“How was your visit with your family?” Marjan asked.
“It was pleasant,” Shekiba answered. She was elbow-deep in hot, sudsy water, washing the children’s clothes.
“And how was Bobo Shahgul? Is she in good health?”
“Yes,” said Shekiba. Unfortunately, she thought.
“And the rest of the family? Did you see everyone? All your uncles?”
“I saw Kaka Zalmai, Sheeragha and Freidun. My other two uncles are still away in the army.”
Marjan stood over her, a finger on her lip as she pondered something. Shekiba purposely avoided her gaze.
“You know, I ran into Zarmina-jan, your uncle’s wife, at the hammam last week. She told me that she was surprised that you wanted to visit your family for Eid.”
Shekiba’s neck muscles tightened.
“She said that you did not adjust well to Bobo Shahgul’s house after your father’s death.”
Khala Zarmina. What are you up to?
“Were you angry to be sent here?”
Shekiba shook her head.
“Well, I hope not. This was an arrangement that everybody agreed to so I hope that you are not intending to carry out the same kind of behaviors here in this home.”
Shekiba felt a fire burn in her belly. “This is a different place,” she said in a bitter voice.
“Good. Just be warned that we do not tolerate disrespectful behavior. I will not have my children learning… such things!”
Shekiba nodded.
But Marjan was uncomfortable with her. Maybe Khala Zarmina had said something more.
She prepared the family’s dinner and ate quietly in the kitchen. She liked to listen to the children bickering with each other. Amid the din, she heard Marjan tell Azizullah that she had something she needed to discuss with him later.
Shekiba knew it would be about her.
In the night she heard Marjan’s soft yelps and knew that Azizullah was taking his wife. This was something Shekiba had learned in her grandmother’s house. From where she slept in the kitchen, she could hear the same grunts and pants through the wall and would see Kaka Zalmai emerge from their room refreshed while Samina avoided Shekiba’s gaze and busied herself with her children. The women often joked about it when the children were out of earshot but they did not mind Shekiba hearing them.
“You’ve been working on that sweater for over a week, Zarmina! When are you going to finish?”
“Sounds like what I hear you saying to your husband in the middle of the night, Nargis!”
Laughter and a hand clapped against someone’s back. Shekiba listened closely, intrigued by the rare moments of camaraderie amongst the women.
Nargis giggled and shot back without hesitation.
“Mahtub-gul can hardly see beyond her huge breasts to know what is happening below.”
Laughter again. Samina looked in Shekiba’s direction and seemed uncomfortable to have her in the room. Zarmina noticed and raised her teacup.
“I wouldn’t worry about her, Samina dear. Remember, she was her father’s son so it’s in her best interests to learn the way things are from women. Imagine if you had no idea what your wedding night had in store for you! Let her be aware.”
Samina clucked her tongue. “Knowing would only make it worse.”
Shekiba had thought of her statement often. What was worse about it? Whatever it was, her aunts made it sound awful but tolerable. They were laughing about it, after all.
Hearing Marjan’s soft sighs and gasps came as no surprise. It was the thing that transpired between a husband and wife and it was how women became heavy with child. This much Shekiba had pieced together.
After a few moments, the grunts ceased and Shekiba could hear the sounds of a conversation. She pressed her ear to the wall.
“And Zarmina told you she did that?”
“Yes, that’s what she said. And now I know why Bobo Shahgul was so eager to make this arrangement. She didn’t want to have this girl in her house.”
“I’ve never trusted those boys. Especially Freidun. They think the world of themselves but not one of those sons is a quarter of the man their father was. Their mother is right to keep a close eye on them.”
“But what are we to do with Shekiba-e-shola? True, she does her work around the house well enough but I am afraid that she will turn on us as she did with her own grandmother. What if she threatens to put a curse on our family as well?”
Put a curse on the family?
“Hmm. Interesting.”
“And Zarmina said that even though she had been doing the chores as a son, that the girl has the spirit of a wild woman. The last thing this home needs to invite is scandal and rumor.”
“And what is it that you think we should do?”
“I think you should send her back.”
“Send her back?”
“Yes! For the sake of everyone in this house. Take her back and tell her uncles that they will have to settle their debt in another way. We cannot have her.”
“I see.” Marjan was wise to bring up the matter now, with Azizullah feeling spent and relaxed.
“But we mustn’t tell them why we want to send her back. Zarmina specifically asked me to keep all this to myself.”
“I bet she did.”
There was silence. Shekiba felt betrayed and then wondered why she was surprised by her aunt’s accusations.
What does she want? Does Zarmina want me back in the house? Why?
“It’s going to be a shame to lose her help but I have a bad feeling about this girl. I cannot shake Zarmina’s words from my mind.” Shekiba thought of Marjan’s nervous behavior the last couple days and almost laughed.
For a while, she relished the idea that she could be so formidable a threat.
“If I take her back, it will create a rift between our families and that is not in our best interests. By the looks of their land, I anticipate that the family will be again knocking on our door to borrow money. Not a single one of them knows how to grow a crop. But I have another idea,” Azizullah said.
“What is it?”
“You worry about the children and look after the house. Did I not say I would take care of it?” Marjan’s window of opportunity was quickly closing. Azizullah’s impatience was returning. “Let me talk to Hafizullah about it but there may be a way to get rid of this girl if she is so bothersome to you. And at the same time, we may be able to secure our position in this community. There are changes coming and Hafizullah has high aspirations.”
Shekiba kept her eyes and ears open in the next few days, looking for any sign of what Azizullah’s plan might be. He was out of the house most of the time, undoubtedly meeting with Hafizullah about his mystery plan. Shekiba grew more and more frightened.
Women who brought scandal or trouble to a home were not tolerated. Even a naïve girl like Shekiba knew as much. Shekiba began to fear for her life.
She tried to gauge her situation through Marjan.
“Khanum Marjan,” Shekiba said quietly. Marjan was darning socks. She jumped at Shekiba’s voice.
“I… excuse me! I did not mean to startle you! I was going to prepare dinner.”
“Oh, Shekiba!” Her hand covered her chest. Marjan shook her head. “Why do you sneak around like that? Go ahead and begin dinner. Azizullah will be hungry when he returns from outside.”
Shekiba fidgeted for a moment before daring to ask.
“Khanum Marjan? May I ask a question?”
Marjan looked up expectantly.
“When you… when you spoke to Khala Zarmina… what did she tell you? I mean, about me.”