The Rascal

I was trying to get family members to share memories and stories at our recent Hajjafar Reunion. I was talking to Ali joon and I told him that Mohammad had hinted to me that their father Hossein had been somewhat of a rascal in his younger days. I asked Ali joon if he knew anything about that. 

Ali thought and gave a drawn out, “noooooo” as he began shaking his head. Then he paused, smiled, and said, “well, he might could have been a bit of a rascal”. 

Then, Ali told me that when his father Hossein had been young, Hossein’s mother Sakineh Bagheri, had died. This left his father Mohammad Haj Jafar with two children: Hossein, and Zahra.

Hossein’s father would remarry Bebe jan and they would later have Hassan, and Sakineh. Hossein did not seem happy with this marriage happening.

Ali told me that his dad was frequently doing things to scare off this new woman in his father’s life. I imagine that it was through no fault of his father’s new wife. Perhaps Hossein just did not think that his mother could be replaced. 

Ali said that one evening after dark, Hossein had covered himself in a sheet and hid in wait of his dad’s new wife. When she came around the corner, a “frightful” ghost appeared, startling her! She realized that it was Hossein dressed in a sheet. She shooed Hossein off and told him that there was nothing that he could do that could scare her off from her new family.

Mohammad remembers hearing his dad tell this story also. He says that when he told it he would be laughing throughout the entire story. 

Gradually, this wonderful woman would win the children of her husband over. They would grow to love and respect her as would their future children. Ali and his siblings called her Nan Baba and loved her dearly.

Mohammad speaks of Bebe Jan with such love and respect. She was his “step” grandmother but he loved her as dearly as anyone related by blood. 

I suppose we should all remember that new folks in our lives can never replace the loved ones that we have lost, but love is to infinity and beyond. There is always room in our hearts to fill it with new loved ones and still hold love for those who have passed.

P.S. I think that Baba Jan was a rascal.