Part 26: Sweet memories and moments still to be

Today I have to put the finishing touches to Imraan's anniversary gift. It took me forever to figure out what to give him.

I know there are old English sayings about first anniversaries being paper and modern sayings about giving clocks...

Some people would say that following these traditions are haraam...
Others would say that its all about the intentions behind everything...

My MiL says its all a paaya wasting scheme...

I just think that celebrating the anniversary of the day you made Nikaah is a wonderful thing. Nikkah is such a huge act of Ibaadah, its the completion of half your deen. In the current time, with divorce so rife, every year together is definitely worth celebrating, besides, day to day, we get so caught up in everyday life that we forget to tell our partners how much we do value them.

 having a day to celebrate each other, is special and perfect for al the right reasons.

I know Imraan's taking me out for lunch. he wanted to know if I don't mind going for lunch instead of supper because we need an early night ahead of our traveling on Sunday.

I am cool with that, I get very tired even though I'm so early in my pregnancy. Growing two babies is hard work.

I decided to do a light breakfast in bed for Imraan...his favourite breakfast menu on a tray in bed, should start the day just right.

For his gift, I really struggled. I wanted something meaningful...something that not only showed my appreciation for our (short) past but also all the hope for our future together.

 It took me awhile, but I think I came up with  gift Imraan would definitely 'get' and appreciate.

I purchased a black horizontal panel frame that could hold 6 pictures.
 I found a picture on my phone of our hands when he put the engagement ring for me, I edited the picture and added the words "our journey began..." at the top.

Next I took a picture from our walima day, it was a close up of a rose Imraan had given me, the picture showed of our wedding rings, I added text below "...as sweet as the fragrance of a rose."

For the third picture i choose an image off the net of a couples hands with two little hands resting in theirs, i faded it into a background image and wrote over it "our journey continues with a sweet promise"

For the next two frames I made two photo size text boxes saying " I look forward to making...", "...many more memories of special moments..."

For the last picture I faded an image of two old wrinkled hands clasped together, I wrote over them "as we grow old together."

After I printed it, I was quiet pleased with the final effect...it was perfect, past, present and future, Insha'Allah.

I also got Imraan a silver branded watch I saw him admire, it was very elegant and masculine at the same time, it had no numbers or date on the face, just the hands...i added a little card to say "for the hours, minutes and seconds we spend that can't be measured...because they simply fill my heart with love."

I am all set for tomorrow...i can't believe its been a year! I made a cute BBM display pic to put up tomorrow as I daydreamed....

I am all set for tomorrow!

unfortunately, looking at the empty suitcases waiting to be packed, I can't say I'm ready for Sunday!

Leme get to it, then...

Part 25: The Calm after the Storm

The days following Dadis departure saw a kind of hush falling over the household. My MiL was filled with a mixture of relief and shame I think. Her subdued personality was a welcome relief for me in a way.

After Saturday mornings damaal, I almost forgot about Imraam's news, but we finally got a chance to talk. He explained that the firm was opening a smaller branch in KZN and he was the top consideration to head the office and team.

His eyes sparkled with excitement as he told me that such an offer was a huge deal at any stage but to be considered this early in your career for such a responsibility was almost unheard off.

All the details were still abit sketchy, but they wanted to let him in on the plans early so he could be part of the planing process.

I am just so so proud of him, I know it would mean longer hours and even more dedication but this is the time for us to work and set up our lives.

I was thrilled for him, Alhumdulliah.

He told me the next few weeks were going to be really hectic and even though his leave had been approved for our trip to Malawi, he was really having second thoughts now.

But, eventually we decided to go. if he took this promotion and with the babies on the way, it might be our last chance for a holiday for a while yet.

I spent most of the week planing and organizing a baby shower for Nasreen. The only upside to my tardiness was that it was truly going to be a surprise shower, she wouldn't see this one coming at all!

Instead of formal invites, I got a digital invite made by Trendy Invites, I found them on facebook and they made the cutest invite to match my candy stripe theme. So I just BMM'd and emailed that out to all our cousins and Nasreen's friends and family. Luckily Sabera was helping me quiet abit and Dilnaas offered to sort out all the food stuff from her side, Dilnaas and Nasreen got along surprisingly well...i never would have thought.

So there's just a few things left to do before we fly out on Sunday. Our flight from King Shaka International was very early in the morning and we had a brief stop over at OR Tambo before boarding a flight to Malawi.

I am really looking forward to this trip, I can't wait to meet Saleema and see some of the places she had on an itinerary for us.

The weekend after we get back, we'll be hosting Nasreen's Baby shower at Dilnaas's Durban holiday flat (lol) , hope Nas stays pregnant till then.

Saturday is a very important day for Imraan and I, its going to be .... exactly one year since we married, Alhumdulliah! I can't wait!

Part 24:leopard print tights and ice blue eyes

I got there just in time, everybody was gathered in the front hallway, my FiL was standing at the doorway, remote in hand to jopen the driveway gate.

My MiL was not happy, she was adding to the noise pollution by saying aloud all the questions everybody else had too, no doubt.

"Zohra, nice to see you but you should have called", my FiL greeted his small sister, sarcastically.

Imraan's Choti Foi, Zohra, was the 'Black Sheep' of the family, I only met her twice in the year that I've been married, once for my wedding and again for a funeral.

She was a petite women with a flamboyant personality and a certain gruffness in her mannerisms that Surtis find to be so unbecoming of a women. Her hair was always kept in a stylish red bob and she always wore full make up. Her eyeballs seemed to large for her small face and slim features. She dressed in her own crazy way.

She had been shelved a spinster for years, living with Dadi until one day she announced that she was getting married. At age 45 she married Mogamet Ally Hernandez, a 55 year old widower she had met on MXIT from Cape Town.

 Nobody was thrilled but nobody tried to stop her. They knew better: Zohra does what Zohra wants.

They all comforted themselves that at least he was a successful plastic surgeon that drove a Ferrari as his everyday car and had a Bentley for weekend use.

Guji can overlook lack of Gujiness so long as status and money reign.

Zohra had caused another stir recently when she and Mogamet had announced that they were adopting two AIDS orphans.

I couldn't wait to see what this was all about, but I had a small clue...

"oh cut the crap, Haroon!", she said as she pushed past my FiL and into the house.

She was wearing leopard print tights and a black ruffled blouse that tied at her neck. What ever height she had lost in the gene pool was made up for with her pencil thin spiky red heels.

She got straight to the point...
"I'm here to fetch my mother!, Ma get your basics, you coming with me!"
Dadi started disagreeing, My MiL started protesting (weakly)...Zohra held up a hand...

"Ma please, your whole life is not here, just your sons are here...im sick of you being passed around one week here, two weeks there, from house to house without a home!

I spoke to Katie last night, she told me how you being treated, enough is enough...i took the first flight i could get, you coming to live with me!

Besides, Cape Town is beautiful."


Then Zohra looked directly at MiL and said, " Anybody who wants to see you, can pack their stale mootias as padkos and come visit you!"
Dadi looked shocked but not unhappy, she seemed relieved...
MiL rushed to help Dadi pack, Zohra told her to leave it...
"Il buy Ma what she needs.
 Ma only take what you want, the rest Kayroon can courier it to Cape Town for you, our flight leaves in 3hours."

Zohra's husband was waiting at the door, his tailored suit looked too fresh for somebody who just hopped of a plane, the ice blue shirt under, matched his eyes perfectly and the dark suit suited his pale complexion perfectly...

He offered Dadi his arm as she stepped out, lifting her one piece luggage.

Dadi turned to wave, "Kuda Hafez..." she almost whispered...

As Zohra was leaving she said to me,"don't forget to invite me for your baby shower!"
And just like that, they were gone...

shew! What a drama, we kinda all just stood dumbfounded for abit not knowing what to say...
my FiL rolled up his sleeves, shrugged and headed back to his room as the fajr azaan began softly in the background...

my MiL sulked away without a word...Shireen already had her phone in her hand and was typing fast, no doubt BBM texting her mother...

Muhammad Bhai quietly closed the front door, Imraan put his hand around me as we walked back to our room..."so when is this baby shower of yours?"...

OMW!!!baby shower! I had completely forgotten to organize one for Nasreen...her due date was looming...

Part 23: Car hooters and gate buzzers

On Friday night I didn't even hear Imraan come in, so when I woke up in the early hours of Saturday, I tried to wake him up to talk.

"its to early baby", he grumbled sleepily.
"imi! I waited all day and night tell me!"
"I'm getting promoted", he muttered into his pillow, he turned and was zonked out again before I could get anymore questions answered.

I smiled to myself...all that stress had been over nothing! At least it was good news, a promotion!Alhumdulliah, that's so awesome, I was so proud of my husband!!

I couldn't fall asleep again, I was too excited. I wanted to talk to Imraan but I knew I wouldn't get a word out of him in this passed out state, Imraan could sleep through anything!

I wondered if he would wake up when the babies cried at night...suppose if they were both crying, he won't have much of a choice, I guess.

I browsed through Facebook, read old feeds, looked at BBM statuses and pro pics, all in the hope of passing the time till fajr so I could chow Imraan's brains.

Finally, it was half an hour before fajr... I heard a loud car hooter, it was very persistent, over and over, it sounded like it was right outside our house!

What on earth was going on?

Last time there was such a racket was when the Memon girl from the corner house got married, but not at this hour!

Suddenly I could hear our intercom buzzer going off, over and over and over again...OMW! This was insane...somebody was trying to wake up the dead!

Imraan sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes, "what's the time? What's happening?"

We could hear the rest of the house come to life as everybody else woke up to the noise, it was scary and bafflingly. Like me, Imraan seemed unsure what to do.

He finally peeped from our room window, "looks like a hired car, GP plates", he said.
He put on his slippers, raked a hand through his hair wearily, "leme go see what's all the fuss".

"I'm coming with you!", I said, throwing on a kaftaan over my nightie.

The car hooter was still blaring, somebody, a women, was now standing by the driveway gate shouting for us to open up...
Imraan looked out again, "its my choti foi...", Imraan said in shock as he shot out of the room...

I looked out the window, the lights in other houses were coming on like fireworks in a night sky, people up and down the street were trying to see what all the ruckus was about.

Lucky me, I had front row seats!

Part 22: Mountains out of Molehills...

On Friday afternoon I had back to back lessons. I kept checking my phone for any calls or messages from Imraan. I was so worried...

finally, just after home time I got a text message from him to say he was still in the meeting and he would see me at home later.

Argh! How vague is that...but at least he sent something. No news is better than NO news...

I stopped at the supermarket on the way home to get some weekend junk food for us, at the magazine rack I couldn't decide between two different pregnancy magazines, I went between them for over 15mins, then I felt for ice cream so I left the magazines and went back to get a tub of my favourite frozen dessert.

Back at the magazine rack, I still couldn't make up my mind..suddenly my phone started ringing, I thought it would be Imraan.

"Hi baby...", I answered.
"Hi baby yourself!", came a giggle, it was Sumaya.
" sorry, sorry, I thought you Imraan.", I apologized wondering why Sumaya was calling me.
"no problem, its nice to be called baby, Muhammad never calls me that anymore", "Anyway, just a heads up, MiL is pacing here, she thinks you forgot about supper.", Sumaya said.
"Omw! Its my turn isn't... I completely forgot Sumaya!", I said in a panic...

What on earth was I going to do...

" I thought so...don't worry, we got your back, I took out chicken for you, you can make that saucy one, sharp sharp.", Sumaya said.
" Shew, thank you...il be home in 5...", I was so grateful.

I rushed home and made my famous 3 sauce chicken, Sumaya had made a salsas and Shireen set the table quickly while I toasted garlic breads. Between the three of us we had supper ready way ahead, much to my MiLs surprise.

I was so lucky to have their help, that's the upside to joint family living, I couldn't thank them enough!

Shireen was teasing me about having a pregnancy brain, a condition of forgetfulness that is very common in pregnancy, when MiL came in...when she saw the chicken dish, she had a fit...

"Fatima! How can you make that! You know Dadi is here, she only eats tarkaree...what is she going to eat now.."

Oh-0

"aye, nevermind nevermind, Il go find something for her", my MiL said.

At supper time, much to my surprise, Dadi was the first person to reach for the saucy chicken saying how,nice and tempting it looked...to which my MiL jumped in...

"Nay nay, Ma you don't eat all that, here I got Moothia for you.."

"Ma hando kaysaki, oh pasta ne hando kaai... dhooro sauce be", Dadi said as she served herself.

Later that night, I unintentionally overheard Dadi on the phone as I passed her room,
" Khatija Bhen, yah maarah waste booh agru che...thoo nee kaabar...Kayroon Gori mara wastai waahi waahi Mootia, freezer ma kaaro...kamkaanari ne kawanu mana kawaach.

Oh-0, dadi is complaining to her daughter that MiL is taking out food fit for the maids...this can't be good...

It wasn't good at all! Her little complain created enough drama over the weekend...