Wadha'a E-Book

Maha Oboud Baeshen

• Herausgeber: Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 195

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Beschreibung

Wadha'a The Sufferings of a Saudi Young Woman Novel

Leseprobe

Special thanks to

Dedication

To the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdel-Aziz Aal-Saud, may Allah protect him.

To the descendants of the heroes who have established and built the pillars of glory higher and higher until it reached firmament.

To the King, the human who sowed love for his people; thus, reaping love from all of them.

I dedicate the first fruit of my fictional production to the symbol of the humanity’s Kingdom, from which I have obtained much power, wealth and glory.

This is all very little compared to her support for her sons and daughters, whom I am honored to be one of them. I will not, also, forget to show my gratitude and thanks every helping-hand that had participated in the construction of our beloved Kingdom; and every person of our good people.

We are pleased to introduce our dear daughter, Maha, daughter of Oboud Abu-Baker Baeshen who belongs to the Ashraaf people (honored people) of the Khewaan city’s Hashed Tribes.

As long as she takes pride in her Yamane origin, we are confident and sure that she will do her best to illuminate the status of the Yamane woman throughout history since Queen Balkaes. I wish her success in serving the Muslim Yamane and the Arab women. Allah hath the power to endow success.

Moharam 1427 H

Abdullah son of Hussein Al-Ahmar

Head of the Council of Representatives

Contents

Preface

Dr. Saif

Volunteering

In Jeddah

The Family’s House

My Heart Sees You

The Open Museum

To Pakistan

Faidh's Family

The First Phone Call

The New School

The Wonderful Journey

Events

Faidh and Samira

Fears

Faidh's Sadness

The Reproach

Planting Doubts

Face to Face

The Letter

No News of Saif

Summer 1994

The Song of the Old House

The Olive Branch

The White Clothes

Still Alive

Grandmother's Worries

In New York

Here Alone

Taha

Freedom

Wadha'a’s Graduation from University

Faidh's Arrival

Charitable Work

Higher Studies

Wadha'a in New York

The Fall

Basel's Destiny

The Fate

Adam's Return

Shock and bewilderment

The Consignment

To Jeddah

The Aviation Student

Activity Stopped

Terrorism

The Martyr of Duty

The Peace Propagandist

Preface

This is a realistic story that embodies real-life experiences we all have witnessed and suffered from since the September 11th attacks, along with all the subsequent extreme and unreasonable violence.

Despite the fact that all the characters are fictional, the narration, along with all the suffering and sorrow it depicts, reflects real events that left their powerful impact on me, stated objectively and truthfully. My words are a call for peace, from my beloved kingdom to all humanity.

Islam is the religion of tolerance and peace.

Islam is the religion of freedom, dignity, and equality.

Islam is a remedy concerned with the goodness of humanity.

Islam is for all times and places.

Glory be to Allah who creates the soul whenever He wishes.

Glory be to Allah who orders the soul to depart from this world whenever it pleases Him.

Maha

1

Dr. Saif

Dr. Saif, with his tall figure, typical eastern dark complexion, and usual elegance, enters a crowded downtown café, and sits at a small table in a corner, looking worried and distracted. He seems unaware of all what is happening around him and indifferent to all the noise, absorbed in recalling those recent memories, which kept flooding back; he says to himself:

It was a happy beautiful morning that I have never forgotten. I was wearing a black leather coat and holding in my right hand a briefcase stuffed with my certificates and some of my personal papers. I stopped by one of the highest and most magnificent buildings that had always caught my attention, in which I had always wished to have a smart well-furnished clinic to carry out my noble mission for the benefit of my patients, rich and poor alike, even for free if it is necessary.

It was the happiest day in my life. As soon as I went home and started reading a new medical research, the doorbell rang. It was the postman. He handed me a letter from the manager of one of the largest hospitals in the city, offering me a job in the department of neurosurgery.

This was the beginning of my medical career in New York City, where I attained the highest of academic positions and where I had many sweet memories, since I was a child, visiting it with my family every year to spend the summer. I used to love gazing at its skyscrapers, amazed to see the clouds covering their tops.

New York is a city that forces you to love it. Its people are characterized by kindness, a high sense of humor, and liveliness; they respect the other people. I am still on good terms with many American and immigrant families there. Despite the religious, cultural, and personal differences, human beings are all alike. The soul that originates from Allah is what binds them all together.

But what bonds me most to this city is that it was there where I first met the woman I loved so deeply. Faidh came from an Arab Muslim immigrant family that acquired the American nationality. Her father was a successful business-person; her mother was a dignified woman; and she had only one brother who studied law. They lived nearby and I maintained a friendly relationship with them. Despite their long absence from their homeland and their assimilation into the American society, they never forgot their roots, and they never abandoned their old customs and traditions. I never forgot the day on which I first saw Faidh when I went to live near them. She was coming back from school with her friends. Although she was several years younger than I was, I felt I would be permanently attached to this girl one day.

Years passed by quickly; I was very preoccupied with my studies, ambitious to achieve more excellence, and anxious to go back to my beloved kingdom to let my people benefit from my knowledge and experience. After I had finished the first years in the Faculty of Medicine and was about to choose a medical specialization, I thought of proposing to Faidh who had already finished her university studies, majoring in administration and marketing. I wrote to my parents; I was, however, astonished when they did not give their consent to the marriage, at first. They wanted me to go back to Jeddah, work in one of its hospitals, and get married to a Saudi girl. However, I thought that for a marriage to succeed, it must be built on mutual love and understanding, as well as on emotional and intellectual intimacy. Faidh was my choice, and I was quite sure that it was with her that I could find my happiness, in here or in my country.

As for returning to my homeland, that would certainly be a must one day. Nonetheless, I was still at the beginning of my career and had not yet achieved all what I have aspired to reach. As I insisted on my choice of Faidh, I eventually managed to persuade them. All the marriage arrangements were, thus, made with Faidh and her parents, informing them that one day I would go back to Saudi Arabia.

We got engaged; and a little afterwards, we got married. It was an entirely new life to me. I used to be lonely and used to think only of myself. However, I began to feel responsible for taking care of Faidh, and I did my best to make her happy, for she deserved love and care. Her heart was full of tenderness; she was very considerate of my needs and happiness. She was a mother, a wife, a friend, and a refuge to me. We lived happily for months until one day Faidh felt extremely tired and her mood changed a little. I thought it was some temporary illness but – what a happy surprise! It was Allah’s gift. I could not believe it. I will become a father after nine months. I wrote to my mother and she was very happy.

Days and months passed during which I did my best to divide my time between my work and Faidh, whose mother was always there to take care of her. I pitied her so much for all the pains she felt during those months. On a stormy rainy night, while I was watching the television; I listened to the news of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and I was deeply moved. I was filled with sadness for the fate of these helpless and innocent people, especially the children. I called Faidh, who was busy preparing for the new arrival in the next room, but she did not answer. I got up and went to see what was wrong with her. She was in pain and extremely tired. I tried to put her to bed to have some rest but she said, “It’s unbearable, Saif. I am beginning to have labor pains. They are very severe. Help me! And please call my parents.” I was so confused. I called her parents and took her to hospital immediately, without stopping to change my clothes.

It was a very dark night with only a dim light. The only sounds that could be heard were Faidh's moans of pain and the whispers of the women who kept coming and going. The labor was neither easy nor difficult; by daybreak, the first cry of rebellion was heard. Glory be to Allah who grants life to his creatures.

The mother tenderly hugged her daughter and gaze upon her angelic face with relief and longing, nourishing her with warm milk that is mixed with mother love and happiness. Then, she wearily shuts her eyes as if she became unconscious. Later, she was wheeled on a trolley into her private room. As soon as my eyes fell upon her, I went towards her and kissed her, saying, “I thank Allah for your safety.”

A few days later, Faidh was preparing to leave the hospital, having restored some of her former strength. I took her and the baby home. As soon as she opened the door, there was a surprise for her. Family, friends, and Arab as well as American neighbors gathered around her, welcoming the baby. A little bit later, they all started to leave. Then, Faidh's parents kissed her and the baby goodbye and left. Happily, Faidh arranged the baby’s belongings and hugged her. I, then, held the baby in my arms and said to Faidh,

--- “My mother and my family send you their congratulations; also, my mother has asked me to call her as soon as you leave the hospital. She wants to congratulate you herself.”

Smiling, Faidh said:

-- It is my duty to call your mother, Saif. She is like a mother to me despite the long distance. Whatever makes you happy, makes me happy as well.”

She picked up the phone and dialed the number; after the end of the call, she turned to me and said:

--- “Where’s the baby’s provisional birth certificate?”

--- “Do you think I left it behind in the hospital?” Then smilingly, or almost laughingly, I said:

--- “Do you care so much for the baby and everything related to her?”

--- “Why not? Is it not a part of you? I love everything about you; therefore, I love it too. Give me the birth certificate. I want to see the baby’s name written on it. ”

--- “Is it not enough that her name is written on our hearts? Here you are.”

With extreme happiness, Faidh took hold of the certificate, staring at it for a long time. Then, in a loud voice, she read:

Name: Wadha'a Saif Al-Mazni

Sex: Female

Birth Date: 1979

Birth Place: New York

She has an American passport.

Days passed. It was a beautiful afternoon when Faidh and her mother were sitting beside the baby’s bed in which the baby slept peacefully. On the other side of the room, I was chatting with my father-in-law about the latest sorrowful events in Afghanistan: the conflicts, the insecurity, the killing, the economic deterioration, the oppression, and the intimidation of its people and children by the scenes of war and devastation such as, tanks, machine guns, and heavily armed soldiers. I said:

--- “Life is so difficult around us, uncle; it is as if the Earth is about to collapse.”

--- “You’re right, Saif, but what can the powerless, poor, developing countries do? This is how the two camps of capitalism and communism fight to fulfill their ambitions and carry out their schemes. It has to do with the communists’ attitude towards all religions. Do you sympathize so much with Afghanistan, Saif? Is it because it is an Islamic country?”

--- “I don’t deny that, uncle; however, I hate the devastation of war which is disastrous to mankind, with all their different religions and nationalities. Is the Palestinian question, along with all the suffering it has brought about to the Palestinian people, not enough? What about the sectarian factions in Lebanon, Iran, and other countries? This is the terrorism that virtually destroys peace and degrades humanity, depriving it the fear of Allah and all of the other noblest values associated to it.”

As we were chatting, Faidh came and said:

--- “There is something which is more important than everything else, now.”

Her father smiled and said:

--- "Wadha'a must have woken up.”

--- “Yes. But I won’t let you hold her or kiss her unless you stop talking and have your dinner.”

We all got up and gathered around the round table beside which a place was left to Wadha’a’s bed.

Wadha’a was now one year old. She was a beautiful wide-eyed girl, with ivory complexion and black hair.

I liked to watch her trying to walk. I used to put some toys at a little distance from her and ask her mother to stand there to give her assurance and encourage her to move forward. Wadha’a then stumbled and fell almost all the way.

Years passed and Wadha’a started school to acquire the educational skills of girls of her age. I managed to persuade her mother who was a little reluctant at first.

On Wadha’a’s first day at school, we went with her. We introduced her to the class teacher, who, in turn, introduced her to her classmates. As we were leaving the school, Wadha’a saw us and started to cry. Her mother pitied her and said to me:

--- “I can’t leave while she is crying.”

--- “Be strong. I want her to be independent.”

--- “But she is still a little child.”

--- "On the contrary, believe me. If she does not stop crying, go and tell her that you are going to stay with her for a while until she gets accustomed to the place.

--- "She will gradually get used to it."

Faidh was so passionately devoted to Wadha’a and everything related to her. Years passed and Wadha’a has finished her nursery school and was about to start the primary school. How happy Faidh was when she imagined her wearing the school uniform.

On the last day of the summer holiday, we came back from a charming coastal city; on the next morning, Faidh and Wadha’a went to various stationary shops to buy all the stationary that the latter needed for school.

On the first day of the new school year, Faidh accompanied her to school. Though Wadha'a's eyes reflected happiness, it was mixed fear and shyness, as she looked around and saw nobody she knew. However, you would not believe how happy she was when her eyes fell on Sophia, her friend during the nursery years. It was like seeing a lifeboat.

She pulled her hands gently from her mother’s and hurried towards Sophia who was also hurrying towards her. They held each other’s hands and talked quietly.

Faidh felt assured and unsuspecting about Wadha'a at her new school. The first year passed; then, it was followed by the second. Everything was going on as she had planned for her.

2

Volunteering

Saif was very busy and involved in his new job, yet he did not neglect his duties towards his wife and his daughter. He did not also forget the sound of conscience rising from his depths. Therefore, he was an activist of defending human rights, writing about social phenomena in any society. He sympathized with any country that was exposed to war, poverty, starvation, illnesses, epidemics and unemployment … he was dealing with life as a human.

In 1987, Dr. Saif was elected a head for the Arab Community in New York. This new responsibility think a thousand times in the fate of the world around him by offering his professional helping as a physician, especially, after the USA government had allowed volunteering to help Afghanistan in fighting the Soviets. This had made all tasks he wanted to fulfill easy for him. After taking permission from the responsible government bodies in America and finishing all measures, Dr. Saif prepared and headed a group of volunteered doctors. He registered with "Al-Mujahedeen” in the society of "Doctors Without Borders(MSF)" using his American Passport.

Meanwhile, Dr. Saif was busy thinking of his wife and daughter, so he decided to talk with Faidh and to explain that the human situation in Afghanistan deserves patience and sacrifice for some time.

Before he started talking to her, Faidh felt that many things have changed in her husband. She justified that in him being affected by the situations and his adherence to righteousness and justice. Despite her good knowledge of his strong character and of his firm adherence to his right opinion, she never imagined, even for a second, that he would leave her alone with Wadha'a.

She came nearer and said,

--- "What makes you busy and worried, Saif? I see something in your straggling eyes …. Why don’t you tell me?"

Saif looked at her and answered,

--- "I didn't lose hope in you, "Faidh". Since the first moment I have decided to marry you, and I am sure that my happiness is here with you."

Faidh came nearer and held his hand, looked at his eyes and said,

--- "Tell me, Saif. What is worrying you? I love you, and I will always obey to you even in the simplest matters."

Saif put his hand on her head, holding her hair tufts and said,

--- "Faidh. Lend me your ear and do not give any judgments to what I am telling you now. Let me explain to you the principle of the free man who feels his existence only when supporting and giving lovingly. The world around us is full of disputes and clashes… they ignored the consequences of these events and forgot that these events propagate matters that are much more difficult than the action of weapons… as a human being, I have my own convictions and my specific thought. I cannot stand watching injustice, hunger or poverty… How can I stand just watching this scene of events?"

"Faidh" wept and hugged him and said,

--- "Impossible Saif, I cannot. How can I be at ease and carefree while you are in war! How can I sleep, eat, laugh or live?… How do you ask for my consent and forbearance while I do not know your fate in those countries, there?"

--- "Sweetheart, Only Allah knows man's fate."

--- "But I cannot let you leave; we'll leave with you; Wadha'a and me."

--- "Impossible, Faidh. This is my own decision. You do not deserve any suffering. In addition, you cannot bear the hardships there. Believe me, Faidh.

--- "Then we’ll travel with you and stay in "Peshawar". Many of Al-Mujahedeen’s' families are there."

--- "This is irrational, "Faidh". I will never be free from my concerns about you. Plus, who will take care of you there?"

--- "We will be as near as possible from you, Saif."

--- "No, I will be far away from you; furthermore, I don't know exactly where I will be."

--- "But I am not convinced with the idea. This is unfair. You are not doing yourself good, Saif. Don't you care about us? How can you defend strangers and leave Wadha'a and me alone. Is this logic and justice in your opinion?"

--- "My darling, You have to understand me. Logic is thought and work. Moreover, if anyone wants a respectable life for himself and those whom he loves, one should keep to his conscience to feel the glory of life. I beseech you, Faidh, do not burden me with more worries and try to understand my situation. I beg you, Faidh."

Despite her stress and fear from the unknown, Faidh had to surrender to her husband's decision. It was only a few days when Saif began to prepare himself a program to make him stronger when facing emergent situations and some matters that may happen to him such as lack of food, using cold or hot water, dim light, sleeping on a hard bed, walking long distances and bearing thirst.

A little before departure, Dr. Saif decided to inform Faidh of what was going on in his mind. He waited until she returned and accompanied Wadha'a to her bed to sleep. After she had finished her chores around the house, he asked to talk to her. She sat by him in the small green garden of their house.

Dr. Saif looked at her and said,

--- "There is soothing that scares me, but it will make my heart and mind comfortable and at ease. Would you agree for my leaving, Faidh?"

She looked at him with surprise in her eyes and was amazement on her face. He continued, saying,

--- "I want you to travel to Jeddah and stay in my house with my mother and among my family until the near day comes when I return to you."

--- "But Saif, I stayed with them only for a few days and I do not know to what extent they accept me. In addition, I will be a stranger, and my parents will be away from me."

She stays silent for a while; then continues saying,

--- "Don't you realize how difficult this would be to me; moving to a new life in an unknown new place for Wadha'a and for me, too. Didn't you think of us? How can you dominate us easily and decide to separate us away from our society and join us into another? Don't you realize that we are going to face difficulty of blending in? What about Wadha'a's school, her friends and the life she got used to? Moreover, what about me and, me longing to my family?-"

Dr. Saif interrupts her quietly,

--- "-I am not surprising you with you coming back to my country. You knew that before and you agreed to it…What is new now?"

--- "The situation is different now, Saif. My return is supposed to be with you not by myself and Wadha'a."

--- "I understand that Faidh