Babies Ain’t a piece of cake (Tribute to MOTHERS)

In bed, trying to smile to the camera while my cup of coffee is all empty!!

What happens when all day you have been working like an ass and at the end of the day when you want to have a nap, the sleep doesn’t come by easily?? At times, I am dozing off unnecessarily but right now when I really need to sleep as I have to get up early in the morning cause my baby cousins will be at my place – I just can’t help myself but crave for some caffeine! My system has been programmed to malfunction at extreme times I guess, whenever I am exhausted and exceptionally fatigued I can not rest instead I am more restless and hyper-active at such moments which results in the dark-creepy-swollen eyes!

The three sisters together after breakfast!!
From Left to Right: Soha(oldest), Izma(Youngest), Nabah(Middle one)

Nabah and Izma jumping on the bed during breakfast and I am sure you can’t hear me requesting them to sit down in the photo!!

The day was busy and tiring today; my mommy and aunt were out for shopping and my aunt had an appointment with a orthopedist as well due to some recent back and leg cramps occurring occasionally since a while ago. My mom and aunt left me with the kids at 10 in the morning when they were sleeping peacefully in their bed. After an hour or so they woke up and I knew my parade had begun. I managed to fry eggs and toast few slices of bread along with boiling milk on the stove while consoling the youngest that her mother is in the washroom(Lying with kids can be dangerous and I discourage that – my experience had taught me enough today). I prepared their breakfast as fast as I could and dashed into the room to find the other two playing some Barbie games on my brand new iPad. Firstly I couldn’t digest how they turned it on when I have never used it in front of them but then I flushed that thought at the back of my head knowing that they were not some normal kids but the super-techno kids of 21^st century. I was not worried about my iPad for that time but I was worried about their empty tummies. I fed them with my own hands from the oldest to youngest cause the 7 years old feels that I discriminate on the basis of love with them due to their ages (though it has never been my intention) so I couldn’t do anything but feed the three of them myself. Then I managed to get their attention off the iPad as I had to bathe them. I bathed them, had them brush their teeth and then brushed their long curly hair – goodness; it was another examination brushing their long curly hair and making a tight looking braid once they were dry!

Nabah running to me for going to the bathroom after I have resolved the fight between them for that goddamned remote!!

At 2 in the afternoon my siblings were at home from their school and serving them with the lunch along with the three little kids wasn’t an easy task. I served them with sandwiches and fried some nuggets and crockets which were enjoyed by my siblings as well as my baby cousins. Sideways, I told my siblings to take an afternoon nap so they can get up fresh in the evening and continue with their homework and etc. Fortunately, they obeyed me without any argument (which is a rare case) and I engaged myself with the babies because I had to cook some oat meal porridge for them as per their mother’s instructions. While the oatmeal was preparing, I gave them some books to read but they showed least interest and then reluctantly I had to play the DVD of “The Little Mermaid” for them so that they could sit quietly. As I went in my room to relax myself for a bit and lay down in bed for a while, I heard the youngest (Izma) crying and her voice pierced through my ears and I got up running all the way to the hall so that I could see for my eyes what had happened that have had her screaming along with sobbing loudly. When I reached the hall, I saw them pulling each other’s hair and smashing each other with whatever comes their way to hand like a weapon. I got in between and was severely thrashed with hair pulling and scratches of their trimmed nails and what not but ultimately I got them over the fight which had accidentally started over who would keep the remote in their hand and just then the porridge was ready too as I could smell the aroma so well. I learnt a lesson on my way: Never ever think of “RESTING” leaving the kids alone; they would screw you even before you start regretting.

After giving me hell of the 15 minutes of my life; she still smiled!!

Nabah desired to capture a shot cause she wanted to use my camera!!
Look at my posy baby(Soha) – giving me a hard laugh as I go through the pictures!

Anyway, the oldest (Soha) ate the porridge without any chaos. The youngest(Izma) did make some noise but when I engaged her attention with some teddy bears and dolls around me, she was convinced and ate her meal without any mess but the one in between these two sisters; the one older than Izma but younger than Soha made me experience hell within the 15 minutes while I forced spoonful of porridge in her mouth which would come streaming out and I would make her eat the same thing again (I really felt like puking but I had to do it) because if I would have thought of sparing her of that oatmeal, her mommy would have never spared me for life punishing me for keeping her baby hungry! After all when she was done with her porridge, I felt like a winner – so proud of myself and smiling to each one of them for their cooperation and teaching me the worth of the mothers across the world.

My pretty mommy with Umair (my brother)!

This one day baby sitting taught me a lot. When my mom came back, I hugged her like a 4-year-old baby would tug into her mom seeing her after a long time. The three babies were even happier to see their mom. I realized how mothers work like a robot machines, looking after kids, serving their husbands, looking after the household and what not. Their day starts with the sun (or even before that) and their day would end late after everyone is snoring and fast asleep. I am tear-eyed thinking of what my mommy has gone through for me and my family and that whatever I do, it can never repay for the sleepless nights she had stayed up when I was a baby and my days were nights and nights a lively morning, I can never pay off for the time she has spent in my upbringing teaching me the difference between good and bad, I can never compensate for her love and care she has awarded me with throughout and I wonder if I would ever be able to pay her off for being my backbone through the thick and thin which has given me the confidence to stand upright with dignity in the shoes which fit me now. This is not the story of my *MOTHER* specifically but all the mothers across the globe. They say, Heaven is under the feet of mothers and I can not agree more because Almighty created mothers as His representative on the phase of this planet. That’s why He had poured all the love and care in the mother that He would have liked to give to His creations in the embodiment of a mother. One day baby-sitting taught me much, I have been babysitting my baby cousins for a while now since they are here from Dubai but an entire day with the babies where I have no one to depend on was an outstanding lesson. While I sit in my bed sipping caffeine, I mumble “I LOVE YOU, MAMA” and you my friends out there have to give your mothers a call – a phone call probably and those who unfortunately can’t give a phone call, give her an honor for the memory call! I can not help but salute all the mothers out there who have the stamina to overlook their baby’s mistakes because it is only them who possesses heart as vast and immense as the sea – the true beauties and saviors of the world!

Gardening (Encourage the Young Gardeners)

NOTE: I wrote this post for “FAMILY-MILL” (http://familymill.com/) but I am unable to post it there due to some technical issues, so I will re-blog it there. Cece, you need to check out the settings as I am not able to post. Thank you. The post dedicated to Gina from http://professionsforpeace.com/. Happy Reading!

Family Time – Gardening Time.

Gardening can be an exquisite treat on a summery day when your children complain how they can not favor outdoor games; hence that is the very right moment to disclose a “SURPRISING NEWS” to them – “Baby, lets go gardening.” I have a fair idea how there will be upset faces to the very prompt surprise revealed by you but that is where your job starts – “Be a baby around your baby” (as I mentioned before) and think of numerous ways of making something unexciting looks like the most exhilarating thing to experience on this planet. Children would never like to hear those dumb-founded lectures on various types of flowers and the seasons and much more; they would want to EXPERIMENT! Yeah, that is the precise word for how your babies see the world – EXPERIMENTATION! Once you hand over the watering pot to them while you can keep up with the dangerous equipments like shovel and gardening scissors for trimming the out-grown weeds.  In tidbits, teach them to praise Mother Nature. It is not important for your baby to know the name of every flower in your lawn but the appreciation and love for Mother Nature in his heart ought to be nurtured willingly.

 

George ate it all up!

Hence, when I woke up today in the morning – my friend, George came over at my place with his little son, Kevin. They were all alone in the home rotting in the empty house as George’s wife (Carla) was busy helping her friend with her marriage ceremony; thus he targeted my house and surprised me with his visit. His son is around 4 and a half and is deliciously sweet – I mean he is a darling (Don’t mind me when I get crazy about kids but don’t they add flavor to this dumb world eh?). Well, I prepared breakfast for George (the one he likes that I know by heart – black coffee and toast with Nutella) and when I asked the little baby what would he like for the breakfast, he responded, “Same as daddy, Naima. Thank you” and I laughed hysterically and then he realized black coffee was not his taste. Anyway, I poured him some milk in the Kellogg CHOCOS and he had fun-time with chocolaty milk and the coco-pops. As soon as they were done with breakfast, George dashed straight to my room and tossed and turned in my bed (I hate this about him) and played with Kevin – I was fascinated to see such a remarkable relationship between a son and dad which is not everywhere to be seen. I encouraged them playing cheerfully.   After I was done cleaning my kitchen, I sneaked in the room to check on them and I saw both of them sleeping.  Kevin was wrapped around George graciously as if he was a part of him and this made my Sunday brighter.

They woke up after few hours and came in the hall yawning and stretching – Kevin seemed like “little George”. George is far too older than me and I haven’t seen him as a toddler but I can guarantee how he must have been too much as same as Kevin. Anyway, to awaken them I broke the news of “GARDENING” to both of them and I swear their faces were worth a look. I showed some pictures of beautiful gardens to Kevin on my iphone and he was fascinated. I showed him how a gardening kit looks like and he desired to see it in reality. I had one in the store (though not in good condition yet perfectly sound for the display) and I showed him the gardening tool box and explained to him the tools and their purposes. At that very moment, he wanted to go out in my lawn and do it all with me. George yawned and I pinched him on his thigh showing my bulging eyes to demonstrate some interest for gardening before Kevin but I don’t blame him – he is a kid himself. Thus he followed us but just like dragging himself around for my sake.

I regret not taking “PERSONAL” pictures.

Anyway, Kevin was not concerned about his dad (one wonderful favor from him) and he continued trimming the weeds with me. I handed him the water pot (a smaller one so we had to fill it all over again and again but importantly I had to keep his comfort zone in mind). I trimmed the weeds properly and taught him how to water the plants with the help of the water pot. Hence then we together mowed the lawn, I adjusted him right in between my legs keeping his toes safe in between mine and we mowed the lawn all together cheerfully. He was smiling and laughing and asking frequent questions about flowers he was taught at nursery and I made the information exciting with the help of my iphone by answering his questions through illustrations and presentations available on internet. He enjoyed and wanted to stay with me when George went to pick Carla from her friend’s place.  

Kevin stayed back with me and I changed him into the tidy clothes he had brought with him in the morning earlier while I soaked his mud-covered and grubby clothes in the detergent later. I couldn’t leave him alone so I was all untidy and messed up in my morning pajamas and Angry Bird T-shirt. We made cheesy pop-corns together and enjoyed them with Pink Panther rocking the LCD screen of my bedroom. I cleaned it along while he watched the cartoons excitedly jumping and hopping in bed. Soon Carla and George were on the door to pick Kevin but he had slept by that time after the exhausted day. I felt embarrassed as I greeted Carla in those filthy clothes and George made fun of me as he exchanged those teasing looks. The three of us ate together with all what was available in my kitchen. After a short conversation, George carried Kevin from my room in his arms and laid him in the back seat of the car while Carla thanked me for taking care of his silly husband and son – doubtlessly she was right in calling her husband silly but Kevin was adorably sweet. She was happy to see him bathed and dressed in clean clothes while the smile on his contented face even while he was sleeping and dreaming made Carla much more contented – I think that is the only thing that makes mommies happy.

 As I cherish a great day spent with George and Kevin though I regret not having the random photo-session with them; I am happy to share my wonderful experience with gardening and a splendid company, hence try out and get your kids out in the gardens in summers to encourage them to learn about Mother Nature through various creative ways may that be illustrations to attract them or EXPERIMENTATION to fascinate them.

 

 

Escape (Part II)

A lovely new morning,
Strengthening life with another warning.

Cara woke up to the sound of the chirping birds and stretched in her bed with a gleaming smile as the unpleasant confrontation of the past night faded in the rooms of her brain. She climbed out of her bed wrapping the warm quilt around her and walked to the window where she removed the curtains to expose herself to the sunlight of the bright new day. Her Sunday morning was usually late but today was different. If one phase of her brain thought about Jon and their young romance leading to an official relationship in future then the other phase of her brain pondered over the survival of her dad after her. She agreed that he was unpredictable but she never blamed him for his behavior. She knew what it would feel to lose someone who is precious to the soul and heart but all this time she failed to analyze that why couldn’t her dad realize that it was not solely him who had lost a beloved wife but she had lost a MOTHER as well – a woman who contained her for nine months yet she knew nothing about her. Mr. Laurengram never felt any better discussing his late wife; he only preferred to drink and drink in grief – grief that Cara believed would never let go of him until the jaws of death would terminate the thread of his breath.

 

Cara’s silent thoughts were vanished in the air when her ringing cell phone scared her to death. She threw back the quilt wrapped around her in a jerk and dashed to her dressing to grab her cell phone and answered the call breathlessly.

“Cara, were you working out at 8 in the morning? I mean, are you okay?” Jon rushed himself with his words like an express on the station.

“Uh.. Well, why are you speaking as if you  are living the last minute of your life?” humorously remarked Cara

“When will you stop being naughty Cara?”

”Never! Do I complain when you are silly to heights?”

”My babe is making me blush eh?” giggled Jon to tease her over and over.

“How is mommy? Was she worried the last night?” Cara asked anxiously. She had met Jon’s mum more than thrice and she saw the reflection of her own mum in that beautiful lady’s embodiment.

“Mum is good, anyway, she was worried but she knew to every beat that I was with YOU”, Jon teases Cara again with his chuckles over the phone.

“Whatever! Are you coming over for the Spring Party at Gayle’s place in the evening?”

“Cara, lets skip it and go for the dinner sweetheart, what do you say?”

“Jon, I have taken enough of you for the morning. See you at the party, let me check dad for now” Cara explained simply for Jon to stop teasing her.

“Okay babe, it is my turn to serve mum so I got to go too but aren’t you forgetting SOMETHING?”

”I love you Jon”, Cara was blushing even though they were not confronting each other.

“I love you too darling”, Jon knew it came from the heart – the core of his heart.

 

They ended the call and busied themselves in their routine. Cara went downstairs and knew that her dad was fast asleep. She brewed coffee and boiled few eggs for the breakfast. She inserted two slices of bread in the toaster at a time and toasted few slices. She collected the news paper from the porch and went through the headlines while laying the table for breakfast. She preferred milky coffee while black coffee was a necessity for his dad to wipe away the recurring headache after the night which had been spent drinking. He avoided drinking on the week days but weekend served him exquisite timings to drink and mourn. Cara knocked her dad’s room few times but no response assured her of his unconsciousness and she opened the door gently and saw her dad lying on the sofa sleeping sound. The last night was invigorated in her brain and her eyes suddenly were filed with tears. She looked precisely like her dad. The same blue eyes her mother has fallen in love with were the secret to her beauty. These blue eyes were deeper in meaning – the legacy of her life. She sat across the sofa brushing her dad’s brunette hair through her slender fingers and sobbing over his body as if he was already dead. After few minutes, her dad moved and then within few seconds he was squinting to the flashing sunlight illuminating the room through the white curtains.

“Cara, umm.. You here? Baby, Is everything okay?” his hesitation was evident that he might not remember accurately what he did last night but the fragments to the incident were still stored in the hippocampus of his brain.

“Oh daddy, I thought you were too tired so just brought the black coffee couple of minutes ago”, Cara tried her best to sound normal.

There was a pin drop silence. Mr. Laurengram was too busy fighting with the annoying headache that he was unable to see the fresh tears drying out on the pink cheeks of his little doll. He had complimented Cara for the black coffee and was headed to the breakfast table by Cara.

“Oh my goodness, you did this all? When did you wake up or should I ask did you sleep?” he uttered with amazement. Cara smiled and chose to stay silent for that moment. Mr. Laurengram was hungry, he had skipped the meal last night but Cara’s appetite had died already, she played with the fork in her plate cutting the egg in to pieces until he realized her little doll’s lost figure and snapped his fingers before her focused eyes.

 

“Are you in the same world in which I am eating like a beggar hungry for days?” he remarked to lighten the atmosphere.

“Daddy, I am not feeling hungry. I had coffee when I woke up so not feeling like eating.”

“Do you have any plans for the evening?” he asked her politely.

“Oh yeah, a college mate has arranged a Spring Party for the evening. Anything up with you?”

“Yeah, I will drop you by and leave for my business deal. I have a meeting this evening.”

 

The silence again shut their conversation and Mr. Laurengram began leafing the newspaper while she moved upstairs to avoid the confrontation with her dad. He was persistently reminding her of the last night when she did not want to think about it. She heard her dad calling her and she ran downstairs to hear what he had to say.

 “I am sorry”, he said uncertainly.

“Umm.. It’s okay.” Cara tried to resist back her tears. Her dad was not looking at her; she knew he was embarrassed to look into her eyes. The physical pain meant nothing to this young girl but her smashed emotions feared her if she would start hating her dad one day.

 “I know I am wrong. I know I say SORRY always and I hurt you all the time but …” he was interrupted by Cara’s gentle voice.

“Daddy, I said Okay. You don’t have to worry” her tears pierced the white flesh surrounding her sea-blue eyes balls and they spilled drop by drop wetting her face.

“Don’t cry please, that makes me feel guilty”, his voice was stern as usual and though he had pinned his eyes in the newspaper and had not looked up for even a single second yet he knew Cara better than anybody else that he could tell that she was crying without even looking at her.

“I am not crying Dad” she tried to be stern and stiff as him but the outburst of her cry made her run upstairs and dump herself facedown in bed trying to suppress her voice by tugging a pillow underneath her mouth. She cried and cried until her eyes surrendered and had insufficient water to let it out, her mouth and eyes both were dried for it had been an hour since she was crying to shrug the burden off his shoulders.

 

Crying endlessly in bed,
Mourning over the blood-shed.

She got up when it was half past noon. She arranged her closet deciding what to wear for the party the following evening. She messaged Jon to which there was no reply which indicated her that he was busy with his mum and hence she laid in her bed falling for the sleep. She woke up after few hours and before going to bathe she planned on sneaking downstairs to check up on her dad. The hall was empty but the kitchen was clean, her father was doubtlessly the most organized man she knew on the planet. She peeked in his room which was already arranged and tidy. She ran all the way to the porch and there was no car in the driveway, she knew where her dad was. She regretted crying in front of him; she was certain that he must be in the golf club playing golf on his own – the only thing he thought he could do anytime. She rang her dad though she knew he would not receive her call; he felt guilty beyond explanation but she knew he would turn into same creature once again when the memories of her mother would haunt him – this made her hate her mother at times.

Cara was dressed in a multicolor short dress and the bright colors complemented her fair-toned body. Her simplicity was her utmost beauty; she applied mascara to define her long thick eye lashes and softened her lips by applying a cucumber lip balm further defining her thin lips with the Etude glittery gloss to give a party touch to her appearance. She awaited her dad but there were no signs of his arrival; she called him over and over again but he wasn’t responding to her calls and this was not a good signal by any means. Therefore, pushing all the pessimistic thoughts aside, she called Jon to pick her when he would be heading for the party. Within a couple of minutes Jon was on her doorstep with a bouquet of flowers and a present.

“Present! Is there anything special?” exclaimed Cara with amazement and excitement blended all together.

“Well, you can keep the bouquet but you are not opening the present until I say so”, Jon smiled softly to her gleaming blue eyes.

Cara placed the flowers in a vase kept on the table beside stair case and locked the door while messaged her dad that she had waited long and when he had not responded to any of her calls, she had proceeded to the party with Jon. Cara looked at the gentleman precisely in the driver seat and locked her eyes on his innocent face. Cara had always found Jon’s hazel eyes soothing and intoxicating concurrently. Jon was wearing a lime-yellow t-shirt along with white pants. He didn’t look funky which is what the party demanded but decent as always. Cara knew every guy would be dressed fancily at the party but she was proud to be Jon’s girl; after all his dressing code had a taste which was beyond comparison.

 

I love you,
Claims the air that blew.

“I know I am looking SEXY but what are you staring eh?” Jon harassed her with a wink while slipping a finger of his right hand which is enclosed around the hand-gear to touch hers and there she smiled – the smile that always cheered him up and brought pleasure to his heart and soul.

“Oh Mr. Smarty Pants, you may be genius and nerdy but SEXY?? You are nothing close to Hugh Jackman” Cara taunted him back with a playful note in her voice to annoy him.

“Cara! I am no Hugh Jackman because I am Jon, Jon Stanley!” exclaimed Jon.

“Look, now who is getting pissed off huh? Possessive!! Possessive!!” Cara continued teasing him while he played with her fingers and cuddled around her at times when the traffic signal blinked red. 

After half an hour drive, they both were at Gayle’s place hand in hand.

“Cara! Jon! Wow! Great to see you guys together here”, an excited voice made them turn their backs to the addresser.

“Gayle! What a party, bro”, cried Jon with excitement as they both hugged each other followed by a hi-five. Cara shook her hand with Gayle who often seemed brainless to her.

Gayle was a rich brat and a very good friend of Jon. Cara knew him through Jon; though three of them studied together in the first year of Stanford University yet Cara hardly knew anybody whereas Jon was as social as his witty brain allowed him to help every individual in the college. Gayle wore a printed hot-pink t-shirt and multicolor long shorts which made him look no less than a joker. After a brief conversation of Jon and Gayle; Cara was lead to a corner by Jon where they got seated and conversed for an eternity. Suddenly their conversation was interrupted by Cara’s ringing cell phone and she was not certain to attend the call or not as there was an unknown number flashing on the screen. She ignored the call thrice and ultimately when Jon convinced her to receive the call, she agreed reluctantly for the fourth time.

 

“This is Polly from Stanford Hospital. Can I have a word with Miss Cara Laurengram?” an adenoidal flat voice from the other end cracked through the earphone.

“Yeah, Cara speaking”, she hesitantly answered.

“Your father had a severe car accident. We want you in the hospital in an immediate hour to carry out the formalities”, the flat voice was penetrating at once or it might be Cara’s ears.

 

A misery over a heart-felt loss,
Praying with my hand tracing the cross.

The phone tripped from Cara’s sweaty hands with her bulging eyes forming tears that trickled down her cheeks within no time and she hadn’t even the faintest idea how Jon dumped her in the passenger seat and drove all the way to the heart of the city where Stanford hospital was situated.