Part 10 Nani wasn’t exactly a spring chicken but she still did a lot of things most people half her age didn’t do. It was taxing on her and on her health. Nani had high blood pressure and cholesterol. Arthritis had slowly set in and her feet often swelled, though she never complained. She never told us that she was tired or in pain and she never made us feel like we were a burden on her even though we were. I’d made a reputation at school for being a tough child. Truth was I had to be tough and fight my own battles because there was no one to do it for me. Nani had taught me how to stand up for myself and how to handle myself. She’d taught me the importance of praying salat and of asking Allah for all that we wanted. Nani taught me about the up’s and down’s of life. She taught me never to feel inferior because we didn’t possess the same wealth that others did. She taught me that money isn’t everything and that Allah looks at your heart and your deeds and not your bank balance. I credit my Nani for being the person I am today. Its only through her good, moral upbringing that I am where I am today. Daddy continued to work crazy hours day in and day out. As a result Nani was all I had. Not that daddy paid that much attention to me when he was home. He was always distant towards me. I remember participating in the speech contest one year and coming out second. I was so excited and wanted to share my joy with everyone. When I got home I excitedly told Nani and eagerly awaited daddy’s arrival so that I could tell him too. Only when daddy came home, he merely looked at me and emotionlessly said ‘that’s nice’. From that day on, I never shared any of my joys or successes with my father. He never even asked to see my report cards, nor did I ever run to show them to him. I later found out that Nani would show him my report card long after I’d gone to sleep. He probably just looked at it and handed it back to Nani without saying anything. It was hard not to feel out of place at school. My classmates always had the latest toys and gadgets that I didn’t even know how to use. They always came to school with big cars while Nani and I walked home. Many lived in mansions while I lived in a tiny little house. It was like poverty was a shame in that community. It was my one weak point while growing up. I always felt inferior despite knowing that I had no reason to. It was the one aspect that everyone rubbed in my face throughout my schooling career. It was only at university that I’d learnt to let go of such feelings. There I met people from different walks of life, some much more underprivileged than me. Yet we’d all made it to university, made it to the real world where things would be different from what we previously knew.
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 09:53:05 +0000
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