Nafas Page #5

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Mooshkamal has wet his bed,

she beat me instead of him!

Wait!

Is this right?

I wasn't home for only 2 days.

By God you must answer in the other world.

Her back is all bruised.

Beating in the past!

Granny's beating is cool! Whoever

doesn't have it is a fool!

Beating is not beating nowadays! They

bastinadoed children in the past!

Don't say that in front of them.

They'll get cheeky.

I ran to the loo to cry with

the engravings on the wall.

The engravings are my friends.

One is the Winged Horse.

The others are Mermaid, Mickey Mouse,

and one has recently become like Badri

in Human Sellers of 20th Century.

My father did the gatch-work

on the loo walls.

Granny says, "God damn you, Ghafoor!

If you'd brought in a mason,

the walls of the loo wouldn't

be full of bumps and holes."

I'm happy my dad didn't do well

the gatch-work on the walls,

because my friends have come out of it.

Besides, I sometimes sing to

them many songs and poems.

My dad has bought a

three-wheeled blue pickup.

I'm bringing you fruit roll!

- Me!

- Me!

From the youngest to the oldest!

Granny!

Look out! I lost the thread!

- Will you tell me a story?

- Story or tragedy?

Granny!

I don't know any stories.

Careful, kids.

Here you are.

I have fruit rolls but you don't!

Beggar! You kept it for now?

I hope you choke on it!

Beggar!

Thank God! He left!

I hope he never returns!

SHAH LEFT!

Why are you looking? Is it a wedding?

The cookies finished before

my dad could take any.

But I know my dad is strong,

because he's grown his

hair long like Samson.

Today my dad is taking

us to my uncle's house,

to see our cousin who's just

been released from prison.

Streets of Tehran are still crowded.

The sound of shots can be

heard from everywhere.

My dad took us to my uncle's

house from a secret way,

because my dad is an expert

at finding shortcuts,

secret routes, and steeps.

The interrogator asked you calmly.

If you didn't answer or paused

or said you didn't know,

he'd stub out his cigarette on your hand.

What about your nails?

They pulled them out too?

Not me, but my cellmate, they

tortured him very badly.

They'd hung him from the ceiling.

Thank God they didn't

have anything against me.

They say they pulled out

women's nails in prison.

Is it true?

I don't know. We weren't

with women in one place.

Any news from Seyyed Mohammad's son?

They say he is in prison.

I don't know.

There weren't a few prisoners.

They were so many.

Here, son.

Eat to get strong.

Let him take two.

Thank you.

Did you see what those jerks did to him?

My son is brave. I have 9 of them!

I have 9 of them but he

doesn't appreciate it.

He doesn't deserve it!

Eat.

Men yearn for sons, but my

husband wanted a daughter!

He married again and she

dropped him a daughter!

I have no objection.

I tell him to take his carcass there

if he wants his wife and daughter.

We have no objection.

He is over there day and night.

All the time!

He goes out, travels to Qom, Kashan,

goes on pilgrimage with Nayyer Khatun!

He has nothing to do with us.

He sits her beside him and steps on it!

Him!

But when he wants to dye his

hair, beard, and moustache,

he comes here and shits my bathroom!

The good and happiness are

all for Nayyer Khatun.

Stop it! Don't talk behind her back.

You are spiteful. Spite has

callused in your heart!

My heart has callused with spite?

I hope you get a pain that you don't die

and there'll be nobody to help you!

Am I lying?

I don't understand how you don't

learn anything from Ghafoor.

His wife passed away many years ago.

He is raising his children like a good man.

He doesn't complain or take a wife.

But you took two!

I am alive, but you remarry.

I am here! See me!

It isn't his fault.

He didn't find out when

my flowers were born,

when grew up.

I raised them with hardship, with my heart!

You laugh?

I'm laughing at Qadir.

You are like him. You'll end

up together, God willing!

Granny! Their food has no meat!

My love!

Qadir will sacrifice my and my 9

sons' lives for this damn thing,

whatsisname, projector!

He brings it out of the wardrobe,

cleans it, caresses it, kisses it!

That's what you deserve!

I just don't understand,

why he doesn't take this darling of his

to the house of that darling of his!

To Nayyer Khatun's house.

He is afraid it might be a trouble for her.

Turn off the light.

Sit down.

God forgive us!

Everybody comes here and I must serve them.

But who appreciates it? Nobody!

Damn me!

Let us watch!

Watch it!

I hope you die!

Damn you!

Today marks the historic

return of Imam Khomeini--

Welcome, our leader!

Long live Khomeini! Down with his enemy!

Greetings to Prophet! Imam

Mahdi's help is here!

Greetings to Prophet! Imam

Mahdi's help is here!

Granny?

- Where is granny?

- Huh?

Not 'huh'! Where is granny?

What?

Are you deaf? Where is your granny?

She left my hand and was lost!

- She was lost?

- Yes.

God is the Greatest!

God is the Greatest!

Granny! There she is!

I love Imam! You weren't there to see.

Wish you were too.

I went ahead and saw him at the distance.

He was all light. May I

be sacrificed for him!

Come on. I'm famished!

Look! Arch of Quran!

Arch of Quran! We are there!

Arch of Quran!

Quiet!

I miss Yazd very much.

If I was to decide, I

wanted to live in Yazd.

We haven't been to Yazd

for more than a year,

since the revolution.

I talk to myself less, because

I'm a grownup girl now.

- Egypt?

- Cairo.

- Iraq?

- Baghdad.

- Saudi Arabia?

- Riyadh.

China?

Peking.

- England?

- London.

- Japan?

- Tokyo.

Bravo, darling. When did you learn them?

Well done to my darling!

She is very intelligent.

She went to school at 6.

- Well done, good girl!

- Well done, darling!

I've sent a drawing to

the Children Programme.

- They're going to show it.

- Well done!

You sent so many drawings to the television,

but they didn't show any of them.

You answered all capitals correctly.

So, I'll give you a magical present.

It isn't magical. It is only a rosary!

Don't be nosey!

It has a hole.

When you look through it,

you'll see Kaaba and any wish

you have will be answered.

Go away!

- How is that possible?

- Why not?

Let me see.

One must ask God with her

heart to be answered.

Bahar!

I said you've grown up and mustn't

play with Taher, didn't I?

- You don't listen?

- Sure!

- Come!

- I'm coming!

Wait!

See.

It is your treasure?

Not a treasure, but I like them very much.

What a pretty rosary!

I gave the best to you. Look after it.

I have a boat, but I can't

give it to anybody.

It is a memento.

Wash your heads.

Stop!

The Iraqi planes bombed Iranian cities--

Taher laughed!

You're out!

Bahar is pressing her lips!

Bruce Lee!

You laughed! You're out!

I didn't!

I can think of only this.

Go away! I won't dance.

Stop!

You are laughing.

Hurry! Make him laugh.

What if there'll be war, God forbid?

God forbid!

There won't be a war, God willing.

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