The next step

I had to come back to Dallas for the next step in the tooth implant. The day before I visited the dentist’s office. They took an impression for the crown. It was painful in the sense that there were two injections in the gum. In the process they injured my lower lip on the left side. It is swollen, and very painful. The dentist wanted to give me an injection to the gums again. I opted out. My gums were still painful from the previous ones. She put the dreaded injection aside while telling me if the pain becomes unbearable during the procedure, she will have to inject me. Thankfully the ordeal is over. I do hope my tooth implant survives.

Nola (my daughter) had accompanied me. The previous time we visited, we had a long wait for my appointment. Today I was fortunate in not undergoing an extended waiting period.

The Implant

It’s my third week in Dallas. A few days before coming, one of my tooth broke. I like whole almonds. They taste much better if their outer shell is removed just before you eat them. Same is the case with walnuts. I didn’t take any precaution in not cracking the almonds with my teeth. Shouldn’t have used my teeth as a nut cracker. I can call myself all kind of stupid names now, but I had it coming. A broken tooth was the end result.

I tried to get an appointment with a dentist in Houston. The clinic couldn’t give me an earlier appointment. After coming to Dallas, my tooth started getting more painful. I could no longer put off seeing a dentist. After getting x rayed, the verdict was getting an implant. Son was of the opinion that since I lived in Houston, I should be having my tooth fixed there. We forwarded the tooth x ray there, but the clinic said they could do the extraction, but I would have to get an implant elsewhere.

At the last minute, I didn’t want to part with my broken tooth, but the doctor said my tooth had already a root canal done before, so my half tooth couldn’t be saved. Besides there was an abscess beneath it. I never knew how dreadful it is the first day, and night. The blood wouldn’t stop. I went to sleep with difficulty knowing the blood would be going down my throat. Felt like a vampire. I woke up the next morning with congealed blood in my mouth. Simply horrible!

After my bone heals the next part will happen after a period of three, and a half months. I will have to take a trip to Dallas then. Nola has no intentions of leaving me in Houston, once she takes me there in the coming week. I have been making all type of excuses like not having summer clothes, footwear etc. She is trying to make me promise that after gathering things I need from home I will come back with her.

I miss my home. Son has already given me the bad news that all my flowers, and plants have died in my absence. It negates the hours I put in the whole year in caring for them. First I was absent for a period of two months when I went to Peshawar, and now I’m away in Dallas. The indoor ones are still surviving, but for how long ? My son, and daughter in law mostly remain away from home for five to six days a week.

Nola says why do I want to come back to an empty house? What to say!

Unexpected

The snow was unexpected. Getting my breakfast, I glanced outside, and saw the outside covered with snow. I called to Coco (daughter in law) to look outside. She was delighted, and came down the stairs to take photographs of outside to send to her parents, and sisters.

In the evening Son was assigned a case in Dallas. Just before that, he asked me whether I would like to go to Macy’s. His second wedding anniversary was coming up, and he needed to buy a gift for his wife. I declined to go with them, as I didn’t want to leave the warmth of my bed. Few moments later, he was again in my room asking me to get ready for going to Dallas. I snuggled back in my blanket telling him to let me doze, and wherever they wanted to go they were welcome to it, just let me lie in peace.

“You don’t won’t to visit Nola? We are leaving for Dallas.” And then it registered what he was saying. I got ready in record time. We were soon on our way. The roads were hazardous. Our car skidded twice, and we barely escaped injuries. Son had to drive slowly on the icy roads. There was hardly any traffic.

The snow outside daughter’s home in Dallas.

The snow melted two days later.

The Hurricane

It was Sunday morn. I hadn’t quite finished my daily duas, and reading of the Quran after Fajr prayer, when Son knocked before opening the door, and showed himself. He had his worried face on. He wanted me to pack some clothes, and immediately leave for Dallas to escape the coming hurricane. I was taken by surprise, because I thought the hurricane wasn’t much of a threat to our part to where we lived. I said okay.

Fifteen minutes later, Son announced he was going back to sleep 💤. Hurricane Laura was on its way to Louisiana to wreck havoc there. After Son had his sleep, he wanted me to get my grocery list, and do the necessary shopping. In between his boss phoned to tell Son that a surgery had been added, so he better be on his way to LA. Son had his flight booked, even before we had returned home. Within an hour he was rushing to the airport, leaving me to worry whether a storm was going to hit us, or not.

I was left wondering what he would have done if we were half way to Dallas, and what explanation would he had given his boss? I have yet to ask him.

After leaving, Son kept asking me over the phone whether I was having bad weather. No! It has been sunny 🌞 all the way. Masha’Allah!

Eid Mubarak

Eid greetings to all.

Son, and I went to Dallas to spend Eid with Nola (daughter) and family. IB (grandson) accompanied us. Eid ul Fitr celebrates the end of Ramadan (month long fasting). This Eid was different from the previous ones. The threat of Coronavirus kept us at home, and there was no eating out.

The bonus factor was spending Eid with Nola.

Fourth of July

Last evening we went to watch the fireworks at Collin College- Spring Creek Campus, Dallas. There was quite a crowd gathered there. We had taken along food, cold drinks, a pair of rugs to lounge on the grass, and a chair for me. Nola (daughter), and FJ (son in law) had invited guests to come , and enjoy the fireworks with us.

The young ones played with frisbees, while Nola, and FJ guessed impossibly long words on hangman. Evening was fast approaching so we stopped waiting for the guests (who still had not shown up), and started eating. Soon it was going to be too dark to see what we had on our plates.

The fireworks were as late as our guests who had their comeuppance in the form of not being allowed to enter the gates, and had to wait outside.

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We were sitting directly under the fireworks, and all of us shrieked the first time it happened. It looked like we would be showered with it. Thankfully nothing like that happened. Once it finished it was a problem to get out. Long queue of cars waited to leave. Our guests had left for our home. They had to wait a long time for us to come home.

If You Will Have Me

M5 who is five years old, drew this picture of herself. I was enchanted, and wanted her to give it to me, but she refused. The reason she give me — she didn’t have a picture like it of herself. The solution she suggested was that I should take a a photo of the original, and that’s what I did.

I had come for a visit to Dallas with few clothes, and I was juggling them with continuous washing. Last evening M5 asked me as to why I kept wearing the same clothes. I told her I was hoping she was going to lend me some, specially the green dress which her paternal grandma had sent. No was the answer.

Fed up with my teasing, she told her mother that she doesn’t want me to come again. I said, “Okay! I won’t be coming again.” Her mother chided her, “How can you say this to my mother.” I went outside to pluck out the crab grass, and other weeds. M5 followed me wanting to talk to me, and I wasn’t talking. I told her I would only talk to her if she let me borrow her clothes. She relented, telling me she wanted me to come again on a visit, and I could borrow clothes from her.

Children are really sweet. They can’t differentiate that a grownup won’t be able to wear their clothes.

A picture of me drawn by M5. Look at the pin in in my hijab. She drew it after her first refusal to share her clothes with me. She was trying to appease me.

She just came into my room, and gave me her own picture as a gift to take with me. Now I have both — hers’, and mine.

I will treasure them always.

Yesterday

The day before ——- Nola (daughter) and I travelled to Boston via a bus. We had a long wait at Fall Rivers. It was a cold, cold day. I will definitely remember never, ever travel while sick. I longed for a bed. Time stood still, and the hours moved slower than a snail.

Nola, and M1 (grand daughter) went out to see a play in the afternoon, while I snoozed. I simply refused to go anywhere. I felt marginally better in the evening. M1 had invited her friends to dinner.

Except for Tuna Kababs which were made by Nola, everything else was done by M1.

I excused myself early after dinner, but couldn’t go to sleep due to the disappearance of my iPhone’s charger. I was mystified. The last I had seen of it was when I stuffed it into my bag, an hour before dinner. It wasn’t there. I searched for it under the bed too —- thinking it might have fallen off. Nothing! It had completely disappeared from my life. I finally gave up the search. Before going to bed, I filled my glass with water, to drink it with my antibiotic. My eyes landed on my elusive charger. M1’s roommate had used it, and it was hanging in the kitchen. I was so relieved to have found it.

Yesterday I had a long wait at Logan airport, Boston. There was a strong possibility of our flight to Dallas being canceled due to snowing. Nola, and I were on different flights. Nola reached Dallas two hours later than me. She collected her car first, and then came after me. It was an exhausting wait.

If I remember this never ending day, I vow to myself never to travel while sick.

Yen

💴

I never knew that yen means Japanese currency, or maybe on subconscious level I knew. It has now registered fully with the upper realm in my head. Interesting! I mainly used the word in the sense that I wanted something, or had a desire to get that something.

Today that thing is kale. I would love if someone brought it home to me, without my going out to buy it. I’m feeling a yen for the pesto. M1 (my granddaughter) introduced me to the kale-walnut pesto. She worked this summer on a farm in Vermont, and visited us bearing gifts 🎁 of hummus, different pestos, a basil 🌿 plant, breads, and fresh veggies.

The basil plant died while I was in Dallas, visiting Nola (daughter). It is beyond revival. I did try to revive it by changing the soil, and giving it plant food. Before my going, it was a mass of heavenly smelling green leaves. On my return I found a shriveled brown plant instead. I think it needed daily watering.

Before I went, I remember once, or twice I forgot to water it. The next day I would find the leaves folded, but when I would water it, the leaves would unfurl, and wave about in a riot of green color. Thankfully my other plants survived my absence.

Yom Arafat

The gathering at Arafat.

Today is the ninth day of Zil Haj (Islamic lunar calendar). Keeping fast on this day is considered mustahib (good).

Prayer for fasting

Last night Son reached Dallas at ten thirty at night from Houston. After New Orleans Son went to Houston to see his children, and have a meal with them in the evening at a local diner. IB (the youngest one) spent the night with him, while the older two went back home. When he went to drop IB home before leaving Houston, his ex wasn’t home, so he had to leave IB with a neighbor. He felt depressed at the plight of his young son, and the break up of his home. Son goes back on Wednesday from Dallas to New Bedford. Son, and I are spending Eid ul Adha with Nola, and family.

We decided to fast on Yom Arafat. I had what I usually eat for breakfast, while Nola (daughter) heated parathas for Son (her brother), her husband, and TJ (her son). We got up in the morning before Fajr prayer to begin our one day fast. After saying our prayers, every one went back to bed. I woke up when M4 (grand daughter) started sneezing. I couldn’t sleep after that. I was sitting reading, till M5 (youngest grand daughter) came downstairs to watch cartoons.

I’m feeling thirsty, and a little bit hungry too. I almost forgot that I’m fasting, and started thinking what to have as a snack. I hope the day passes quickly, so that we can break our fast in the evening.