Jumuah!

One thing about my husband, a very traditional Persian man, is that he doesn't involve me in his religion and he never tries to teach me his language. I've never understood that, but it's his choice of course. Sometimes I do catch him praying over me when he thinks I am asleep and he does do his prayers in our bedroom. 

This morning his dad said I am looking healthy and should go with them to Friday afternoon prayers with them. 

Husband said something in their language and his dad answered in English, "You are fine, right? You want to come with us, no?" to me. 

I had no idea what was going on so I just looked at A and slid closer against his chest and he put his arm around me. 

Then his dad switched back to Farsi and they started going back and forth. I asked A about it when it was over and he quickly took me back to our room. I remembered way back when he first moved me in with him and he had told his parents I was a wayward boy who needed help and he was teaching me Islam. I had forgotten all about that. He said he has told them I am Christian but wanting to learn about it and he does the child stuff with me. 

Apparently when a child isn't old enough to really get into the religion then you teach them these child prayers and guide them and stuff. Supposedly he has been doing that with me! his parents readily accepted that as a way to understand why he would get a townhouse and move me in with him. 

He said if I go to the Persian service his dad wants to go to this afternoon then I will be looked at and seen as an outsider. He said his dad will keep me close under his arm and explain that I am his. He said it's ok if I don't want to go. I told him I will do what he wants me to do. 

I don't want to be the one to cause problems between him and his dad and as much as I want to please his father, I am married to A and he is the one who should be making this choice and not putting me between his will and his father's. I belong to him and it is his responsibility to work things out with his father without involving me and causing friction. He likes when I remind him of his husband duties. It's one of the perks of marrying a traditional man bound to his culture. He decided I would go with them. 

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It was interesting! I had no idea what was going on! We had to take our shoes off and wash our feet and hands and face and everything. We stood and then knelt and then leaned down and then back up and then down and then up and then down and said things in Arabic. His dad told me what to say and I repeated it but I'm sure I totally effed it up, he kept smiling and encouraging me. After a long time of the up and down we knelt and the imam in the front gave a speech in Arabic. 

I wore long khaki pants and a long-sleeved polo shirt. When I was washing up, my husband knelt in front of me and rolled up the cuffs of my pants above the ankles. He said it is more respectful that way. His dad gave me some beads to hold during the service. My husband has a few nice sets at home. He keeps some in his car too. 

I was between him and his father. Whenever someone approached us his father immediately spoke to them in their language so no one said a word to me other than a polite nod. I did get stares, but I think it was because I was the one white kid in a room full of darker men. It was all men too! The women do their own thing separately. 

I think I did ok. I did get distracted by seeing the underwear bands of the two hot guys in front of us... I felt dirty for that. haha. 

I could tell husband was anxious the whole time. I don't know why he doesn't want to discuss it with me. But that's his choice I guess. I personally think he is eager to be americanized. He doesn't talk about taking our future kids there. He doesn't talk much about raising them like that. When he does, he seems to go back and forth on it.