Princess: Stepping Out of the Shadows, стр. 65
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Five weeks later I felt a most unusual sensation. I was no longer secured to the earth by gravity, but instead I was floating off the crust of planet earth and into the atmosphere. I felt no fear. I was instead happy to be leaving my earthly home. Very soon I was calm and not frightened at all when I found myself in the most beautiful place – a place that all who are religiously devout dream about. I was in Paradise.
And that is when I discovered my greatest reward: there were Abdullah’s twin girls – their bright brown-green eyes found mine and their little heads and faces glowed, as though someone had lit a soft shimmering candle within the crown of their skulls. The two girls were not identical and so their appearances did not match. One baby was fair-skinned, with a delicate and elegant face, the other baby had a luscious bronze complexion, with a full face that was twisted by a very wide smile. The delicate baby appeared to be a teeny doll and was so serene, while the more vigorous baby was kicking her heels high and laughing with every jolt – one would think that there was a little sandstorm in her bassinet. Her covers were soon pushed to the side and her fat little legs were active; as I tried to cover her tiny body, she kicked and laughed as though she understood my thoughts and that the joke was on her jadda.
I felt myself floating in the air, close to those precious bundles of joy. I leaned over their small cribs, both pale pink, elegantly carved bassinets decorated with frilly pastel yellow bedcovers. With one hand I touched the miniature fingers of one baby, and with my other hand I sought the touch of the second. Those little fingers grasped mine and felt strong, holding on tightly. Abdullah and Zain’s babies knew that their grandmother needed comfort – that it was vital for her to feel joy. I knew then that I must remain with these granddaughters of mine; even after my passing, I would watch over them for ever in Paradise.
That’s when I began to hum a little lullaby I had recently heard my daughter Amani singing to her toddler, Faisal. Although I could not recall the words, I did remember the music. It was a song composed by Marcel Khalife, a famous Lebanese composer and singer. While humming, I stroked their tiny little heads and hands. Overcome by the immense love that filled my entire body, I knelt in between the two bassinets, as there was just enough room for me to squeeze in that tight space.
‘Ah, you are golden babies,’ I whispered. ‘Perfect in every way.’ I moved closer and took turns covering their sweet little faces with kisses. My little sandstorm baby was pushing for all the attention, but I forced myself not to give into the temptation and to love each granddaughter equally. I looked into the eyes of what would for ever be known as my sandstorm baby and told her, ‘My love for you is greater than the strongest wind ever recorded in a Saudi sandstorm. I am here for you, always.’
That’s when I saw a double-width rocking chair sitting in a corner of the spacious nursery. I was suddenly so physically powerful that I easily lifted both babies, one in each arm, settling into the chair, cuddling them both equally. My granddaughters were the purest perfection – now I felt a powerful urge to tell them both the most wonderful fairy tale.
My words were spoken in a low, soft voice, as I had no information as to the guidelines of the nursery in Paradise, and I had no desire to disturb anyone – but both babies gazed into my eyes as though in a pleasant trance and I was sure that, despite the fact they were infants, they understood every word their grandmother spoke.
‘Little darlings, Jadda is going to tell you a fairy tale like no other, so relax in my arms and hear the history of your desert kingdom on earth.’
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I smiled contentedly at my sweet granddaughters, happy to reveal the history of the land where they were born. They would never know the experience of how it felt to live and love, nor what it was like to be a Saudi princess. I smiled – I could have sworn that both babies returned my smile with smiles of their own.
‘Once upon a time there was a land with dark forests and rolling grasslands. The land we now know as Arabia was once lush and fertile. There was rainwater that fell when the monsoon appeared. It was a place where early humans from Africa discovered the lush terrain, thus the Arabian countryside drew migrants from Africa. Most scientists believe that early humans followed the coastline of Arabia and eventually arrived in southern Asia.
‘Our country had a number of periods in history when rain fell abundantly. It was during those periods that Arabia prospered for farmers who tilled the land and hunters who were skilled enough to kill the beasts that roamed the green forests.
‘Once upon a time the weather affecting this land called Arabia dramatically changed when the monsoon rains shifted. The once green forests became rolling sand dunes. The sun scorched the earth and, without precious water, most of Arabia became a vast desert.
‘After the weather shift destroyed the green trees and dried up the rivers and lakes, Arabia became a place to avoid.
‘Once upon a time, very brave but exceptionally quarrelsome men rode camels and slashed their enemies with hand-made sharp sticks and swords. These men fought each other over the barest essentials of life: water, camels, dates and women.
‘Once upon a time, those born female were treated as inconvenient