Baby Bride
The best day of my life was when mom bought me the Princess Saba in her
long white dress covered with thousands of colorful tinsels. Her lush blonde
hair falling over her chest was so shiny that when in stared at them it was like
staring into the sun. Her eyes were blue, the type that open and close. Every
day I combed her hair, I touch her breasts hoping one day mine would grow
like them. My only wish was to become a bride just like the Princess with
blonde hair, blue eyes, red lips and white gown.
Princess Saba always slept in my bed. As soon as she laid her head on the
pillow, her eyes closed and she went to a deep sleep like a Princess as she
was. She never woke by the barking stray dogs in the streets or by the roaring
thunder. Unlike her I was scared of both vicious dogs outside and the horrific
sound of thunder and worse than all I was I was so terrified of Mohsen, the
gigantic boy who lived in our neighborhood, two streets behind us. Whenever
he found me alone, he rushed and grabbed me tight, groped me and sneered,
“I finally got you.” And as soon as I burst in tears and screamed, he let go of
me and ran away.
One day that I was really had it with him, I went to my mom crying, “this…,
this boy…” She didn’t let me finish, slapped me hard in the face and said,
“Don’t you ever play with boys again, you stupid girl.”
But Mohsen would never leave me alone. Every evening that I got out of the
house to buy bread, he was waiting for me in a dark corner in the street to
grab me and touch me. He was always there with me even at nights and in
the sleep.
One night I saw him running after me. I tried to escape but I couldn’t, my legs
were locked together. He reached me, locked me in his arms and touched
my entire body as much as he wanted. I was desperately panting and sobbing
but I could not release myself. I screamed and woke in sweat. As soon as my
eyes got used to the darkness, on the other end of the bedroom, I saw my
mom locked under my father moaning just like me in my nightmare. Poor
mom couldn’t escape either. Maybe it wasn’t my dad bothering her maybe it
was Mohsen who was now touching my mom. I was so scared but I kept
quiet. I wet myself but I hid under the blanket and didn’t make a move. I was
afraid he’d come back to me if he found out I was awake. Princess was still
calmly sleeping in my arms unaware of my terror. I opened her eyes a time or
two but they would close again. Oh I hated that bastard. I wished one day
that he came to me I’d turn into a venomous snake and bite him seven or
eight times so he turns blue, his mouth foam, he collapses and die.
A few years have passed from those days. My breasts are growing bigger by
the day and their tips are getting harder. Lady Sakineh, the bathhouse
administrator told my mom that Mrs. Eshrat wants me for his son. My father
hasn’t seen the boy yet but he agrees. He told my mother the other day, “our
daughter is fifteen now. It’s time for her to go to the husband’s house. This
boy is just fine, he’s from a good family.”
My mother told me yesterday, ”God bless you dear, you’re becoming a bride
soon.”
*In Farsi Doll means Baby Bride