Chraibi, Driss. Heirs to the Past Reactions to Hearing Haj Ferdi’s Voice during the Reading of the Will In Heirs to the Past, Haj Ferdi, or the Seigneur, was the central figure in his community. Not only the patriarch to his family, but is in a position where most of the people in the surrounding town look up to him not only as a role model, but also out of necessity for life. “My mother emptied the food into a bowl and told one of my nephews to go and distribute it to the poor. He had not far to go; he had only to open the front door and there the poor were.” (Chraibi, 50) The poor depended upon the Seigneur for food and distant family members depended upon his charity to avoid becoming impoverished. “All were members of our family, or our wife’s family, either cast aside by fate at whose door all ills are placed…” (Chraibi, 70) The Seigneur’s death brought great sadness to his family members and those that he was close to, but it also brought up the question of how exactly would his estate be distributed. If one hears a dead person’s voice, especially someone close to them, a feeling is created as if the person has come back and is truly speaking to them, which is much more emotionally charged than hearing a will read by a lawyer. When the plethora of family members heard the voice of the Seigneur on the tape recorder, it caught them off guard and created a greater effect imprinting his advice on them. Because the Seigneur was a customary, devout Muslim, everyone expected him to write a will on paper. “We thought he [the solicitor] was going to his safe to put back the tape that the devil must have left there to tempt him, and would produce a sensible old envelope sealed in the traditional manner... ... middle of paper ... ...r on his own, showing that the greatest effect of the Seigneur’s voice in the will was indeed used on Driss. The effects of Haj Ferdi’s, or the Seigneur’s, voice upon his family members was great. He left a lasting impression on his family members along with his last wishes that he requested that they carry out. The calm and commanding tone of his voice could relieve the family of sorrow only ten days after his death, and convince them to put aside any bickering about personal matters. He helped them see the value in each other, and was able to fit what they received from the will to their personalities. Even death could not stop him from affecting the people closest to him, and offering advice that would stay with them for a long time after his death. Works Cited Chraibi, Driss. Heirs to the Past. Trans. Lee Ortzen. London: Heinemann Books, 1972.
Once we got to my grandma’s house we were greeted by my two grandparents. “Awe you two have grown so much!” Grandma said opening her arms for a hug. I headed right to the kitchen after I hugged both of my grandparents. Their kitchen is always filled with tons of delicious junk food. I stuffed my face with so much food that my stomach eventually started
...e child were given boiled horse feet, and after she ate hers she ate the child’s because he/she could not bite it and was only gnawing on it.
He decides to lock up and move south. There he hopes to find food and money for
Observing how his caring ways affects the families he helps is extremely inspiring for me. He receives thank
on his way to take their child to heaven, or so it is thought. The magical
...cry. It might be one of my relatives.” That never did prevent him for eating it, however.
While this invitation produced anxiety for every person that attended this meal, the toll that it took on my nephew was rather difficult to watch. His father chose to attend the day before Thanksgiving; but a half-hour before the scheduled 2 p.m. time for dinner, he let his son know that his girlfriend and her children had decided to come as well. While the adults scrambled to add additional seating, my nephew excitedly stood outside on the porch anticipating his guests’ arrival. An hour later, this little boy dejectedly wondered whether his father had changed his mind. When his guests finally arrived, we all ate an awkward, cold dinner, and my ex-brother-in-law whisked them all (including my nephew) away to his family’s Thanksgiving meal, which meant that my disappointed nephew never got to share the chocolate pie that he had helped make.
...n life, not dependent on what others perceive. Making his life, or what we were able to observe of it, a positive impact and contribution in my eyes and life.
...e this family who has been kind enough to treat him as an equal and is grateful in the end to have been given the chance to know what love and family are.
to the city. This is needed for him to become a priest. He must go explore the
...n bring you to his understanding through more then one method of delivery. These emotions will be continued to be felt for generations to come.
I arrived at my grandma’s house in bewilderment. The smell of flavored pork and freshly made red sauce wafted out of the windows and rose with the sound of laughter. The family was already there: all four of my aunts elbow deep into bowls of chicken, pork, sauces; my cousins and a couple of uncles with rolled up sleeves spreading
Look,” Mother interjected, “you have hardly touched your meal. So, sit quietly and finish your supper.”
of them and to experience something bad in his life that makes him more human and make us have a better contact and helps us to be connected with him.
Today I gave my son Laertes advice, to live long and always be true to yourself,