Wondrous Journeys in Strange Lands by Sonia Nimir

Author:Sonia Nimir
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Interlink Publishing Group Inc
Published: 2021-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

10

MORNING STAR

Two blissful years in this little heaven passed like a dream with Ahmed. Then, one morning, I woke feeling tired, nauseous, and lacking an appetite. At first, I thought it was because of a change in the weather, or maybe because of the spicy foods Fattoum insisted on making. Or, maybe just normal exhaustion. But when I had the same feeling every day for a week, I realized I was pregnant.

Ahmed almost flew with joy, and tears filled his eyes. Immediately, he went overboard in pampering and watching over me. Fattoum went pale when she heard the news and gave an irritated smile. “Well,” she said. “And here I thought she was sterile!”

My pregnancy seemed to take ages, and I couldn’t wait until the child was born, and I could carry the baby in my arms. My husband brought a midwife from the city, and she moved into the house during the last month of my pregnancy in case of emergency.

When the time arrived, Ahmed refused Fattoum’s and the midwife’s orders to leave the room. Instead, he stayed by my side, holding my hand and wiping the sweat from my brow, whispering tender, encouraging words. The more I screamed in the throes of labor, the tighter he squeezed my hand. His face also showed signs of pain and distress, as though he were sharing in my labor. At last, when I felt the pain would tear me apart, I heard the baby’s cry—and suddenly I was overwhelmed by exhaustion.

I heard the midwife say, “She’s beautiful” and Ahmed say, “Let me hold her a bit,” his voice thick, as though he were about to weep with joy. Then I heard Fattoum’s voice say, with disapproval, “A girl!” and the sound of her footsteps as she left the room.

Ahmed put the crying child into my arms, and, despite my great exhaustion, the moment I felt her warm body, I knew I now had something precious, which all the world’s treasures could not equal. And that this child, with her crying red face and her closed eyes, was the loveliest and most sacred gift.

Ahmed sat beside me and held her little hand. Then he kissed my forehead.

“Thank you for giving me this most wonderful gift. What should we call her?” But before I could answer, he said, “Let’s call her Ajeeba, after you.”

“Please,” I said, “let’s give her a happy name. That name reminds me of years of misery and pain.”

“Look at her,” he said. “She’s like a precious jewel or a star shining in the sky! What do you think of naming her Najmat al-Sabah, after the morning star?”

My happiness with Najmat al-Sabah was indescribable in those first moments, and I felt a magical bond had been forged between us, a love like nothing else. It was enough to glance upon this innocent face and those amazing eyes, with their constant look of astonishment, to feel that the worries of the world had melted away. And although Ahmed brought in a wet nurse and a nanny, I refused to let anyone else care for her.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.