Daily Prompts: Out of your Reach

Was there a toy or thing you always wanted as a child, during the holidays or on your birthday, but never received it? Tell us about it.

When I was a child, there were certain things our parents gave us without asking. During our Eid-al Fitr, a celebration we have after the month of Ramadan, we were given new clothes which we chose ourselves. My Dad gave us money to spend, we were not allowed to eat any kind of junk food.

I remember every month a vendor came by to sell pastries, he had a large trunk where the pastries were in little shelves. My Dad would ask the guy to open his trunk, we were then allowed to choose one each. We were twelve kids and now that I think of it, he probably could buy one each or may be he did not want us to eat more than one because of the sugar, cream in them and also calorie wise it was not good for our health.

Once I was playing with the kids in our neighborhood, I saw a boy playing with a tennis ball, I was fascinated, I could not wait for my Dad to come from work. He barely put his foot on the door, I stopped him and asked, “Abba (Dad) can you buy a tennis ball for me?”

He turned around and went out, I didn’t think much, a half hour later he came back with four tennis balls, one for me and three for my younger siblings. I was delighted and thought my Dad was the best father in the world.

My parents were always ready to buy things for us, if we asked. We didn’t ask for anything expensive.

……………………………….. 🙂

Daily Prompt: Familial Feasts

Many countries celebrate Father’s Day and Mother’s Day.If you could dedicate a holiday  to a more distant relative, who would it be– and why?

If I could dedicate a holiday to my distant relative, I’d choose the  person who was not my relative but was very good to us.  We called him uncle, his wife treated my mother as her real sister. Even after she died uncle did not abandon us . He invited us to stay in his house when we visited Dhaka city(Bangladesh).

We stayed in his house for days , he always welcomed us. He was much better than our own uncles who did not care much for us after my father passed away.

If I could dedicate a holiday to a distant relative, I’d choose my distant uncle.

………………………………..:)

 

365b Writing Prompts: Out of your reach

Was there a toy or thing you always wanted as a child , during the holidays or on your birthday but never received? Tell us about it.

I always asked for very simple things, my parents always fulfilled my wish. I recall once I saw some of our neighborhood kids playing with a tennis ball. I don’t know why I thought I must have one too.

In the evening when my Dad returned from work, he was hardly inside the door of our house, I stopped him and asked him if I could have a tennis ball, he immediately turned around and bought four tennis balls, one each for my other siblings and me.

Now when I think of that day, I wonder why I didn’t wait to ask my Dad later, he must have been tired, or hungry.

https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/12/08/365b-writing-p…-of-your-reach

Tagore song posted and translated by ranu

Sunlight is peering through the clouds,

It’s not cloudy anymore.

We have a holiday today,

I don’t know what to do.

Which forest shall we choose to get lost?

Which playground shall we choose to run,

I will make a boat with paper,

and decorate it with flowers.

I’ll set it afloat in the large pond,

And watch it swing and float.

The shepherd and I will look after the cattle

and blow the horn.

I will roll in the jasmine bushes,

and smear myself with the scent of flowers!

: https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/08/12/tagore-song-po…slated-by-ranu

DP Daily Prompt: Familial Feasts

Yesterday was Father’s Day in many countries.If you could dedicate a holiday to a more distant relative, who would it be —- and why?

Not everyone is fortunate to celebrate “Father’s Day”, there are a lot of factors that prevents us from celebrating this particular day.

I had a distant relative, we called him uncle,he was a very sweet person, we made fun of him, we talked to him as if he was our friend.He always had a very serene face, he gave us the feeling that he was my mother’s brother.

I remember after my father died we came to live in Bangladesh for the first time, he was the only one who came to the airport to receive us. My mom was very pleased she thought at least she has a distant cousin who genuinely loved her and her children.

On his behalf I’d like to have a holiday which I’d name as ,”Uncle’s Day”, dedicated to my precious Uncle who was always there for us.

: https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/06/16/dp-daily-prompt-4

DP Writing Challenge: Ghosts of December

Many years ago I came to Montreal in the month of August.  I was excited and scared at the same time. Excited this was the first time I left my home Dhaka to come to Montreal so far away. I was newly married. Mine was an arranged marriage I did not know much  about my husband. We were married in January, he left Dhaka, Bangladesh little over two weeks after our marriage. He was a physician in a hospital in Montreal.

I stayed back with his parents in the village for over six months. I didn’t know anyone. I noticed everyone who came to the house would only stare at me, as if I was some kind of a rare thing that they had never seen before.  My father-in law was the nicest person in that house,he treated me like  his daughter.

After over six months I got all my papers ready to travel to Montreal to join my husband. I didn’t know him at all. It was this part that scared me. Was he nice,will he treat me well, what kind of attitude will he have towards me? These were questions I had in my mind. I was afraid to ask I didn’t really know how he’d react.

Three months after I landed in Canada. My husband wanted to go to Chicago. He knew a family,they were Mr. and Mrs. Finlay. Mrs. Finlay was curious to see me. My husband thought  Christmas time would be the best time to go for a visit. We went two days before Christmas.  Mrs. Finlay  invited us to stay with her. She had a decorated Christmas tree,there were gifts under the tree for all of us. One of my gifts was a ,’Better Homes and Garden Cookbook’. I was happy, I’d be able to use it for baking. This was my first Christmas. I learned a few things about this special holiday.

After celebrating Christmas day.  We were out to buy a winter coat for me. I wasn’t really interested to buy anything, but my husband was determined to buy one whether I wanted it or not.  Earlier that day Mrs. Finlay told me she told my husband not to marry anyone from Bangladesh. I was not happy to hear it. I was only interested to go back to Montreal. I had to buy a coat.I couldn’t leave without it.

Since the first Christmas we had many more. Our family was larger, we had three kids. We gave them what they wanted, so they wouldn’t feel left out.

This Christmas my family is down to two.  My husband died a few years ago. Despite my best intentions and hard work one of my kids said in her email a few days before Christmas,  “I  do not wish to have more than a  courteous  relationship with you.”

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/12/23/writing-challenge-ghosts/

DP Daily Prompt: Ground Hog Day post by Ranu

Although it’s not relevant now.There was a time when I would choose to stay stuck in holidays. Holiday has such a musical sound to it,how could I want to get out of it. I do know good things are always shorter than bad. Take for example me,I was in a place where screaming and disobedient kids made my days miserable.I would dream of going home and relax, I wasn’t able to, I’d take stacks and stacks of books home to correct,meals to cook,children to look after,make sure I prepared myself for the next day. I clearly was stuck in a loop.

There also was the fear,the baby sitter’s call right before I left,”Mrs. Asgar, I’m sick I won’t come today”. I’d have to deal with it the best way I knew how. Then there was one of the kid’s sick. How do I take care of this emergency?

At least when it is a holiday,I can relax,despite the house work.

No it is never possible to get “Life” right. Whichever way I tried things were never smooth. As humans we are responsible for so many things,it’s never easy. Life is not easy.I tried in my opinion to do so much for my relatives,it came back not as a reward but a nightmare.Life is not fair,this is my view of life.