The festival of Eid happened with better timing than we could have planned: in conjunction with a visit from auntie Rosie and uncle 'Aweeeeee!' as Rashimi shrieked all week to his new pin up, who for the first time wasn't female.
The first morning of the Lozenge's Eid holiday week off school got off to a tenuous start after not enough sleep. The whining had reached such a level by 8.30am that I threatened to the Lozenge, that if he didn't make a more pleasant noise, I would call the school bus and get it to come round. I agree - it was mean. But I never use empty threats, and boy did this one work. I could see J smirking, if a little shocked, back of set through the doorway.
Luckily the Glammy was working the first day of the week, and whisked the Lozenge off on a date to see: 'Cloudy, with a chance of meatballs' in the cinema while Rashimi slept, and I battled with another deadline before the arrival of the beloved auntie and uncle.
As I waited to collect them, a Jordanian woman in traditional robes ululated (like an Arab yodel really) loudly when her sons appeared in arrivals. It was such a wonderful desert sound, in stark contrast with the sparkling new airport. And I knew that in my stomach, the same sound was lurking somewhere as I waited happily for our family members to arrive. She made the joyful noise for all of us there.
And the week was as full of happiness.
Petra revisited.
Wadi Rum, and the remnants of T.E.Lawrence's presence, visited for the first time in all of our cases.
Some very friendly, and rather thirsty camels who drank mineral water out of our bottles.
And a night spent with a Bedu family, where we ate chicken cooked in the ground, drank velvety red wine (B.Y.O I hasten to add) from tiny glass tea cups under the full moon, and spoke to them about the concept of taking more than one wife. One man said: 'I think I will take a non-Arab wife next. I like the idea of having an apple after a tomato.' And about childhood spent in that awesome expanse of red desert. 'I wouldn't have changed it for the world,' said our host. 'I know every rock and every stone.'
His children are learning about the world the same way.
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