היכרות, הצעת נישואין וחתונה

I know him from Baghdad. From Baghdad - he became my uncle’s wife’s brother. Nana’s brother. He was called Nana’s brother. I came here to Israel. We came in (19)51. One day, I said to Nana, on Purim, I said to Nana, “I’m going to my uncle’s house”. She said to me, “but you shouldn’t go alone.” They were scared for a girl to go outside alone. Okay. She said to me, “go with your brother and go”. Okay. He was in the army. A soldier. We were in Sakia Alef and the were in Sakia Bet. Each was next to the other. I went there. I see my dad sitting. They were all sitting around a big table (with) cards…sitting playing cards. I came and entered the tent, and he said to me…he said to me, “welcome, my wife!”. Wow! “Welcome, my wife!”. My dad said to him, “why not? You won’t find better than her.” I hadn’t even entered the tent. I stood in my place. He said to me, “come in already!”. I said to my brother, “let’s go”. I was shy! I was embarrassed by the word he said. I returned home and my mother said “ah, why have you come?”. I said to her, “dad was there and my uncle’s wife’s brother was there sitting. And I didn’t go.” After, he came knocking on the door. At night! He was with his friend and he came to us. Dad opened the door to him and said to him, “what? What are you doing here?”. He said to him, “I came (because) I want to drink coffee”. He said, “sit, welcome!”. Dad got up and made coffee for him and for his friend. Okay. He said to him, “I came (because) I want to go out with Sperons.” He said, “she’s still young. She’s still young. How do you want to marry her?”. He said, “no.” He said, “no. This is my wife.” Do you know what ‘my wife’ means? My wife. Yes. He said, “but she’s still young. And you’re taking her and you want to go out with her when you’re still in the army?”. He said, “it doesn’t mater, my uncle”. He called him ‘my uncle’. “Doesn’t matter, I’ll go out with her. I’ll take her and take my sister with her, so that you won’t say she’s going on her own”. And that’s how we went. It was…(Yom) Haatzmaut. Until 6am we were out, dancing, and doing everything, and he brought me back home. After 6 months, he said to my father, “I…I want to get married.” He said, “but you have nothing for the girl.” He said, “I’ll do everything for her. I want her”.