Shabanu to Rifdha Letter

Dear Rifdah,

 

My name is Shabanu Abassi. I am a nomad and I live in the Cholistan Desert, Pakistan. I am eleven years old and have an older sister, Phulan. I live with my mom, dad, sister, aunt, two cousins, and grandfather. We own many camels, of which many people say are the finest at the Sibi Fair.

I recently have seen the competition you have competed in. It inspired me that someone our age could memorize something that long. We are good muslims, but I couldn’t imagine reading something that long. And I can’t believe you got secong out of one hundred and ten people!

My parents made plans for my sister to marry our cousin, Hamir, but then he got killed. It was horrible. We didn’t know what to do. Who would she marry now? I was supposed to marry our other cousin Murad, but now Phulan will marry Murad because she is of marrying age. And now I have to marry a fifty five year old! Mama said that he thought I was pretty, but I can’t trust him. His brother was the one who killed Hamir. His brother also tried to kidnap Phulan, take her for money and give her back when he’s done with her. It is such a horrible thing to do. Sadly, some people actually agree to do it. If I hadn’t left Phulan near the water, none of this would have happened. I now feel like it’s my fault, even though I am so angry.

I feel bad for Phulan, she was so happy. We were so prepared for the wedding, we had sold some of our best camels, like Guluband. I was so sad when dadi sold him, but I know we needed to for the money. They bought him and some other camels for a very high price. One hundred and fifty thousand rupees! Or, about thirty six thousand Maldivian rufiyaa.

I can’t believe who I am going to marry, it’s so unfair. I never get any say in what I do. Now I wish I was like Fatima, she is my second cousin and good friend. She hasn’t gotten married yet and she is already sixteen. Her mother Sharma, mama’s cousin left her old husband. He was treating her horribly. Dadi would never do something like that, and when he is strict to us, I know it is for our own safety. Is your father strict?

I love to take care of and be with camels. When I am with them I calm down. I have learned to control my sadness about Guluband. I have learned to love them because as a child I would always go about playing with dadi and the camels. My sister was always different, she stayed more inside.

Even though where I live there is no easy way for me to get an education, you inspired me with your Koran reciting.