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 Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 7:39 am
Ra gazed out of the Taxi at the familiar streets of the London Suburb. His mother's house was in a large terrace, far to big for one person but possibly not big enough for all the relatives she had coming to visit. Taking Obie's hand in his he relaxed back into the seat and squeezed her hand. Probably the last physical contact they would be able to steal before they could find a time to escape the house.
"How are you feeling?" He asked as they rounded another corner. He really hoped that she was not too nervous. His family may be large but they were nothing to be afraid of, once you got used to them.
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Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 7:50 am
Obie watched the London scenery fly by with interest, finding that the new foreign land was providing her with enough distraction to forget about the knot of nerves in her stomach. When Ra's hand slipped over hers, she swallowed back a surge of nerves and glanced down at their joined hands. She slipped her fingers through his and returned his squeeze before looking up at him.
"Good. Scared, but good," she smiled, sliding over a little to be closer to him. She turned her eyes back out to the scenery and again, tried to ignore the nerves she felt. "You're sure it's okay that I'm here for this?" she asked for probably the millionth time since they got off the plane in London alone. Never had she really thought much about their cultural differences until he had invited her to visit his family for the celebration after Ramadan. She was really nervous about messing up and making a bad impression in front of them, since, by what he told her, they would be surrounded by relatives.
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Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 7:58 am
Ra smiled and moved his arm around her.
"My mother wouldn't have invited you if it wasn't o.k." He said, tunring to look at her. "And don't worry, my mother's family is very different to my father's. They are loud and very relaxed."
He placed a kiss on top of her head and rested his head on hers.
"There is no need to be scared either. Mum will probably put you in a room with Darya and Parisa. They speak english and are a lot of fun. Parisa sings and, you remember the infamous streaking incident in Aquila ... she started that."
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Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 8:06 am
Obie leaned into him as his arm went around her and turned her eyes up to his as he reasurred for probably the millionth time now. She relaxed a little and smiled as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. When he described Parisa, she smirked and pulled her head away so she could look up at him.
"Truly? And she is related you, Mr. Gloom and Doom?" she smirked, starting to feel a little at ease.
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Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 8:17 am
"Oi" Ra smirked nudging her playfully. "On my father's side, which is odd. I have a feeling they are where the doom and gloom genes come from." He laughed as they pulled up outside the tall, thin house.
Taking his arm from around her shoulders he slipped his hand into hers, squeezed it and released her just as the door opened to reveal his mother looking unusualy colourful in a long skyblue dress and darker blue headscarf.
"Here we go." He smiled stepping out of the car and holding the door open for her.
Lahleh came down the steps towards them with her arms open and a large smile.
"Ra-ne." She cried hugging her baby tightly and kissing him on both cheeks. "And ... Obsidian." She said giving Obie a warm smile and a hug. "Welcome to hotel Kusani."
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Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 8:26 am
Obie smiled as he nudged her and laughed. When he pulled his arm away, she felt a small surge of panic, realizing this was the last time that she would be able to gather strength from him through touch for a while. Breathing deeply, she watched him slide out of the car and followed after him. She watched his mother step down towards them and smiled at her show of affection towards her son, and was surprised when it was given to her as well.
"Thank you for inviting me Ms. Kusani," she smiled nervously as they pulled away from each other, somehow remembering her manners through her nerves.
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Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 8:36 am
"Lahleh, please." She said with a smile stepping back as they grabbed their bags and leading them into the house. "Everyone is outside. I'll get the introductions over and you can go to your room and nap for a while before we break fast this evening."
Smiling again she took Obie's hand in a motherly way and led her through the living room and out towards the garden.
"Don't look so scared my dear, they don't bite, I promise. If the noise gets too much tell Ra and I'm sure he will help you escape."
Ra laughed and nodded.
"Any excuse." He said giving Obie an encouraging smile. He was nervous too. Nervous that she wouldn't like them or enjoy her time with them. His family were everything. He was petrifyed that she would not enjoy her time with them.
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Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 8:41 am
Obie smiled when Lahleh corrected her and reached down for her bag. She blinked in surprise as Lahleh took her hand in hers and allowed herself to be led. The closer they got to the garden, the more nervous Obie got. Family was seriously not something she was very familiar with, at least not in the way that Ra's family seemed to be so far. Taking a deep breath, she smiled at Lahleh's comment about escape and glanced over her shoulder to Ra. She really wished she could take his hand in hers again, but ended up squeezing his mother's hand instead for support.
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Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:05 am
Ra wanted to be the one to hold Obie's hand. To introduce her to his family, though being as nervous as she was he wasn't sure he would be able to get the words out.
As they walked out into the garden his smile widened, nearly the whole of his mother's family sat on chairs or blankets on the grass enjoying the Autumn sunshine.
On a chair in the centre his mother's mother, whom he had not seen for several years. She did not look her age and definitely not old enough to have so many grandchildren. They all turned as they joined them, one of his younger cousins attacking his legs the moment he set foot on the grass.
Lahleh put her arm on Obie's shoulder and smiled.
"Welcome to the zoo." She smirked as Ra was accosted my the laughing young boy.
"This is my mother Naheed." She said pointing out the older woman. "Sisters and family in descending order. Mahin, her husband Arash, Firuz fourteen, Nasrin (f) ten, Shirin (f) six. Then next Yasmin" She continued gesturing to a woman with a baby in her arms. "who is only here to escape her husband's family." She smirked and translated for her second youngest sister who laughed and said something back. "She says, she told him if he wanted to go to stay with his hick family he could go alone. She's a city girl. The little monster attatched to Ra here is Mirza, he's five and the baby is Ziba, she is not a year old yet. Then My baby sister Darya." Now she gestured to a thin woman with bleached hair and sunglasses. "The black sheep ... and my niece Parisa."
She smiled at Obie and then turned back to them to speak in Persian.
"This is Obsidian, Ra's girlfriend. Please remember your manners I want her to have a good impression." She half joked. She knew when her family got together they could be rather insane and intimidating. Parvaiz had been petrified of them when she first brought him home.
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Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:19 am
Obie blinked as they stepped outside and fought the urge to hide behind Lahleh when all the pairs of eyes were turned on them. She smiled weakly at Lahleh when she put her arm on her shoulder and then smiled at each person as they were introduced to her. She laughed a little when she translated her sister's words for her and looked on Darya and Parisa with interest since Ra had so recently pointed them out to her. Swallowing down her nerves, she looked at Lahleh as she introduced her to the family and again glanced out at them with a small smile. She knew she should say something, but she was at a complete loss for a moment.
"It's nice to meet ya'll," she finally managed, her slight accent thickening a little with her nerves and she glanced to Lahleh, not sure what was expected of her now that introductions were over.
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Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:30 am
Naheed was the first to stand and walk over to them, first she hugged her grandson and then turned to Obie. Saying a greeting with a smile and leaning to hug her. This continued for each sister, even having the baby bestowed upon her as Yasmin turned to greet Ra before claiming her daughter back.
Once the greetings were over Ra took Obie's hand and led her over to Darya and Parisa where they sat on the spare rug.
Darya smirked at Obie's expression and offered her a glass of water.
"Welcome to the madhouse." She laughed holding out her hand. "I'm Darya as Lahleh said. This is Parisa."
Parisa nodded and grinned from behind her bright purple and pink headscarf.
"We are the only ... uh ... sane people." She smirked. "You are lucky to sleep with us."
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Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:39 am
As each hug was received, Obie could feel herself withdraw a little more even though she really didn't want to. But it was hard to fight twenty year's worth of neglect to suddenly be welcomed with open arms by so many people. It was all a little overwhelming really. The only time she felt a minutia of ease was when tiny Ziba was deposited into her arms. The little was so beautiful. When it was all over and Ra's hand slipped over hers, she squeezed it tightly, milking his warmth for all it was worth for the short amount of time the show of affection would be allowed.
Obie smiled at Darya and took the glass with a slightly skaky hand. She glanced at Ra and then sank down to join the two girls on the rug.
"It's nice to meet ya'll," she smiled at the two girls and shook Darya's hand. She glanced around at Parisa's comment and returned the girl's smirk. Already she could feel herself start to relax a little again and she took a sip of water.
"And this isn't everybody?" she asked with a wry smirk as she glanced around again.
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Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:50 am
Ra looked at Darya who laughed and shook his head.
"This is only immediate family." He said with a smile.
Darya nodded.
"It gets scary when you start adding in mother's sisters and brothers and our cousins. And then Ra's father's side of the family." She smiled gesturing to Parisa.
Parisa nodded and gaveObie a warm smile.
"My family is small, but twice as scary. Aunt Lahleh's family is fun. You are lucky to meet them."
Ra smiled to both of them and nodded.
"You're in good hands. It's the kids you have to watch for. The adults go about their own thing but the cousins like being entertained."
Darya gave a snort of laughter and looked over to the hyper little boy who was attacking his uncle on the blanket.
"He goes for the knees, so watch it. Arash is glad you came though Ra he was already moaning about being surrounded by women and children, I think he hoped that Yaz's husband would come too."
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 2:08 am
Obie watched the trio as they each spoke and then looked around again at all the children when they were pointed out to her. A warm smile washed over her lips as she watched the little Mirza attacked his uncle. She could see little Yu-chan being like that when he got that age.
"Good thing I like kids then," she smiled and looked back at the small group she was sitting with.
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 2:18 am
"Another one with no sense." Darya smirked, taking a sip of the water in her hands. "Can't stand the things myself. Except for Ra-ne here." She said winking at her nephew. "He was a cutie. I don't know where he went wrong."
Ra gave her a mock wounded look and smirked.
"Says the woman who paid for part of my decent into the world of piercings and tattoos."
Darya laughed and stood.
"You would have got it done anyway, I'd rather you have decent ones." She laughed, patting him on the head as she walked off to join her other sisters.
Parisa gave Ra a dissaproving look and shook her head.
"So bad Ra." She said before turning to Obie. "What do you study Obsidian? Do you have Hobbies?"
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