HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1972-04-13, Page 27.PEJUCJ SIGNAWAR, THUPA.Y. APS
It all began on the other side of
the kucheh (narrow .street) below
{By' pleasant•third41.0.o;r
apartrllent in Tehran, while 1
prepared my husband's'
breakfast'. I was gazing
absentrnind edly oft of the kitchen
window, when, all at once, I,�- ,
became aware of a. neat little
building of mud:brick/in. the large
• vacant lot across the street. ,As
the property was surrounded by a
high wall of dried mud, only those
living on the upper floors of our
building could see into it. While I
wondered at -the ,unusuaf tidiness
of the place, several' children
came out of -the door. They wore
clean clothes, and one by one -they
stepped into their shoes which had
been left outside, This, I thought, '
is like watching a play. The good t
few tools and equipment hanging ' mother brought out a samovar,
__ill le. rows..on.the -outside wall,. —and. •in.,n° ..manner of 'grace and_
the arid soil with three very young dignity, served tea in small
trees and a few tufts of coarse glasses. The grandfather listened
grass here and there. They with contemplative tolerance to
seemed to be saying, "It is all. 'the younger men who always
ours. We keep'it by the work of our seemed to be describing with .
hands, God -willing." their hands some dramatic
Unfortunately, however, it was incident. .Food was passed around
•theirs only until the landlord in bowls to the men who ate first,
wished.to use it. Every day, I sotnetimes sharing a little with
found myself hoping that no the children. When everyone had
'builders would arrive to break up finished eating, the mother
this drama of peace and carried out a tiny baby, only a few
simplicity. , • weeks old. The child was passed
The young mother brought out from person to person, each one
her washtub and set it on a wooden juggling it vigorously, then the
platform, She andhe children mother undid her blouse and fed
carried water .fro 'in the jube (a the baby as she chattered with her
anal about three feet wide) which guests. -
an along the boulevard beyond Whenever I went out on the
he wall of their property. Her two balcony, the children waved and
mall daughters climbed barefoot called "Hello", the only English
nto the tub and jumped joyously word they knew. I waved back as
n, the soggy clothes, blit they though we were old friends. The
ere sent away to play elsewhere. . sun set, and the last of the visitors
hens, the woman, thinking it ,not a • drifted • through the gate. The
ad ' idea, • stepped into the tub woman swept and sprinkled water
on the sand. The childish laughter
ceased, and .night descended on
six small• .figures Huddled in
emoved from this muddy water. contented slumber:on`the
'Anotherday, I heard screams, platform ,'Iretiredwithtsense of
nd I hurried to the balcony door. having shared something of their
granddaughter, 'Lisa Dawne T
Anderson, in Brandon, Manitoba. h
The ,proud"parents are Mr. and h
Mrs. Jerry Anderson, Jerry is a • sc
memberdof the R.C.M•P,' and w.as m
recently promoted •to •Corporal s
and tr,ansfer•red • froth Pt
Winnipegosis to Brandon• k•
a
;,
jW1De7s w
• pl
They were 'scolded but not " ealne "home on inlay • leave,
spanked for their pranks.. ' . wearing an untidy, uniform. He
An old Man, apparently the brought a bright neii iricy.cte for
grandfather, appeared, puffing • his only son, The child was elated,
contentedly at his pipe. He strode and he refusedtq share the new
through, the gate as though bound toy with' his sisters`• who -fought
on some important errand but m a 'with him to get hold of it: Two days
short time returned, carrying ' after the father left, the tricycle
proudly, a feoplants. The old man disappeared; then 'I noticed a few
moved' here and theren deep shiny new pots and parrs -stacked
coiltemptation, sizing up the best • outside ,the'door, ,
situation.. After he had. placed' On Thursday evening, before
them safely in the sandy SOL.; he the Moslem Sunday,when
settled down 'in the shade of the ieVeryone was dressed,in his,,best, '
wall, and smoked Peacefully. His visitors arrived with their
elderly wife wandered over and children. Mats were brought out
sat by his side. They seldom, ,land placed o n the wooden
spoke, but I sensed, even from my platform. The family sat cross -
distance, an inner communion legged in a circle with their
between them. guests, the women on one sideand
Their eyes; surveyed lovingly the men on the other. While the
he row of three small roomg, the children ran about shouting, their
earth is a stage, and the first act '
Bust beginning. ;•
After the schoolgirls left,. a
small sturdy hoy ran out, clad
only in a shirt. He.played with an.
old barrel, pushing it ahead, then
jumping aboard. I saw strong bare •
legs waving in the air, and he
disappeared. head first on the
other side. I caught some of his
youthful exuberance, and I .Pelt
more wide awake. His young
mother hurried through the door
dragging her chador and took him
inside. When the boy came out
later, clad in pajarha trousers, he
and his small sister took off all,
theirrclothing and raced about the
compound until discovered again.
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Winner of plush Easter bunpy at b
F. W. Woolworth is Mrs. E, h
Bebeau, Box 105, Amherstview; n
c
Mrs, Agnes Foster, r
Sheppardton, has received word.
of the birth of a great a
TOWN
TALK
erself and tramped the wash. I
ever could understand why the
lothing looked clean when
he small daughter was having uncluttered' life.
e.r head shaved, and her mother In the. later days" of surnme
eld her ` down, . kickar)g ' and ,, when physical activity remaine
reaming, while she applied more or less suspended,'I notice
edication to the scalp. At the an air of sadness among th
ame time, the grandmother family of my • neighbouracross the
cked lice from the ;hair of Kucheh. Women came frequent'
nother child: to Call. They sat outside on -th
During. the intense heat of wooden platform, drinking tea
ummer,rour neighbours at night and they talked quietly to th
roti ht ,,4 ,1,, Lgpi; •s, % A ,ather and, hi;s, dau: .ter, ..
icn they 'spread on the wooden • ' o owin wee , on a
atforrh. They placed* five " stifling hot afternoon, I saw an
piliows at the head and one srhall emaciated figure lying on a ' ma
one across the foot.ll theheoutsid
a the door. One thin n arrr
lay
Y
younger members of the family acrossherface as though to shu
•slept there together: out'the world about her. It took me
One morning I realized that the some time to recognize this
family cat hadn't been around for woman as the grandmother. Only
some time. I .worried for days. a few weeks earlier I had watched
Had the poor thing, been.kiiled in . her sewing contentedly in the
the traffic or did it get sic_ k and` { shade while her,husband smoked
die? Then, the next week, I saw it his pipe by her side. Now,
stalk proudly
out -of the storage
members
of the family Y
moved in
shed followed' by four lively
out
of t
fie house, almost
•' kittens. I breathed a sigh of relief, "stepping over her inert form, but
young mother was again pregnant
--although the last baby hadn't.,
learned to vialk. She ,';seldom
brought this smallest child
outdoors although it lookedfat and
healthy:. The next arrival would be
the sixth child: Already, eight tir
.nine people .slept in one rams
except`'„ during the hot summer '
monthse but here,'new.ljfe is ever
in theprocess of creation. This', it
seems, is one 'of the few'
privileges of the poor.
Whatsurprised me'most about
my neighbours was their constant
effort to live with dignity;
although they lacked: most things`
which we call necessities. Everyt...
day, they hauled water from the
jube, and washed clothing in a big
tub. The girls left for school in'
clean, grey uniforms, with their
hair neatly tied in ribbons. .Often
in "the-rate--iley sat
outdoors puzzling over ' their
lessons, the oldest sister helping
the oothers.
The small boy, as yet too young
to go 'to school, had an
uncontrollable temper. The
relatives when visiting, always
made a fuss over him; but , paid
little attention to .the girls.
Whenever the•mother scolded or
spanked her son, he chased his
sisters, screaming and throwing
stones at them. One day, he threw
a brick at his pregnant mother,
just missing her. When he picked
up anr
other to try for better aim,
' the entire family took shelter ' in"-
the house. He rushed at the closed
dbpr and kicked and beat upon it,
screaming wildly. Afterwards, it
took the family a long time to quiet
him. •
The warm early autumn
passed. The nights became brisk,
and the outdoor sleepers vanished
into the house. I missed seeing the`
children in a warm human ,mound
on the woodelt'platforn,, sleeping
peacefully. '•
• The leaves drifted., down, and
•winter arrived, bringing with it
over w the' mountains, st8rtriy
Skiesand pale yellow sunsets.
My. . °neighbour, the pregnant
mother grew bigger and bigger
with her child.. On frosty
mornings she'squatted outside the
house, washing clothes in'" cold
water. Frequently,She pulled tier.
chador- more closely about her,.
What a life of hardship! I thought,.
andshive:ed to see her from the
comfortable warmth of my
'cachet). ' But the family didn't
seemless happy at this, season,
"The 'children romped and played -
in the vidter sun, and the young
daughter made, many trips to the.
store for cans of ,: kerooene.'
During their free time, X always
saw a line of shoes' outside the
door, .and I could picture the/it
sitting cosi!i' arouhd the korsi,
(charcoal fireLdrinking tea.
Continued next week
nal Children
A dinner meeting of the Huron -
Perth Chapter of the Council for
Exceptional Children was held
recently at the .Bedford Hotel.
President; Miss Helen Videan,
vice-principal of Victoria School,
'Goderich, welcomed those in
attendance, including Special
Education teachers,. and,,regular
.classroom teacher's and
principals from the two -county
area. •• •
Thi remarks of guest speaker,
Miss Doris McArthur prompted a
lively interchange' of questions
and answers. Miss McArthur's
work is with children at°
C.P.R,I.-'the Child'ren's
Psychiatric Research Institute in
London, as well' as with special
children in other counties,
A brief resetme of the C.E.C.
annual meeting held in Seaforth ,
was given by secretary, Mrs.
. Grace Cranston,
Members were also notified of
the next meeting to be held in May
in. Listowel, . when Mrs. D.
Carruthers, Consultant in Special
Education for the Perth County
School Board, will speak and lead
inaa workshop.
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NIGHT. Oct • we, r although.the cat and its' offspring no one paid much attention to her•
looked,pitifully thin. Later, two When callers arrived for tea, she
Agent ,for 24 -hr. 'schoolgirls arrived and took away neither raised her head, nor
, F -_.•,. --- ree•kittens •in•a• bag • ... moved .It seemed• �as. though the
._iL,�I1�..:DEV,E60.171NG.. , .. ;�.:..th
The young father of the family family ' had concluded, in the
.-philosophy-orf -the•-ea `•'She"h'b"""'0
1 nger cah bear her share of theu
burden, so tether die hi peace, 'It
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is the.Will of Allah.'•' I could see
' the lines of her wasted body under
the chador, and my heart ached.
The family went about their tasks
:,as . though, ' already, she had
ceased. 'to exist: 'On two other
afternoons the married daughter,
carried her'mother out to lie in
the shade. After that, I did: not see
the grandmother.again:
Now., the teen-age girl did a
larger' share of the housework,
and her smaller sisters carried
jugs of water from the jube. The
young father again came home on
army leave. When he arrived, his
wife dressed in her best clothes
but he. paid her little attention;
Occasionally, the father played
with his children, but most of the
time, he lay on cushions in :the
shade, only rousing himself . to
shoo away the . hens when they
invaded his resting place. At
other times, he wandered off
alone, leaving his wife to do at t)ie
chores, d
When the family took their
dinner of rice and Mutton
outdoors, the father; after eating
several large helpings, handed •
what remained to his small son
who scooped it up eagerly with one
••hand. I never saw the girls eating
at the same time? Always, they
waited upon the menfolk who
seemed to demand a lot of
' attention. •
Now in the afternoons, the old
man sat, musing alone • in the
shade, of he paced up and down the
,str'eet, his head bent forward'and
hands behind his back, I wondered
if 'he were recalling pleasant
memories from the past, and
perhaps, feeling a sad nosialgia ,
for his lost partner. I
-¢tr•-ernk4mbei ed -how; :, ti=the -=.saint- ..._ -
timeeach afternoon, he and his
wife used to ii'e in the shade of the
wall for their siesta. .
When the more refreshing days
of early fall arrived, I saw that the
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