I Dared to Call Him Father: The Miraculous Story of a Muslim Woman's Encounter With God by Bilquis Sheikh

Author:Bilquis Sheikh [Sheikh, Bilquis]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Christian
ISBN: 9780800793241
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2003-04-01T00:00:00+00:00

What did it mean, this defection? Four servants quittingl In a town like Wah where any job was hard to come by, their decisions were hard to understand.

It was fear of course. Manzur was afraid because I asked him to get me a Bible and had him drive me to the home of missionaries. The other three Christian servants must have picked up his concern. They must have heard the rumblings of a volcano which would soon erupt and didn't want to be caught in the overflow.

But what about Raisham, this Christian servant who now began to brush my hair again? I could feel her graceful hands tremble as she started her work.

"And you?" I asked.

She bit her lip as she continued her brushing. "I probably shouldn't stay," she said softly. "It's going to be ..."

"Very lonely," I concluded her statement.

"Yes," she said, swallowing, "and ..:'

"And you're afraid. Well, if you left, Raisham, I wouldn't blame you. You have to make up your own mind, just as I did. If you do stay though, remember that Jesus told us we would be persecuted for His sake."

Raisham nodded, her dark eyes moist. She took a hairpin out of her mouth and proceeded to do up my hair. "I know," she said sadly.

Raisham was quiet the rest of the day. Her concern affected Nur-jan who was approaching quiet hysteria. The next morning when I awakened I could hardly bring myself to ring the little bell. Who would be with me now? My bedroom door opened slowly and Nur-jan came in. Then, in the near darkness of winter's early hours another form followed. It was Raishaml

Later, I told her how much I appreciated her staying. She blushed. "Begum Sahib Gi," she answered softly, adding the affectionate third salutation which means, May you have long life, "as you serve the Lord, so I will serve you."

With the rest of my Christian servants gone, my house became even quieter, partly because I did not replace them all. My needs were simpler now that no family came by. I decided not to rehire Christians for a while. I found a new chauffeur, a Muslim named Fazad and a new Muslim cook's assistant, but I hired no one else. I was especially glad for Mahmud who continued to play happily in the house or garden. I encouraged him to invite friends over from the village, which suggestion Mahmud accepted quickly. Most of the children were slightly older, five or six, while Mahmud was still only five. But Mahmud nevertheless was their natural leader; I didn't think it was simply that he was their host, rather that seven hundred years of leadership was in the child's genes and could no more be denied than could his limpid brown eyes.

How much of this heritage was I putting in jeopardy? How much of the boy's rightful family ties was I threatening? Just yesterday he had asked again when his cousin Karim was going to take him fishing. Karim had promised

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