Faisalabad for the Last Time
When we got back to Faisalabad, we didn’t stay long before making our way to Lahore and then Sialkot. Most of my mom’s side of the family lives in Sialkot and Narowal. They were all so upset that we had been in Pakistan almost two weeks and hadn’t made our way to see them. So we did just that and ended up staying in Sialkot the longest because of my mom’s dental work.
There was a lot in these few days that I wish I could take back and change but sometimes in the heat of things, traveling, feeling exhausted, and the heat, quite literally, not to mention all these new places and all these new faces – new but old… I became very impatient and intolerant sometimes; even very self-centred. I felt like I had a plan and that was all that mattered.
My aunts who hadn’t seen us in years just wanted us to stay a little longer and they would alter my “plans” to their liking and it would upset me. I even threw a tantrum and cried to my dad and I’m not very proud of it but it happened. And I realized how important family is – far and near.
As we sat in the car and drove to the station which would take us to Lahore, my dad’s sister and my mom reminisced about the times when my family had first moved to Canada. To no knowledge of my own, I listened. And it pinched my heart and I might have shed a tear too. They were comparing how hard it had been to contact my aunt at the birth of my one and only brother and twin sister. They were laughing but it was really emotional for me to hear the conversation. We had been so far for so long and even this time with them seemed so short; not enough, never enough.
In my head I had wished I wasn’t upset about the heat, about being sick, about missing home (Canada) myself. I wish that I had not been bothered by the changing plans of my family in Pakistan. I was so used to structure and I did not let it go when I was there.. maybe a little, but not when it mattered. Hearing them talk about how times had changed and how lucky they were to see each other so frequently now and talk to each other over the phone. It really pierced my heart and made me realize how much we take some things for granted.
Sialkot
My mom had started a time consuming surgical process with a dentist in Sialkot, so we spent the longest time during the trip here. We arrived from Lahore super late at night but my cousins were excited to meet me – some for the first time. They were all up and food was prepared, even that late! That’s the one amazing thing about Eastern traditions – hospitality and great food!
My cousin and her brother ran around the room tirelessly, trying to wake me up the next morning. I didn’t budge. She finally came to my bedside, sat on the window ledge, and said, “Annie aapi, your mom left for Canada without you!” I laughed and finally opened my eyes. Then she sat there and continued to tell me stories on end until I sat up.
I looked over and there was a great big dead bug next to my pillow – YIKES!!! My youngest cousin thought it was a great idea – not even as a prank! He was just proud he killed the pesky thing! Luckily, I wasn’t wearing my eyeglasses and faintly noticed it when my other cousin franticly picked it up and tossed it out. She started scolding her brother for doing such a thing. This definitely set the tone for the rest of my stay in Sialkot.
All my cousins were hilarious, one after the other and I’m glad we stayed here longer than expected. They were very patient with my adjusting to the heat and they made the most of every situation. One day I spent almost the entire day just going in and out of sleep because it was unbearably hot! They waited around for me and thought I was no fun at first!
But after some adjusting to the new place, we went to the city carnival, slammed each other on bumper cars, nearly died on the carnival boat ride, (seriously, I was holding everyone back in their seats) tried chocolate paan and zoomed past crazy traffic on motorcycles.
I wish I had more time to really get comfortable with all my family members whom I had not seen in ages. But that’s why there’s next time!
One response to “Three Weeks in Pakistan (Chapter 5)”
beautiful!