Shahzdeh stayed another week. He and Anna went shopping. He bought many things for Fatie, Anna's mother, which Anna picked them up. He bought some clothes for himself; and then he bought many things for all the people that worked in his state. With Anna's insistence Mehdi, their gardener and his family got special treatment. They were always her favorite. his children were Anna's childhood friends. She could not believe when his father told him that Mehdi's daughter now had two children. She was just about a few months younger than Anna. It was because of her wedding, Anna thought, that her whole story began. Steve came to Anna's apartment every evening, sometimes they ate Anna's cooking, since Stacy didn't not know how to cook, but she was great making dessert, and sometimes they went to a restaurant. Shahzdeh never let Steve pay for dinner; one of Persian custom that always the elder spays. Two days before Shahzdeh's departure, after dinner, when four of them had tea, Persian style, and conversation, Shahzdeh casually and spontaneously said: "Anna, do you ever miss your piano?"
Anna's eyes dilated. She had missed her piano every second of her life abroad. Stacy put her cup down on the table and went to a deep thinking. Everyone noticed that. She finally said: "You never told me that you play piano."
"I might have told you. It's not a big deal."
Steve came to rescue: "She told me about it."
Stacy did not say another word. On the other hand Shahzdeh had stirred up his daughter's deepest love for music. She sighed remembering the days she had gone to her room and played the piano. Shahzdeh had always known her mood by the tune she played. If the piano thundered, he knew that she was sad, angry, or upset; if it sounded breezy and gentle, he knew that she was content.
"Yes, dad, I miss my piano very much. I've been thinking to buy one. Now that you bought me a car, I can use the money I was saving to buy a piano."
Shahzdeh went to a deep thinking which always brought a deep furrow between his bushy eyebrows. He was fighting with himself not to invade Anna's independence, financial and otherwise. But wasn't that the reason he brought up the subject?
"Maybe we buy a piano while I am still here!"
"But I haven't saved enough money for it yet." Anna, irritated said. Stacy and Steve knew where the conversation was going to. In a short time knowing Shahzdeh, they knew he had a way to rain Anna with his love and money. Steve discerned that this intrusion from his future father-in-law would perhaps anger Anna; nevertheless, in the final analysis he also knew that Shahzdeh always would be in place of advantage because Anna would fight with her father but never to a degree of hurting him. Her love for her father was tremendous. He knew that Anna ultimately would not do anything to upset her ageing and departing father. This looked like an ongoing battle between two people with many shared past and disjointed future.
"Shahzdeh, if you allow me, I was thinking to buy her a piano as our wedding present." Steve realized right away that he said a very wrong thing; but the words had spilled out and he had no way of changing them back.
Anna looked at two men and then she studied herself real hard.. She wondered which one of them would buy the piano for her. It seemed like a race to her. Stacy seemed annoyed; but what appeared to be annoyance, was in fact envy. No one ever had offered her to buy her car or any other expensive thing. For her birthday, her parents had sent her fifty dollars and her boyfriend had given her a custom set of jewelery that they bought together for fifteen dollars, only Anna's present was something real valuable, they were a series of books that she wanted and cost more than hundred fifty dollars. Steve was not even in town on her birthday.
Anna realized her friend's frustration and thought to stop this intrusion before she would soften to the invaders.
"I won't accept it from either of you. I must buy it myself." Her words had a finality in them to make the two men stop the race. Steve did not say another word; but Shahzdeh retorted: "Let me buy it for you before I go back. Pay me back when you have enough money. Please!"
Anna knew there was no paying back when it came to her father. That would be an insult to a man like him.
"Dad, if I let you do this, there are going to be other things constantly; and you'll never let me to pay you back, you know it and I am sure of it."
"I promise, I will. Please Anna. I admit it makes me feel good when I buy you things."
"No, dad, in makes you feel in control." She said what she was fighting for a long time not to say. She looked at her father and saw how the effect of her words brought a sudden darkness into his face. His somber eyes grew cloudy.
"I am sorry. I didn't mean it."
Shahzdeh was sitting next to her on the sofa. He hugged her and made her to move closer to him. His Strong and manly hand on her back gave Anna a sense of warmth and shame. She put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes; but her consciousness was interrupted. "I tell you what, dad. Let us do it; but promise no more." Shahzdeh drew her closer and kissed her head and face with his rainy eyes repeatedly. He was a lucky man that minute.
*
To Be Continued
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