids did not leave him a moment. Masumah kissed his face and hand, and Khadija stroked his injured foot. Mr. Sattar gave Samad’s drugs to me and explained what time each one should be taken. He had some injections that must be injected one a day. Mr. Sattar himself stayed that night and nursed Samad until the morning; but he went the next morning.

To be continued…