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Christel's Diary

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23 August 2008

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.

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04 August 2008

Tom and Jerry

And now it is really hot. Almost 40°C in the shadow.

I prefer to go and visit about 1 or 2 PM, about the hottest time of the day. I need to walk, but the walk to next of kin in the village seems quite long in this kind of weather. Luckily a strong wind is blowing to make it a bit more comfortable and there is always plenty of cold water available at the destination.

Today I visited Nadia, one of Mohamed’s daughters in law. She has got 2 little boys (2 and 4, I guess). The smallest wanted to know how I got to their house after I informed them that Grandfather was travelling. He was astonished that I came on foot. He loves to go for a ride in Mohamed’s car and our house which is outside of the actual village is far away in his mind, too far to walk the distance.

I ended up spending the whole afternoon with them. They had been to the seaside for 3 days and insisted on making sure my ears and teeth were clean by inspecting them thoroughly.

They also wanted to know why I had such a big tummy and after lunch they said that it was because I ate a lot, surely every day. I confirmed their statement.

A bit later the eldest – called Mohamed (what a surprise) – concluded that the baby which he knows I’m about to have is in my wrist.

He is a very clever boy with a great sense of humour. While he is telling such things his big long lashed dark brown eyes are twinkling all the time.

They were very friendly to one another today. Last time they came by they were fighting all the time. At one moment so hard that little Mohamed fell on his head on the freshly “de-cemented” veranda tiles.

His smaller brother is very strong for his age and almost as tall as the 4 year old. It is very hard for me to understand what he is saying, as he has got a huge stutter problem. It is only recent that he has started talking to me and today he was very inquisitive. Patiently he keeps on repeating until my reaction is to his satisfaction, always with a big smile.

Little Mohamed has a slight stutter problem too. Not all the time though.

If this stuttering problem remains, the little one definitely needs professional help.

For the time being he keeps on growing and getting stronger. No wonder when you see how much he can eat.

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