Shabanu Movie 2 – Small
Grandpa Dead:
Derawar, Passed on a day,
Jindwada Ali Abbasi died yesterday. He died in peace. He died because of a sandstorm in Pakistan, and he died a few days later, because of the effect. We can’t be one hundred percent certain, but Jindwadda was very injured during the sandstorm. It’s a miracle that he even survived. He was found outside, and conscious but asked specifically to be buried in Derawar, but unfortunately, his request couldn’t be fulfilled. Jindwadda died in the night about 10 days after the sandstorm. “I want to die at Derawar” his family remember him saying.
Grandpa fought in the war between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He fought hard for his country, and we will take today to appreciate his hard work in the army, and be sure that his death has been noticed.
INFANT, 0
Auntie’s baby died in the womb from technical issues. He was suffocated by the umbilical cord. “It was another boy,” Her sister says after the death. The midwife who tried to help is Shahzada’s sister, who is a family friend of the Abbasi’s. Shahzada used herbs and powders to help, but unfortunately it was too late to save the baby. According to witnesses, the state of the mother was frightening, for the color in her eyes was not visible. After the death of the baby, Auntie was said to have slept peacefully in a green tunic. The baby was buried, and the birth was never spoken of again. According to family, the mother’s pregnancy was unknown to everyone except possibly the father. Auntie did in fact show signs of pregnancy, such as tiredness, weakness and gaining weight. Shabanu did have suspicions about the pregnancy, but thought it might be rude to mention it.
The mother herself is the spouse of a man who works in a government office and makes a very good salary, and sends her gifts. Her husband, Mr. Abbasi, is away a lot, and most people would even say that she’s lonely, but it brings her to joy the few times that her husband does come home. Mr. Abbasi is the brother of Dalil Abbasi, who is the spouse of Auntie’s sister. She is the mother of two lovely sons, ages three and five who are just starting to learn how to do work on the farm. When Auntie was at the age for marriage, she and her father went into search for a good husband. At first, they were unsuccessful, but after searching for a reasonable amount of time, she finally found her one and only husband. Shabanu, Auntie’s niece says, “Uncle comes several times a year, bringing Auntie gifts-quilts, shawls and brass pots. He brings us vegetables, wheat and lentils.”
In Mandarin we were told that the eighth graders wrote a pen pal letters to us. After we got them we had to choose one from all of the eighth graders and write back to them.
