Daydream

Tonight I was sitting in my parents' living-room, listening to my mother's story about a funny incident which had happened in her youth. As I was looking at her and her animated facial expressions as she was relating her experience to me, I suddenly felt the urge to look around the living-room and vividly imagine my grandmother, Mamani, Aunt Fakhri, Ame Jon Azize, Aunt Nahid and of course, my beloved Shahdi, sitting around the room, also attentively listening to my mom's story. For a few seconds my imagination took me over and I in fact could picture all of them in the room with us. I started to grin inwardly and felt warm and content. It was such a wonderful dream while awake. Once reality hit me again, I looked at my mom and wondered how she would react if I told her about my daydream. I did not share my thoughts with her because I didn't wish to dampen her spirit but I know that our little tête-à-tête would have blossomed into a jubilant, loud and cheerful gathering, had those beloved ladies been present too. If Mamani and Shahdi had been there, my life would have been simply perfect. They are out of sight but not out of my mind and heart.