Laughter Returns To Sewajan's Teary Eyes

By Awezan Nuri

One day, suddenly, Sewajan came with a very cute baby and her poor parents. When I saw her teary eyes, I knew she was carrying a big problem on her shoulders. She didn't look like she had any happiness in her life. After greeting me, she didn't say anything. Her parents told me her story. "Sewajan is our daughter. She got married and she has only one child. Her in-laws mistreat her and her husband always listens to his parents as they encourage him against his wife. Therefore, he behaves very violently towards Sewajan. Even though each month has thirty days, he just stays five days with his wife and his child. He does not leave them any money. While at home, he spends all the time beating and threatening her.

Sewajan parents were not like other parents, they could not find a solution to their daughter's problems. Because of tradition, Sewajan accepted all the brutality that her in-laws and her husband inflicted upon her.

While listening to her parents, I glanced at Sewajan from time to time and she was weeping. As she listened to her parents, she cried, and her child, seeing her crying, wanted to touch his Mom's tears. Sewajan said, "Mom and Dad, may I speak with her alone?"

Then she told me, "Ms, my husband is not a bad man, but his parents make him crazy, because they are always telling him bad things about me. My in-laws live near me and they treat me like their servant. Purposely, they find some work for me to do because they don't want me to take care of my child and give him my love.

There are no regrets for what I have done, and what I will do for them. They are like my parents and it is my duty to respect them. I would be very happy if they could accept me as their daughter. When my husband comes back from work, they start gossiping. They have a thousand accusations about me. When he listens to them, he treats and my child as a stranger. When I ask him why he is listening to them he says 'They are my parents what can I do?'

Anyway it is not a big problem, I have another problem, my child and I need money. He leaves us for twenty days without money. We do not know what to eat and what to do. We like to buy food and clothes but we can't without money. My child has recently learned to speak and to eat different foods and I don't know how to satisfy him. Now I need a solution to my problem. I need someone to talk to my husband, giving him some advice. Ask him if we want to continue to be a family. If not, let us divorce."

Sewajan's talk upset me and her crying upset me even more. That is why I asked for her husband's phone number. I called him. I sat with her husband and we talked and I offered him many solutions. After he heard me, he said with a shaky voice, "That is right, I have made many mistakes, but I will try to correct my mistakes."

After two days, Sewajan called me and she was very happy and laughing. She said, "Thank you very very much, my husband changed so much for the better and he doesn't leave us alone for a very long time. When he leaves us, he leaves us enough money and says, 'Oh God, you were like a messenger and saved my life from separation and destruction. Thank you very much.'

Before she turned off the phone, I heard her husband say 'hi' to her and to his son, 'Dad's home, son, how are you doing.'

She said "good by darling" to me and thank you very much."

( This article was translated from Kurdish language from Pana for Peace.)