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Narisa 2
By C. Stanton Leman
Chapter 8
September 9, 2000
The next morning, Narisa was up early and just finishing her
morning
prayers when Josh opened his eyes. When she'd finished, she jumped on
top of him and straddling his covered body leaned over, kissed him
tenderly and whispered, "I love you, Husband."
He gave a silent chuckle and thought, I'm always a sucker for
those
beautiful, expressive doe eyes! Returning her kiss, he answered her
profession saying, "I love you too, Princess."
Once the teens arrived downstairs to greet their parents, they saw
that
Marie was on the phone while Steve was sipping coffee and reading the
morning paper. Marie cryptically ended her call and told the kids to drink
their juice so they could get ready to leave and pick up Zaara.
"Zaara? What, she's coming too?" Josh asked as he
looked at Narisa a little
surprised.
Marie gave Narisa a knowing grin. Narisa hunched her shoulders
forward
giggling in anticipation of the day while Josh appeared flummoxed. Steve
saw his son's frustration and commented jokingly, "What did you
expect?
It's the bride's day; the groom is just along for the ride."
"What? Am I banished to the video store again?"
"Looks like it, Son," his father confirmed.
"Look at it this way, Josh," Marie joked. "You can
check out that new
gaming system. What's it called: Playstation 2?"
"Now there's an idea. It's supposed to be a lot better
than the one I have
now."
"There you have it," his dad replied. "Besides,
aren't you excited about all
this hoopla over your wedding?"
"Yeah," Josh replied, "but in a way, it's all sort
of anticlimactic, isn't it? I
mean we're already married. I just thought we'd go to court, have a simple
ceremony and it would be done with."
"A little advice, Josh," Marie cautioned, "don't
start off your new married
life looking at things so pragmatically. You'll find that there are very
few
events in life that you will endearingly look back upon. The first is your
wedding day followed by the birth of your children. Do you want to look
back and remember your wedding day as being associated with that
horrific day in an Iranian court?"
Shuddering, Josh confirmed, "No I don't."
"Just be a little more sensitive to your wife's perspective.
She's starting a
new life in a new country, a new home and a totally alien culture. Can't
you
see this means a lot to her? She hasn't had a lot to be happy about lately.
Do your part to make this day hers and the happiness she feels will
influence your marriage all the days of your life. Relish her joy and
you'll be
a better man for it. This is the beginning of a new life for you two. Start
it
off right."
"You're right, Mom. You're always right."
"I forgive you, but you've got a lot to learn about
women."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Wait awhile and you'll find out," she answered with a
coy smile. "Come on
folks, let's hit the road."
Tariq, Zaara's father, greeted everyone at the door when they
arrived at the
Khalids. After they exchanged salaams, they retired to the family room and
began the usual chitchat regarding the big event. The girls giggled and
tittered as they went up the stairs to Zaara's bedroom to gossip while the
women deftly migrated to the kitchen to discuss wedding plans.
"Here's a spare house key, Mehar. I asked Mr. Freeman to
arrive at our
place about ten-thirty. That should give you enough time to get ready and
meet him. Does Tariq know about our little surprise? Is he okay with
it?"
"My gosh, yes. He thinks it's a great idea and won't let the
cat out of the
bag. He knows what we're doing in here and he's helping your husband
keep Josh occupied."
"I suggested that the spread be set up outside in the back
yard. He's going
to set up a portable floor on the lawn and we'll eat on the deck. If after
seeing the place, you two come up with a better idea, give me a call. What
am I going to do Monday morning? You can't let him in, you'll be at the
courthouse with us."
"Calm down, Marie. Just leave the gate open so he can get
into the yard
and leave the back door unlocked; or, I can give him the key when I see
him."
"Thanks, Mehar. At least one of us is thinking
straight! I'm as excited as a
schoolgirl. You'd think it was my wedding! I've got to get a grip or
I'll give
it all away."
Marie quickly added, "Oh! What about the mullah at your
mosque? Will he
perform a symbolic marriage even though they are already married?"
"At first he wasn't too keen on the idea since Josh is a
Christian, but after I
told him they already had a marriage license from Iran he did a one-eighty
and changed his position entirely. He said that he would be honored to
perform a proper Muslim wedding. He told me that he was deeply moved
by our efforts and felt that it would reinforce Narisa's faith in Allah,
all
glory and honor is His, to start her new life with the blessings of
God."
Marie started to cry and hugged her friend saying, "He has
blessed me
beyond measure with that little girl and I can't thank you enough for all
you've done."
"Hush now, it also makes me cry for joy that someone not of
our faith
would be so accepting of Islam and Narisa's culture. It's a great thing
you're doing for her, exactly what her mother would have done. Allah will
bless you in the hereafter, I'm sure of it. Oh, by the way, I hired a
photographer to tape the wedding. He said he'd take prints directly from
the digital video for the photo album. I hope that was all right? I figured
it
had slipped your mind "
"Thank heavens, yes! I completely forgot about that!"
"Well it's all settled then. Now go. Get out of here before
the silly boy starts
to ask questions."
"You're right. We'd better go."
Walking back into the family room, Mehar called upstairs for the
girls. The
giggling girls dashed down the stairs only to stop in front of their
mothers
and say in unison, "We're ready, let's go!"
They looked at each other and started laughing at their
simultaneous exact
response. Josh just smiled, shook his head and thought, Girls! Who can
understand them?"
Josh remembered his mother's words and wasn't jealous or upset
when, in
the car on the way to the mall, Narisa pretty much ignored him while she
and Zaara prattled on in Farsi, excited over sharing the day's events.
At breakfast, the girls continued giggling and blabbering while
the males
ate in silence thinking it best to let them prattle on and kept their
mouths
shut. Josh was thinking that it might not be such a bad idea to be
temporarily banished from the upcoming events so he could get away from
the giggling girls for a while. Once in the mall, Josh gave his bubbly
"bride-
to-be" a chaste and loving kiss, then turned and waved as he headed to
the
video store to check out the latest offerings.
Once in the bridal shop, the shop owner greeted the women and
quickly
told his assistant to mind the store while he concentrated on the Williams
party. Zaara gasped her approval in wide-eyed wonder when Narisa's dress
was revealed.
"Oh – my – God! It's beautiful, Sister! You're going
to look sooo beautiful
tomorrow! I can't wait!"
"Thanks, Zaara. Momma picked it out. I think it's
perfect!"
Narisa was instructed to try the dress on and make sure there
weren't any
minor alterations still needed before she left the store. Zaara stared in
open-mouthed awe at Narisa, who was standing on a round fitting pedestal
in her wedding dress. Marie hugged the girl around the shoulder and wept
silent tears of joy at the vision of loveliness before her.
A couple of pins here and a few more there and the shopkeeper bade
her
remove the gown so the final, minor alterations could be made. The girls
tittered on while the owner completed the final touches on the dress. Steve
held his wife in his arms and whispered to her, "You've done a
beautiful
thing here. You were right, as always. It's the right thing to do."
"When I started all this, Steve, I had no idea how much it
meant to me. It's
just that I remember our wedding day and it's one of my most cherished
memories. Through our daughter-in-law, I'll be able to live out a fantasy
of
mine and be a part of a beautiful Persian wedding. Thank you for letting
me do this, I love you so very much!"
"No thanks needed, Darling. You're just doing what the woman
I married
would do and you just keep reaffirming my love for you and why I married
you. Believe me, it's an honor to be your husband and partner in life. Just
one look in that young girl's eyes is proof enough that makes everything
worth it, no matter what the cost!"
While the man worked in the back, Marie got Zaara a new pair of
pink
shoes to match her dress and everyone felt they were ready for the big
event. Thirty minutes later, Narisa stood in her dress for final
inspection.
With confirming nods all around, the gown was deemed a perfect fit. When
the bill was paid, Steve added an extra fifty-dollars for the man's quick
turnaround on the dress. Putting the gown in a zip-up garment bag, they
left the shop, confident that the groom wouldn't get a peek at the dress.
They found Josh at a Playstation performing what looked like
"body
English" while engrossed in a video game. Narisa snuck up on him and
hugged him from behind. Surprised and with his head still on the game, he
jumped and snorted, "Dang it! I just got kilt!"
Turning to the little pixie he quipped, "Boy, you sure have a
way with
timing! First, last night with the game on TV, and now, right when I was
starting to get the hang of this cool new game!"
"Ah," Marie cajoled, "you'll live to fight another
day. Come on let's go. You
need a haircut."
"Huh?"
Steve took Narisa's gown and Zaara's shoes to the car while the
girls
scampered off to look at clothes as Marie escorted a grumbling Josh to the
hair salon. Steve caught up with his wife and son at the salon and the
couple waited together for Josh's name to be called. After waiting almost
an hour, Josh emerged from the barber's chair neatly cut and trimmed.
They then went off to track down the girls.
They found the pair at the Limited where both girls were busy
trying on
clothes. Little did Josh know that Narisa, with some input from Zaara,
knowing that Josh would be sleeping alone, planned on making him
uncomfortably aroused in anticipation of their wedding night. She had an
outfit all picked out and when Zaara noticed Josh come into the store with
his parents, she waved to him to get his attention then informed her sister
that the victim had arrived. Narisa snuck back into the dressing room while
Zaara innocently informed them that Narisa was trying on an outfit.
Josh waited patiently for the little waif to appear. Zaara
whispered to Marie
what Narisa had in mind and broke out into a muffled laugh. Marie then
turned to Steve and informed him of the girls' naughty plan. Steve just
shook his head and crossed his arms waiting to see what unfolded.
A few minutes later, Narisa emerged from the dressing room just
far
enough to be seen by Josh and his parents, but not by the general public,
decked out in a black leather micro miniskirt that barely covered her butt
cheeks. She also wore a hot pink Zigfield bandeau top that was essentially
a
bra with tie-strings that went up from the sides of the cups and tied
behind
her neck.
When she came into view, Marie gasped in wide-eyed shock and
covered
her open mouth at seeing this little Muslim girl dressed so provocatively,
Zaara covered her mouth and giggled, Steve did a double take and blinked
twice to make sure he wasn't seeing a mirage. Josh's eyes popped, his
rapidly drying mouth wide open and his jaw dropped enough that his
father almost had to help him pick it up off the floor while he
embarrassingly adjusted himself.
Striking a sexy pose, Narisa quipped in a little innocent voice,
"Like?"
"Ah, ah, ah…"
Down boy! She's even hotter than Cindy Melton! Damn, she'd never
wear
that… Would she?
"Well?" the little vixen inquired with an open-armed
shrug.
"Ah, ah, yeah! Who wouldn't? "
Fait accompli, the tiny vamp curtly turned on the balls of her
pretty little
feet and scampered back into the dressing room to change, giggling all the
way. She emerged to find Josh still embarrassingly attempting to quell his
appreciation. She took his arm and hugged it to her giggling as Zaara took
the provocative outfit back to hang it up.
"Well, that was certainly an eye opener!" Marie
quipped, still a little
stunned.
"Does the little school girl want a new outfit?" her
husband asked
hopefully.
"You dirty old man! You juth wanna thee my thweets!"
"Wanna piece of candy, little girl?"
"Dream on, Mithter."
They both laughed: both at their little exchange and at Josh's
embarrassing
"problem". When Zaara returned, the girls joined together
arm-in-arm and
whispered through giggles at their obviously successful stunt. Josh simply
shook his head and made sure he was properly adjusted as they left the
store.
"Well kids, fun's over," Marie stated with a smile.
"We'd better be heading
for home. I'm sure Zaara's parents are expecting her."
"Why don't we eat out?" Steve asked. "I mean it's
the night before the
wedding and I'm sure neither of you two gorgeous ladies feel like cooking.
Call Mehar and see if it's okay for Zaara to join us."
Marie smiled at his suggestion and agreed saying, "You don't
have to ask
me twice about cooking. Agree, Daughter?"
Narisa happily nodded when she'd heard Zaara translation.
"Let me call Mehar."
Because of its convenient location between Zaara's and their home,
everyone decided to eat at the Middle Eastern restaurant where both
families first met. With all the wedding preparations completed, as far as
the teens were aware, and the two girls had had their fun, dinner was very
relaxed and cordial.
Josh observed Zaara closely during dinner and came to the
conclusion that
Narisa's remarks regarding Zaara being a non-threat were true. Her every
action to date proved that she was simply wrapped up in her friendship
with Narisa and had treated him with respect and only as a caring friend.
His appreciation and fondness of her grew more than a couple of notches.
They dropped Zaara at her house and again were invited in. Josh
wanted to
beg off, not wanting to see Kamya, but his father told him to be polite.
Once
inside, the women again retreated to the kitchen to review their plans.
Marie was the first to speak asking, "Well, how'd it go today?"
"Perfect, Marie. Don't go getting stressed out. The way you
had it planned
was perfect, at least that's what Bob said. That's his first name. Anyway,
he'll set up two small portable floors: one for dancing and one for the
spread on the lawn. The DJ will be set up in the corner of the yard near
your rose bush and he'll have all the Persian music necessary to suit the
occasion."
"Great! That's just wonderful! Now, how are we going to
co-ordinate all
this with you and Zaara at the courthouse? Who's going to meet the
mullah?"
"Hush. Didn't I tell you everything's all right? Tariq and I
agreed to keep
both girls home tomorrow for the celebration. Tariq and Kamya will go to
your house while we're at the courthouse."
"Do the girls know what's going on?"
"Not yet, but I'll tell them tonight after you leave. I
didn't want to tempt
Zaara and take a chance she might slip today. I hope I don't have to gag
her
so she doesn't give anything away tomorrow, but knowing how much she
cares for Narisa, she'll keep the secret."
"What time will Bob get to the house to set up?"
"You can confirm that with him when he calls you tonight. He
told me that
he needs about two hours to set up."
Marie made an ugly face and replied, "Rats! Steven and I will have to
come
up with some sort of delay tactic. The ceremony won't take more than
thirty minutes. No more than ten or fifteen minutes to give the judge the
translated documents, a half hour travel time both ways, that's… that's
just
an hour and fifteen minutes. There's no way!"
"Gosh, Marie, settle down! Just ask the judge to delay a few
minutes. You
know, some important 'judge stuff' came up and we have to wait thirty
minutes or so to start the ceremony."
"Thanks, Mehar. My mind's a blank at the moment."
"Go. Go home and worry in peace before you start me
worrying."
Marie agreed giggling and replied, "Good idea. Go home and
worry in
peace. Gotcha!"
Marie spun on her heel, stopped, looked back and gasped,
"Oops! We
forgot about one, very important fact."
"What now, Marie?" Mehar sighed in exasperation.
"The noise! The neighbors will hear the noise and will
certainly be curious."
"Well, you can't have it both ways, can you? Either cancel
the wedding and
keep the neighbors quiet, or have your wedding and forget about them.
Remember the old saying 'Watch what you pray for because you just might
get it'? In a Persian wedding, all the doors are left open to any passersby
welcoming them to come in and join the party."
Sighing in resignation, Marie turned to leave looking up and
prayerfully
muttered, "Allah, give me strength!"
Everyone was in the family room waiting for the mothers to finish
their
conference. When the two women appeared, Steve asked Marie, "Ready to
go?"
"As ready as I'll ever be I guess."
Back home, the women went upstairs to the guest room for a chat
while the
men did the same in the family room. Josh remarked to his dad about how
hot Narisa looked in that sizzling outfit and ended his observation saying
"Tomorrow night I'm going to curl her toes for getting me worked up
like
that."
"Big talk for a young man with no experience," his dad
observed. "Just
remember something, Son as it pertains to the bedroom. There's love and
then there's lust. Sometimes you both are in lust and other times when
love's expression is what's needed. A wise man knows the difference and
doesn't confuse the two. Don't you make that mistake. Make that statement
twenty years from now and she'll expect you to curl her toes."
"Being a jerk, aren't I?"
"Just a little, but between us guys, we make allowances for
blue balls."
Meanwhile upstairs, the girls were discussing strategy. Narisa
asked,
"What do I do tomorrow night, Mom? I mean, I know what to do and it's
not like we haven't done anything, but, but…"
"But what?" Marie asked confused.
"Well…" Narisa hesitated, "Josh is kind of… you
know…"
"He's kind of what, Narisa?" Marie asked impatiently.
"He's kind of… fast. I mean he gets excited and he shoots
rather quickly.
Knowing him, he'll just get it inside me and shoot. What then?"
Marie chuckled and patting her hand replied, "All
fourteen-year-old boys
are on a hair trigger. All I can tell you to do is get him off first. He'll
recover
quickly and hopefully last longer the second time. Also, you have to
remember that if the mood is right, if there's a dominant feeling of love
and
tenderness, he'll work hard to make it special for you.
"I won't lie and tell you that every girl's first time is all
fireworks, but you
have to believe in your love for each other. Don't worry about it, just
freely
express what you feel and it'll all work out just fine."
"Thanks, Mom. I'm glad I can talk to you about these
things."
"No matter what, Narisa," Marie encouraged. "I'll
always be here for you.
Even if it's something that you think is terrible. I'll never judge you or
change how I feel about you. You can trust me with anything: and I mean
anything! Understand?"
"Thank you, Momma," Narisa said as she hugged her mom.
The males were chuckling over Josh's discomfort when the ladies
appeared. Narisa walked over and fell into her husband's arms and said,
"Let's go shower together and after tomorrow, we'll never ever be
separated
again."
Their shower that pre-wedding night was soft, tender and sensual,
but not
sexual. They lovingly dried each other with soft, fluffy towels and Josh
dried and brushed her long curly tresses. When it was time to part, Josh
knelt and placed a soft kiss on the tops of Narisa's feet. She stood and
they
embraced in a soft passionate kiss before she looked her shoulder saying,
"Goodnight" as she slowly closed the door leaving Josh alone for
the first
and last time.
Meanwhile downstairs, Bob Freeman called Marie to finalize the
arrangements. "Mrs. Williams, everything is set. What time do you want
me to be at the house?"
"We're leaving at nine, so you can come then. It's going to
be very close if
you need two hours to set up, can you be here on time?"
"Since time is an issue, I'll bring another person and we'll
be waiting
around the corner. We'll pull up right when you leave. How's that?"
"We don't have any choice. Good luck tomorrow and I hope we
can pull it
off."
"Don't worry, I've had to perform under pressure many times
and for much
bigger events. Everything will be fine. Just go to the courthouse and leave
everything to me."
"Thanks again, Bob."
"It's a pleasure doing business with you, Mrs. Williams.
Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Mr. Williams."
Narisa prayed well into the night. First, she made supplications
for the
forgiveness of her sins and those of her spouse. Feeling that she'd
received
absolution for her sins, she spent time in praise to Allah.
She ended her evening prayer vigil with two traditional prayers
for her
marriage:
"Oh, Allah! Bless me with his affection, love and his
acceptance of me and
make me pleased with him. Bring us together in the best form of a union
and in absolute harmony; surely You like lawful things and dislike
unlawful things."
"Oh, Allah! I will take him in Your trust and will make him
lawful for
myself by Your words. Therefore, if You have decreed for me to give him a
child, then make him or her blessed and pious from among the followers
of the family of Muhammad [peace be upon him and them]; and do not let
Satan have any part in him or her."
As Narisa closed her eyes to sleep, she whispered, "Momma?
Papa? I know
you'll be with me tomorrow. Pray for me that I will make you proud and
know from my heart to yours, I am happy. Daddy… You can have my
baklava, okay?"
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