Thursday, May 9, 2013

Little moments in Kurdistan that make life BIG

Dearest Most Loyal Blog Reader (of course in the whole wide world)
soon-to-be father and son

People ask me why I love this place so much. Sometimes I can answer, other times I just can't. Some little incidents take place in my daily life here that make my life special. It makes me put my head on the pillow at night with a smile. They are the same reasons why I wake up every morning and begin my day.

I swear I will get to the point.

So, a few days ago on social media networks I wrote about a small incident I had encountered during my day. I wrote exactly this:


 "Before I got to bed tonight I want to remind you of The Baby, he is 1 year and 2 months, needs to be adopted as soon as possible. If you, or anyone you know is interested please contact me...Let us help to find this baby a warm home and a loving family who can actually take care of him and give him unconditional love. Thank you!"

[Less than 24 hours later]  Upset, nervous, unsure

I get a phone call from the greatest S.A. who had read my post, and he tells me Kak L might be interested. I also happen to know Kak L.** Lots of calls, and little bits and pieces take place but...

[Less than 48 hours later]  - A glimpse of hope, getting a tiny bit excited

I find myself in a car, sitting in the back seat with a  lovely (No. In fact an AMAZING) Kak L driving and his fabulous wife sitting next to him. Yup! We are on our way to see the baby.

[less than 50 hours later] - The suspense killed me in the car as I was BBMing a dear one 

We saw the little boy in a lady's hand outside as we parked the car. We walked in as soon as we were inside, the baby was placed on the ground he immediately ran towards what just might be his new daya*. Within minutes he was on the couple's laps. It felt to me like they were his parents for the past year.

The room was filled with love. I watched as the baby boy crawled from one side of the room to the next side towards them. Just like any baby boy, our Boy is in love with cars and so he pushed around a toy car towards the couple who were sitting next to me.

I let our deep breaths as I watched this couple smile from the deepest points in their hearts.

It didn't need discussion or re-thinking. Straight away they decided to take the baby home and meet the grandmother and his aunt-to-be, the lady from the orphanage joined us.

[Less than 52 hours hours later]

At this point I would look out the window of the car trying to hold back tears while counting how many houses we drive past, just to give my mind another focus. I failed miserably. Instead the corner of my eye would creep away and watch Kak L take off the tasbih (rosary) from the mirror on the front screen to give it to his new son-to-be.

[Less than 53 hours later] Is this a dream?

I see the new house where baby will be spending the next years of his childhood and hopefully when he is an adult as well. I see a beautiful garden, lots of green grass. I pause for a second, I can imagine the baby boy playing here, there is even a pavement "aaah this is where he can drive a mini car in a few years time when is a little older.." I think to myself.

I meet the aunty, it doesn't take minutes before she goes to her room and comes back with a few cute teddy bears to place in the baby's lap (you know those two teddy bears that almost every older girl has in her room, and NO ONE can touch them?). As the ladies began talking I secretly watched Kak L as he held the baby in his lap and gave him a tour of the house. I watched secretly as he took him to a little bird cage and spoke to the baby. Sadly, I couldn't hear what he was saying, but it seemed like a father-to-son talk. He then took the to the right... they didn't come out for a good few minutes. Me being so curious, stood up to see what is happening, I walked behind the door and peaked from behind it. Kak L was feeding the baby- STILL IN HIS ARMS.

At this point I walked back to my seat, put my head down and texted a few dear ones who knew where I was, three texts to three people:

"Emotional"

"Alhamdulilah"

"They r in love with the baby. Nayan awet ba je beln."

[Nearly 72 hours later]  After smiling all day my cheek bone hurts

Basically just before I sat down to write this entry. I got my phone. Went up to my room and--I closed my eyes and prayed to Allah--then went to the dialed numbers to call Kak L and his wife. We spoke a lot, the entire time I could hear a baby in the background laughing and playing.

In a few days time Kak L and his wife will do a lot of paper work, and interviews. Late next week the baby who I wrote about with a broken heart will be washed away with love and the best care in the world in an amazing house with wonderful parents.

Note to Loyal Blog Follower:

As soon as I came home today I walked in with my shoes on, my daya screamed as usual. "How many times do I tell you don't walk in with your shoes on?"

"Mum you don't know what happened today!"

"Go take off your shoes then talk!"

"Mum you know that baby I was talking about?"

Everyone forgets Saza has her shoes on, and we talk and talk and talk and I think I have just persuaded the two greatest people in my life to bring home a little sister soon... they didn't say yes, but they didn't say no either. In fact, baaba^ said he had in mind to bring home this one.


*The most precious word in the Kurdish vocabulary. Mother. 
^The other most precious word in Kurdish vocabulary. Father. 
** On my birthday dinner last year with some colleagues, I met Kak L's wife for the first time. I asked her if she has kids (not LISTEN I never, ever, ever ask such a question. But I forgot her name, and wanted to see what her child's name is so I can say Mother of X -- this a polite Kurdish way referring to a woman older than you -- she said I don't have kids. The entire evening I was ashamed of my question, and the few times I met Kak L after that I felt ashamed for the question I had asked)