Princess: Stepping Out of the Shadows, стр. 68
Now with twin girls, I was told by Kareem that Zain’s mother was furious, accusing Abdullah and Zain of using machines to intentionally have girls just to irritate their family. I would have told them exactly what I thought of their ignorance, but Abdullah said that I was forbidden to get into an argument with them – my son wanted peace – even though he disliked witnessing such favouritism. Kareem was finally beginning to trust me with the babies, although the nurses were told that if I wanted to hold the babies they had to be in the room. I agreed, of course. I wished only the best for the twins.
One day when I wanted to visit with them for a while I asked if Little Sultana might help me rather than a nurse. Kareem and Abdullah both believed me strong enough to visit without any accidents, although I was told to leave the twins in their cribs and to admire them there.
‘Little Sultana, I have a story to finish telling your little sisters. Do you want to hear the end of the story?’ I asked when we were together in the nursery.
‘Yes, Jadda. I do,’ Little Sultana said with excitement.
She and I settled in chairs after asking the nurses to come and move them closer to the bassinets. By this time, the twins had been named by Little Sultana, who had very carefully researched to find the perfect ones for her twin sisters.
The light-skinned beauty was named Yasmine, meaning jasmine flower, a delicate and most pleasing name for the little princess. The beautiful bronze princess was named Kalila, which means beloved.
‘You selected the most wonderful names for your sisters, Little Sultana. I would not have thought of those names but they are perfect for the twins. Little Yasmine looks like a flower, in fact, and Kalila is certainly beloved!’
‘I know,’ Little Sultana agreed. ‘I did wish that they each had a very special name.’
‘Well, you succeeded. Now, Little Sultana, I wanted to be alone with you, Yasmine and Kalila. I was telling the girls a story a week ago, when I was interrupted by your grandfather. I will tell you the full story later, but for now I would like to finish what I started. It will give your little sisters something interesting to think about.’
‘Tell us,’ my granddaughter encouraged, sitting in front of Yasmine and stroking her little cheeks.
Both Yasmine and Kalila were much healthier than the week before – they would probably remain underweight for a time due to their stressful arrival on earth, but with each day they became stronger.
‘All right. I was telling them the story titled “Once Upon a Time” so that they might know something of their wonderful heritage, Little Sultana. Now I will finish the story.’
‘Yes, please.’
‘Girls, here is the ending to “Once Upon a Time …”’
‘Jadda, look, the twins are staring at you – they know you have a story to finish! They are too cute!’
‘Once upon a time, there was a very prosperous kingdom. There was more money than many knew how to spend – this made some aspects of life easier, yet there was still a big problem in this kingdom.’
‘What was the problem?’ Little Sultana had a puzzled expression on her face.
‘In this kingdom, men ruled and women obeyed. But no one was happy, not the men and not the women. No human being can find happiness when they are tramping on the rights of others: they might say they are happy, but in reality they are not.
‘But once upon a time, a very handsome prince decided to transform the lives of all women – this was a prince who loved his mother, and loved his wife, and loved his daughters. He hated his country’s subjugation of women. He refused to allow the kingdom to ignore needed reforms so that women could take their rightful place alongside their husbands.
‘Suddenly, as quickly as lightning strikes through the clouds to the earth, women were able to toss aside the ugly black robes and veils that had been worn for too long. Suddenly women were able to drive their own vehicles so that they did not have to wait for a man to take them shopping or to visit their families. Suddenly women were able to choose whatever profession they felt most qualified to study. Suddenly women were able to know their husbands before they married them – women would no longer be crushed under the heels of tyrants. Suddenly women were making decisions alongside their husbands – and, with women making important decisions with their husbands, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia became a much more desirable kingdom.
‘Once upon a time, as all these things changed for women in the kingdom, the youngest generation had no knowledge of what it felt like to be ignored, abused and helpless. These changes made all things possible for them.’ I looked at each of my granddaughters in turn, hugging and touching each one when I emphasized their names. ‘And that means you, Princess Sultana, and you, Princess Yasmine, and you, Princess Kalila!’
Little Sultana was giggling, and even the twins broke out in sweet smiles.
‘And, you know what, girls? One day there will be a queen of Saudi Arabia and I recently had a dream that one of my granddaughters would be that queen – so perhaps it will be you, Queen Sultana – or you, Queen Yasmine, or you, Queen Kalila.’
I could see that Little Sultana was getting very excited because her eyes were sparkling and brilliantly dark. She spoke in a cheeky tone. ‘I really believe that I should be queen, Jadda – I am the oldest.’
‘Darling, whoever of the three of you will be queen will be the best queen in the world, doing nothing but positive things for all Saudi Arabians.’
‘How do you know one of us will be the best queen?’
‘Because,