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Child Brides of India
By: C. Stanton Leman
Chapter 70: Faatina's Wedding (Mgg, rom, cons, no sex)
The girls got home from Monaavi's about seven last
night.
They said that they'd already eaten, so we decided to head
upstairs. We said evening prayers and settled into bed
early. All three of us were unusually quiet knowing what
lay ahead tomorrow.
I slept fretfully most of the night, not really falling
asleep until about five. Priya awakened me at six-thirty by
shaking my arm and telling me to wake up. I groggily opened
my eyes and looked up at her smiling face.
She kissed me and said, "Today's the big day. Get
up and
take your shower. We've got to say prayers so that Leeya
and I can go to Monaavi's and get Faatina ready."
Nodding, I rose. Priya had left. I stood in the shower
trying to wake up and meet the day. I wept as I thought of
Faatina. What will I tell her one day when she's older:
that she was married and divorced by her father as a child?
Uncertain as how to answer my own question, I composed
myself to follow this through.
Having dried and dressed, Priya and Leeya returned
twenty
minutes later. We finished prayers at almost eight and went
downstairs. I got a cup of coffee and sat next to Dad.
Seeing my condition, he asked, "You alright?"
"As good as I'm gonna get I 'spose," I
replied.
"Yeah," he agreed, "I know what you
mean."
Mom came in and said, "Now Sean, you need to be
there by
eleven-thirty OK?"
"Yeah Mom," I replied, "I know. Just
remember what I said.
That fucker doesn't touch her."
"I'll do my best Son," she responded,
"But if he has to
hold her during the ceremony, there's nothing I can do."
"Who's going to be witnesses?" Dad asked.
"Adib and one of the clerics," I replied.
Mom said, "Well, we'd better be going."
With that she rose, kissed Dad, then leaned over and
kissed
me on the top of my head as she said, "It'll work out, just have
faith."
She got to the dining room door, turned and said,
"And Sean?"
I looked back when she spoke and asked "Yes
Mom?"
"I love you Son," she said, as she turned to
leave.
"I love you too Mom," I replied.
I rose to follow and was met by my two wives at the
door. I
kissed them goodbye and Leeya said, "Thank you, Sean, for
saving my cousin."
I stroked the side of her face and replied with a smile,
"You don't need to thank me, Sweetheart. I love you."
"I love you lots more," she replied with a
hug.
The women in my life turned and left for Monaavi's.
Returning to the dining room, I sat with Dad and we talked
of the details. After we'd been talking for almost an hour,
Dad handed me an envelope and said, "Here, here's a copy of
your new will adding Faatina and her trust fund. If they
ask, you'll need to explain that it will take about a week
to legalize the trust fund in her name in the US, OK?"
"Fine Dad," I responded, "I don't think
they'll ask. I
guess we'd better get ready, it's almost ten."
"Reckon so," he replied as we rose.
It took both of us about thirty minutes to dress. When
he
saw my attire, he remarked, "That looks good on you, who
picked it out?"
With a chuckle I replied, "Monaavi did."
"Humm, he said surprised, "Smart, pretty AND
has good taste."
We waited about fifteen minutes, collected our things
and
left for the hall. This wedding wouldn't be like most
normal weddings. It would be a simple religious ceremony
with only a select few relatives, followed by the meal. The
entire function would only last probably two hours.
We arrived at eleven forty-five and went to an adjoining
room to await being called. About five before the hour, a
cleric joined us and surprisingly, he spoke English. He
told me that they knew of the circumstances of this wedding
and that he, acting as a witness, would position himself
between Amaad and us. I asked him who would attend to
Faatina and he replied that Priya, as first wife would be
holding her. He asked if I was ready and I nodded silently.
He motioned to the door and I stepped through to marry for
the third time.
The sight in the room was almost surreal. There were
only
Dad and Salima's other brother-in-law sitting in the male
section, with the females being Mom, Salima, Me Ma, Alpa,
Sarah, Haseeba and Monaavi. The cleric moved me into
position, with Adib standing slightly behind me. I stood
with Priya on my left holding Faatina and Leeya on my
right. The cleric stood between Priya and Amaad.
Leeya wore a lemon yellow (of course) hand painted sari
with blue peacocks on the pallu. Priya was dressed in a
pink hand painted sari and held Faatina who wore a deep
blue, shimmering flared one-piece dress with the skirt
portion intricately embroidered and overlaid with sequins
and stones. On her head was a dark blue crepe dupatta. I
could see through the veil that her hair had been pinned up
in a formal style and it looked like she had a diamond-type
stone fastened in the center her forehead. She looked as
she was named: a tiny, lovely captivating angel.
Imaam stood and after a litany of prayers and readings
from
the Koran, Imaam looked at Amaad and said, "Today we will
witness a solemn pledge between Sean Michaels and Faatina
Hirsi. I ask you now, in the presence of God and this
congregation, to declare your intent."
Amaad began, "I have given my only virgin daughter,
Faatina
Hirsi, to Sean Michaels in marriage."
Imaam asked Priya, "As first wife, do you sanction
this marriage?"
"I do Imaam," replied Priya.
Looking at Leeya, he asked, "As second wife, do YOU
sanction this marriage?"
"Yes Imaam, I do," Leeya answered.
Looking at Amaad, he asked, "And what sign can the
child
give as to acknowledgement that she knows the groom or has
at least met him?"
As if by a sign from God, Faatina leaned over and
outstretched her arms for me to hold her.
Observing this, Imaam smiled and declared, "The
bride has
acknowledged."
Taking Faatina in my arms, Imaam asked me, "Do you
accept
Faatina Hirsi as your wife?"
"I have accepted her," I replied.
I then laid the will on the table and Amaad, the
witnesses
and I signed it. We then signed the Nikaahnama (Muslim
marriage license) and stepped back.
After some more readings, Imaam said, "I now
pronounce you
husband and wife, In the name of God, The Most Gracious,
The Most Merciful."
The ceremony completed, we moved to have the meal with
me
carrying my tiny baby bride to eat. As soon as we sat down,
Faatina yanked the dupatta from her head. Priya smiled and
noted, "Mom said it wouldn't last long."
About half way through the meal, Faatina became antsy. I
thought she might be getting hot and uncomfortable so Priya
took her to an adjoining room to change her. Priya returned
with the tiny bride now wearing a cool, pink summer dress
with the white sandals she had worn yesterday. After the
meal was finished, Alpa came up to us and I handed her her
child. She held her daughter lovingly as she rocked her and
wept quietly.
Watching her, I started to cry remembering my mother's
words to Priya: "…The hardest job you'll ever have to do as
a parent is to let your children go… but if you love them,
you'll let them go."
Witnessing this encounter wrenched my heart to think
that
Alpa loved and valued her daughter's life so much, she'd
endure the gaping hole in her heart as her sorrow bled deep
within her at having to part with her.
Faatina nuzzled her cheek to her mom's… I thanked God
for
preserving that one loving memory she'd shared with her
mommy as a newborn infant. Realizing that the act of
handing her back meant a departure, Alpa clung to her child
struggling within herself to fulfill the act. Salima came
alongside her sister, enfolding mother and child in her arms.
Through all of this… even this, Amaad was cold and
expressionless. "May God have mercy on your soul," I
uttered to keep myself from losing control.
I stood and said to Alpa (it's forbidden to touch a
woman
other than your spouse), "Whenever you can, anytime day or
night, come see her. You're always welcome in our home."
"Take care of my baby, please?" Alpa implored
through
Salima, "Please take care of my baby!"
"Always." I promised.
Reluctantly, and with sobbing tears, Alpa slowly handed
me
her daughter. She clung to Faatina's hand wanting to linger
but for a moment longer, then slowly let Faatina's hand
slowly slip from her fingers.
I have never hated anyone in my life, but if what I was
feeling at that moment when I looked at Amaad was hate, I
shuddered to think what it must be like to go through life
feeling like this.
When the meal was finished and the women folk sat us on
the
pillows to offer prayers and salaams, Faatina wouldn't stay
seated. She kept crawling off the pillow to come to me.
After three attempts to keep her seated, Faatina finally
made it to my lap and I said to Me Ma, "I think God will understand."
I sat Indian style with my toddler bride in my lap while
Imaam prayed. The women offered their salaams and I
returned them. After that, we readied to leave. Mom, Priya
and Leeya had left in order to be home waiting for our arrival.
Amaad rose to perform the custom of handing over the
bride
and when he reached for his daughter's hand I warned him,
"Touch her and you die!"
He got a look of shock on his face as he quickly pulled
his
hand back. I was right: that fucker understood English very
well indeed!
I turned and carried my tiny wife in my arms to the car.
I
set her gently on the seat, then climbed in next to her and
shut the door. The driver started the limo, pulled away
from the curb and we left for home.
This was the third time I'd made this trip home with a
child bride, but there wasn't any of the joy associated
with knowing this time, that the young girl next to me
accepted the events of this day in her life with child-
like, innocent ignorance.
Halfway through the ride home, Faatina started playing
with
the silver buttons on my jacket. I'd tickle her lightly,
first on one side then the other. When she'd react by
flinching sideways to the right, I'd tickle her left. She
bounced back and forth from side to side giggling. She
finally gave up and flung herself backwards. Her sudden
movement took me by surprise and I had to react quickly to
keep her from falling backwards off of my lap.
We arrived home about five minutes later. When we pulled
into the drive and Mom, Priya and Leeya were standing in
the open door. I scooped up the captivating one in my arms
and walked to the door. Stepping through, Mom kissed her
cheek followed by Priya and I leaned her down for Leeya to
kiss her cheek. Once inside, they all said, "Welcome home Faatina!"
Taking her to the living room, I sat with Faatina on my
lap
and removed her sandals. Once free of the shoes, she
wiggled her toes and slid from my lap with a giggle.
We sat in silence for a few moments watching this child
crawl around happily as she sought out something of
interest. I sat in the chair, resting my chin on my palm
and watched her. It amazed me that she was such a happy
child. She rarely ever cried: only when she was wet, hungry or tired.
The tiny newlywed made a beeline for the living room
door
and I said to Priya, "Hurry, Get her."
She stood, stopped and said, "She's YOUR wife, you
get her."
I smirked and replied sarcastically, "Cute Priya,
real cute."
While Priya and I exchanged comments, Faatina had
quickly
mastered crawling pretty well and was moving at a good clip
towards the kitchen. Joking to her I quipped, "That's right
woman: into the kitchen!"
She stopped, sat on her butt, turned and headed past me
back to the living room: didn't even look at me! "Damn!" I
said out loud to myself, "Don't ANY of the women in this
house listen?"
"I heard that!" Mom chided.
When the little urchin reappeared in the living room,
Mom
cooed to her, "That's right Sweetie, you tell him who wears
the nappies in THIS family!"
That brought chuckles from everyone. Touche Mom.
I went to the toy box and pulled out some of her things,
spreading them on the floor. Interested, she moved to one
that caught her attention. I sat again in the chair and
Leeya got down on the floor to play with her.
Mom sighed as we watched the two girls play and said,
"In
all my forty-three years, I'd never have believed that I'd
see my son's wife sitting on the floor in a diaper playing
with toys on her wedding day."
I rose and said, "I'm gonna call the hospital,
maybe Dr. Gupta's in."
"Good idea," Priya replied.
I went to the study and looked up the number to the
hospital pediatrics. I spoke to the pediatric nurse on duty
and she said, "He's out of town until Friday, can anyone
else help you?"
"No," I said with a sigh, "I'll call him
on Friday, thanks."
"You're welcome," she replied,
"Goodbye."
"Goodbye" I returned. Click.
I returned and sat back in the chair. Mom saw my
disappointment and asked, "What's wrong?"
Shaking my head I replied, "He's out of town until
Friday."
"Oh well," she replied, "It looks like
you'll just have to
call him on Friday then."
"Looks like it," I said with disappointment.
We heard the door open and Dad entered a few moments
later.
He sat in between Mom and Priya and put his arm around both
and said, "This has been a day I'll never forget. I'm glad it's
over!"
Remembering earlier, Priya asked openly, "Remember
when
Faatina reached out for you during the ceremony at the
exact moment Imaam asked if she knew you? God that was eerie!"
Agreeing I replied, "I had the same feeling. It was
as if
someone had coached her."
"Coincidence," Dad said, "Just a fluky
coincidence."
It was now a little past five and Priya asked,
"Anyone for tea?"
Giving her a kiss on the forehead, Dad replied,
"Sounds
good Sweetie, let's go, I'll help."
Mom quipped, "Damn, I guess you have to be young,
dark and
beautiful for HIM to help!"
Teasing Mom, Priya retorted as she giggled and batted
her
eyelashes, "How do you take your sugar Father, one lump or two?"
"Definitely two, my dear," Dad replied like W.
C. Fields as he wiggled a non-existent cigar.
Pushing Dad's butt as he rose, Mom said, "Get outta
here
you two, go make us some tea!"
I stood and said, "Well, I'm going upstairs to
change."
"Go ahead," Mom replied, "I'll watch the
kids."
I went upstairs and went to the bathroom, washed my
face,
changed into a pair of shorts and a tee shirt and went back
downstairs. I'd no sooner gotten downstairs when I heard
the doorbell. I went and opened the door, and Adib and
Salima stepped inside.
We exchanged salaams and I led them to the dinning room
for
tea. Passing the living room, they looked in on the two
girls playing and chuckled.
As Priya served tea, Salima told us that Alpa was a
total
wreck when we left and it took an hour to calm her down
enough to even stand. She and Adib revealed that they never
really knew Amaad before these events with Faatina took
place. Whenever there was a family gathering, they either
wouldn't show up or he was distant and didn't talk much
except to complain about the lax attitude we had about the
young boys and girls playing together. He always felt they
should be separated.
"But they're only children, couldn't he see
that?" Mom asked.
Dad angrily inserted, "Yeah, the son of a bitch
doesn't
want them playing together but he'll marry off his three
year-old daughter. No offense Adib, but this is a twisted
religion to think THAT'S rational."
"Islam is a faith of peace," Salima replied,
"Those who
practice it with a good heart know that. I don't know how
some of these extremists think or twist the teachings of
Islam to support their beliefs. In countries like Iran, a
girl would be beaten just for talking to a boy, it just
doesn't make any sense."
Pointing to the other room, Dad said, "Even Leeya
for
Christ sakes. I mean, somehow it all worked out and she's
as normal as the day is long, but even THAT'S hard for me
to grasp. A five year-old girl who's married, with an
active sex life and is as happy as a lark. I STILL can't
figure THAT one out."
"Be quiet John," Mom said, "Leeya might
hear you."
"I'm sorry Joan," He said as he lowered his
voice, "It just
boggles the mind."
This sometimes-heated conversation went back and forth
for
another hour or so. It was now close to seven and Adib
politely said, "John, we will always be lifelong friends
Some of Islam's ideas are interpreted in ways that neither
of us can understand. But all good men, regardless of
religion, hold the same things dear and near to their
hearts. We have to go and say evening prayers, but I thank
you and Sean for again bringing life and a chance at
happiness for another of our family's children. We all
suffer the effects of extremist Islamic thought. You have
911 and we have our children suffer. Inside, we both weep."
As we walked my in-laws to the door, Dad wrapped his arm
around Adib and said, "You're right Adib, we're bound in
friendship and when the chocolate princess here has a baby,
we'll be bound in blood."
"THAT," Adib exclaimed with a beaming smile,
"Will be a
day of great rejoicing indeed!"
Everyone's eyes turned to a blushing, smiling Priya. We
ended our evening with cordial familial goodbyes and
salaams. After Adib and Salima left, we looked in the
living room and it looked like a cyclone had passed through.
We looked at each other, sighed then laughed as we went
in
to clean up the carnage. After a half hour of cleaning
while keeping Faatina from grabbing something else, we were
finished and went upstairs for prayers.
We finished evening prayers and Priya touched my arm
saying, "Wait, I'll be right back."
Her and Leeya left. She returned a few minutes later
with a
couple of diapers and the wipes. Handing them to me she
said with a smirk, "Here, you bride's trousseau."
"Where's her PJ's?" I asked.
"It's warm," she replied, "So let her
sleep in her nappy.
If it gets cool, just cover up with a sheet."
"OK," I answered, "Whatever you say
"Mommy."
"Oh shut up." Priya said. After kissing me
goodnight she
turned and left, closing the door behind her.
I turned to find the little bride and… no bride. I
walked
around the bed, nothing. I looked behind the love seat,
still no child. I heard a giggle and turned to the
bathroom. Turning the corner of the sitting room, I saw the
newlywed up on her knees splashing in the toilet.
Jokingly I said to myself, "At least she's washed
up before bed."
I grabbed her up, unbuttoned and removed her now wet
dress.
I sat her on my bent knee against the sink and began to
wash her hands and arms. Having done that, I carried her to
the bed and flopped her down on her back with a bounce.
I peeled one tab on her diaper and checked: she was wet.
I
went to get a dry diaper and she started to roll on the
bed. I quickly grabbed the diaper and stopped her just as
she was about to roll off. I grabbed her ankles and with a
twist, flipped her over onto her back.
I trapped her ankles in one hand, undid her wet one and
quickly replaced it with a dry one. Now that SHE was ready
for bed, I had to undress. I stood quickly and flipped off
my shorts and tee shirt, leaving me in my boxers. I pulled
back the duvet, separated it from the sheet and crawled
into bed, pulling the captivating one next to me.
Faatina didn't really feel like sleeping and began
squirming, trying to get up. I turned out the light and
held her tight against me. She struggled for a minute or so
then relaxed under my arm.
I turned her on her side and within a matter of minutes
she
was asleep. I lay there next to her with my hand on her
bare chest. She was so small my hand went completely
around the front of her chest. I could feel her heart
beating as she slept and it was probably twice as fast as mine.
I reached up, turned on the light and just watched her
as
she slept. She had adjusted herself into a fetal position
with her nappy-covered butt up against my stomach. Lying on
her left side, her left arm was folded and her left hand
was tucked with her right up under her chin with her knees
bend and together.
Faatina has the same honey colored complexion as Leeya
but
with shoulder length black hair and bangs across her brow.
She's about two feet tall and weighs about twenty-five or
thirty pounds. She has heart-melting medium dark brown eyes
that are expressive, sparkle with innocence and an
illuminating smile that she gives as easily as breathing.
With a smile, I reached up and turned off the light,
pulled
the sheet up, tucked it under her chin and closed my eyes
to go to sleep. I slid my right hand down her tiny leg and
cupped her right foot in my hand. Her foot was so small her
entire foot: ankle and all was hidden when I closed my
hand. She twitched her toes in my palm as she slept in
response to my touch but her breathing didn't falter.
That's the last I remember as I too fell off to sleep.
I woke with a startling fright about three am and sat up
in
fear, staring into space. My heart was pounding so hard it
hurt as it throbbed in my chest. I was panting laboriously
and disoriented until I was fully awake. I knew I was
having a nightmare but couldn't remember the dream. All I
could remember was having a horrible vision but the image
eluded me.
Trying to collect myself, I shook my head, turned on the
light and looked at Faatina sleeping soundly next to me. I
rose, went to the bathroom, splashed my face and had a
drink of water. I sat the water bottle on the nightstand
and again looked at the sleeping angel in my bed.
Faatina had rolled onto her stomach with her hands
wrapped
around her head and her legs open about halfway. There was
a little less than a foot of bed between her and the edge
of the bed on her right so I slid my hands gently under her
and pulled her to the center of the bed. I refolded her
hands around her head and closed her legs. Confident she
wouldn't now roll off the bed, I climbed in next to her.
Lying on my back trying to remember the dream, Faatina
started whimpering in her sleep and stirred. I turned to my
side and lightly rubbed her back and she soon settled back
into slumber. I pulled the sheet back up, covering her to
just below her shoulders and turned off the light.
I had this gnawing feeling of ominous foreboding as I
struggled to go back to sleep but managed to do so about
four-thirty.
Continued in Chapter 71…
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