My sister was called Rahima. She was two years older than me. We have five brothers so Rahima and I were always together. She was very beautiful, her eyes were big like almonds. She got married seven years ago. We both cried so much when she left for her husband’s house. Her husband was a good man, a labourer. His family found out about my family from his aunt. They came to see my sister and ask for her hand. They kept coming for months until one day my father said yes. There was a small engagement party and they were engaged for a year; her husband’s family brought us gifts at Eid and New Year. Then they got married. The wedding was also small. She wore a white dress and then changed into green. She looked so beautiful.
She had a daughter a year after her marriage. My mother and I stayed with her when she was about to give birth. We brought a midwife from her village who attended the birth. She was an old lady and she had learnt how to be a midwife the traditional way – by going to births with her mother, who was also a midwife. When Rahima was giving birth my mother and the midwife were with her in the room. I was not married then so I wasn’t allowed in the room; that’s the tradition. I waited outside and boiled water that the midwife needed. The midwife said that the birth went well. After 40 days my mother and I came back home and my sister was healthy and so was her baby.
