My Life in Short Stories: 3. A Fairy Tale

Tehran, Iran
1965-1978

It was a beautiful and romantic evening in Tehran and I was happily getting ready to go to a big dinner party which was being hosted by the AUB Alumni Association for the new graduates. I looked in the mirror one last time and rushed to the door to join my friend who was driving me to the party.

Alborz Mountain surrounding Tehran

I had recently returned to Iran after graduation and I was still busy with my credential evaluation and other formalities related to my employment with the Ministry of Health. Tonight was my first night of outing after returning to Tehran.

In the car I was thinking about the information that my mother had shared with me the night before. She told me that the son of her best friend who is very handsome and educated will be at the party and she wanted me to be nice to him.

The party was at a big hotel and I was very excited to meet the other AUB graduates. Upon arrival I was greeted by one of the organizers who in turn introduced me to a group of graduates who were engaged in conversation. Soon after, I was approached by a well dressed and handsome gentleman who introduced himself as Javad and said that he graduated from AUB in 1958 and earned a Ph.D. in Agronomy from the School Agriculture.

I told him a little bit about myself and before we knew it we were eating dinner together and dancing and enjoying the evening. Everything happened rather quickly after that night. We dated for three to four months, we met each others’ family members and we got engaged on my birthday. Four months latter we got married in a beautiful ceremony and we moved into a small apartment.

Wedding Picture

Wedding Picture

Wedding Pictures

My son Behrad was born in 1966 and my daughter Lily in 1971 adding to our joy and the joy of the whole family.

Behrad

Lily

I was offered a job by the largest medical and research center of Tehran which was inaugurated by the Shah. On the day of inauguration we were all standing in line to greet the Shah and when it was my turn to shake hands with him he looked at my badge and asked ” where did you get your education?” and I answered “The American University of Beirut”. He smiled and seemed to be very pleased. I was so proud to be among the first group of professionals who were hired by this brand new medical center. I loved my work environment, my colleagues, my boss, and everything that connected me to my job. In the meantime I continued my graduate education and worked in teaching jobs as well as managerial positions.

One day my best friend who is a nutritionist and had a teaching position at the same university that I worked told me that she has heard about an incredible Russian fortune teller who has impressed a lot of people with her accurate readings. I told her that I don’t believe in such things but if she is interested to go and see her, I can accompany her any time during lunch break.

The next day we went to this fortune teller and when she opened the door for us I noticed how tall and muscular she was. She did not seem interested in talking with us but eventually said that she can do the reading for one person only. I looked at my friend and wanted to say something but she practically pushed me in and said that it is OK, she can do the reading for me only.

I went in and she offered me a cup of coffee to drink, looked at the palm of my right hand and opened her Tarot cards without talking. After a few minutes she started telling me her readings.

She told me that she sees me oceans apart from my family and my country, I will lose three woman in my family that are very dear to me, I will be a very successful woman but I will have to remove a lot of obstacles and I will become extremely rich in the latter part of my life.

As we left the place I was thinking about the nonsense that I had just heard. I said to my friend "how is it possible for me to leave my husband and my children behind and go some where so far away?" To me that seemed absolutely impossible.

I was counting on a prolonged and happily ever after fairy tale. Was my fairy tale about to come to an end?


To be continued....