Nafas Page #4

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Badri had a hard time.

She cries all nights.

The Boss is kind to Badri at first.

But when Badri doesn't listen to

her, she gets angry with her.

Every day someone comes and makes up Badri.

Then the Boss takes her to the

party of the rich and aristocrats,

and tells Badri to laugh with men.

I hate it when girls laugh loudly.

Nobody must see the teeth

of a dignified girl.

Why should she laugh? And loudly?

Only the corner of her lips

must stretch a little.

Like this!

I love you!

Damn you!

Badri says her fiance will

take revenge on the Boss.

Badri's fiance is looking

for her in every town.

Mali, Badri's friend, kills herself with a

few pieces of opium as big as chickpeas.

She eats them and dies. I must

be careful not to eat chickpea!

Granny, what do you want

to do with the chickpeas?

I'll pour them on my father's grave!

What do you do with chickpeas?

I'm going to cook meat stew.

I saw someone killed

herself with chickpeas!

She hanged herself with chickpeas?

She jumped into the chickpeas

and drowned herself?

How she killed herself with chickpeas?

See? She's gone nuts!

I told you many times not

to let her read books.

I love you!

Badri got weak and sick.

The Boss said she was

no use to her any more.

The Boss's men leave Badri in the ruins.

A good man finds her, takes her

home, and looks after her.

Then they write Badri's

name in the newspapers.

Her fiance comes.

Don't let her read so much.

She'll go crazy.

Many people did!

Don't you see her talking to herself?

It happens when you go

to the Aliens' house.

Badri is lying in bed. She can't move.

When she sees her fiance,

she tries to sit up.

Her fiance comes in. She sees him blurry.

Badri falls in the bed and dies.

The good man is standing at the door.

His eyes are filled with tears.

Finished!

May you lie in the graveyard!

She went nuts!

Granny is right.

You go crazy when you read books a lot.

We have come to Abrand

Abad in Yazd at Ashura.

Bibi Zamzam has a place for herself.

It is called Motbakh, meaning kitchen.

Seyyed Morteza, my grandfather,

brings firewood for her.

Bibi Zamzam speaks Yazdi in a heavy accent.

Granny doesn't understand

most of her words,

but she just nods and says,

"Yes, you are right."

There is a rachineh in Bibi Zamzam's yard.

Yazdi people call stairs 'rachineh'.

They call toilet 'khala', and good 'khash'.

I go up Bibi Zamzam's rachineh

and wave at Malekeh and Bibagom,

the neighbour's daughters,

from the balcony.

I say, "Hey, Malekeh! Hey, Bibagom!"

Hello!

I want to put on my best clothes,

without dishevelled hair,

or muddied clothes,

because people of Abrand

Abad like Tehrani girls.

- You tied wings nightingales!

- You tied wings nightingales!

- Whose soul you comfort?

- Whose soul you comfort?

- Whose soul and spirit you are?

- Whose soul and spirit you are?

Being an orphan is a pain without cure.

Being an orphan is a pain without cure.

Good, but you must sing

it more like a song.

- We are the two children of Moslem.

- Bahar!

My dear daughter. You have grown up.

You mustn't talk to Taher much.

It isn't proper.

Why?

You heard me. It isn't proper.

- Do it and don't ask questions.

- Sure.

A good girl mustn't be seen by a stranger.

They perform 'Shabih' in Abrand

Abad at Tasu'a and Ashura.

Tehrani people use the word

Ta'ziyeh instead of 'Shabih'.

It's something like passion play.

Taher, my cousin, performs in Shabih.

He plays the role of the

Two Children of Moslem,

the one Mr Kafi tells its story

with crying and singing.

His role is to be beaten

and cry and recite elegy.

Do you know what my mother told my father?

What?

She said, "The names of

Bahar daughter of Bisafa,

and Taher son of Bisakineh,

are written together."

What does it mean?

It means you'll marry when you grow up.

Damn you! You'll be crushed by the camel!

Granny sent me to her to learn the Quran.

Good.

You start from Verse 14.

Open your mouth and read clearly.

Look at me. What can you read?

- Al-Ikhlas Sura.

- What?

Al-Ikhlas.

We have snakes in our basement.

If you don't read well

or don't pay attention,

I'll throw you to the snakes! Got it?

Read well!

Why you didn't read it?

Move!

Read!

Read correctly!

Hurry!

Read!

Hey!

Didn't you hear how Zahra read?

Read!

Hurry!

"I know Ikhlas!" Everybody knows that!

Read!

I don't go to her class any more.

My grandfather, Seyyed Morteza in Yazd,

teaches me the Quran much better.

Well done!

Bravo!

I go to the field and look for a treasure.

I walk in the alleys near Miss Akram's

house and play with the children there.

I jump over a sleeping dog. I

don't want to go to Miss Akram.

Damn you! What are you doing here?

Idling in the alleys?

Wait!

If granny finds you, she'll

make you black and blue!

- What have I done?

- Granny went to Miss Akram.

She told her you haven't been

to her class for a week.

- Where do you go?

- What is it to you, nosy?

Granny!

Bahar locked herself in in the bathroom!

Open!

Open it!

Open or I'll break it!

I'll kill you!

I know what to do with you!

You were idling around?

Evil liar!

That's why you were scared when

I mentioned Miss Akram's name.

I made a mistake!

Granny!

She wanted to throw me into

the basement to snakes.

Let your father come back from Qom.

I'll tell him everything!

It is either your place

or mine in this house!

He always goes to the Aliens!

I formed a family for myself in the

bathroom with the bath sponge and ceruse!

A lonely girl lived in a

dark frightening forest.

I named myself Smiling Flower.

A smiling flower imprisoned by the snakes

in the basement of Miss Akram's house!

However, the snakes have a chief.

Its name is Seven-Headed Dragon.

The Seven-Headed Dragon has locked in

Smiling Flower in the hut in the forest,

which is our own bathroom.

But Smiling Flower is very clever.

She could become friends with a few snakes,

and the snakes told her where

the dragon's Bottle of Life is,

because snakes are very good

animals and if people like them...

...and talked a little kindly with

them, they will welcome humans warmly.

Snakes told me the dragon's Bottle of Life is

the bottle of egg shampoo in the bathroom!

The dragon has turned it into

this shape to trick people.

I took its Bottle of Life and

smashed it on the ground!

Bahar?

Darling?

Come out. What are you doing there?

What is the noise you're making?

- Is that you, Miss Norasteh?

- Yes, darling.

Come on out.

If I come out, granny will

make me black and blue.

No, darling.

We talked to her and she won't beat you.

Come out.

Yes, we talked to her. Come out, dear.

Well done, good girl!

You were frightened?

Don't tease your granny. Why

you didn't go to the class?

You are a good girl!

Granny! Mooshkamal peed in his bed.

- What he did?

- Peed in his bed.

Where is he?

Where is Mooshkamal?

Damn me!

What should I do with you, Mooshkamal?

My God!

Granny didn't beat me last night.

But when she found out

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