El belgikiyi

August 10, 2008, Zakaria “El belgikiyi” came to the world by means of a caesarean. Since then he and I are recuperating from this event and at the same time getting to know each other.

Every day, I’m feeling better and I started doing the chores in the house myself. The first week, Mohamed’s sisters and daughter came by to do that for me. Extremely kind of them, as they all have a household to run themselves.

2 of Mohamed’s sisters went with me to the hospital where we stayed 24 hours. The hospital is very good, but I learned that nursing staff is only there to administer drugs and that other personnel provides the food and cleans the room/bathroom. Not one of them thinks about changing he baby’s nappy or helping the mother to have a wash. It is obviously not in their job description.

The doctor has done a great job. It was “my own” gynaecologist that studied in Glasgow. She did it all by herself. I’ve been told that many gynaecologists have another surgeon do the caesarean for them. They use quite advanced techniques here: the operation was done with laser. It seems to be possible to have 7 caesareans this way. I am not going to do that.

The last thing I remember being pregnant is that the doctor asked me whether I was afraid. I said “no”. The next thing, I woke up seeing Mohamed’s sisters smiling at me and a baby crying for food in the cot next to my bed. I asked whether everything was all right and they said “all is fine, he is beautiful” and then one of them showed him to me. The rest of the time in hospital was hell because of the pain and the heat.

The “big” heat came later as usual. Normally, the hottest is end of July. It has come 2/3 weeks later. Since a few days, the air is filled with dust and a strong wind is blowing. Still hot, though, but more bearable.

Mohamed is very proud of his new son. He has got eight children out of his first marriage, but it seems like this is his first one. When Zakaria makes a sound, he jumps up and starts rocking the bed singing to the little one. I told him he will spoil him like that, but he cannot help himself.

Yesterday afternoon he left for Damascus to pick up tourists at the airport and he extensively said goodbye to Zakaria who was only interested in having some milk asap.

It’s good to have some time on our own, Zakaria and I. No hassle of visitors, people working in the house, no sisters in law running my household anymore. Yesterday, I washed my son for the first time myself using the shower. He liked it. Afterwards, I rubbed him with olive oil which I find to be the best body lotion I ever had. After a quiet night, we are enjoying the calmness of the house and a breeze running through the house.