This is the story of the father of the second wife of my maternal grandfather’s uncle. 🙂 We called her “zan amou jaan” (means: dear wife of uncle!). Even to this day, I do not know her real name!
Anyways, her father was a very knowledgeable man, with lots of studies in religion and philosophy. This story also, dates back to 90 years ago. So, when I say a knowledgeable philosopher (somehow a clergy/philosopher), it should be put into context.
Anyways, the family was much respected and known as a noble family, and the father of the family was a reference for the people in the city.
One day this well respected Muslim man decided to convert to Baha’i. People of the city found out. When he went to the public bath (houses did not have a bath , people used to go to public hammams) people kicked him out and didn’t even let him put on his clothes. He was totally naked, humiliated and undignified. To save his life, he fled to Arak, another city of Iran,right away. I am not sure how people know that he fled to Arak, or if anyone heard from him again. I have just heard that he didn’t even get a chance to go home and say bye to his wife and his four daughters. I think he went to Arak because no one knew him. But well, I cannot be sure. All I know is through my mom, so, lots of details are lost. The point is, Baha’i people had a very hard time.
Even though his wife and daughters never converted to Baha’i, people didn’t like them anymore. Nobody married those poor girls. No one gave the wife a job. They survived, anyways.
My grandfather’s uncle, from the respectful and renown family of “Sheikholeslami”, had a wife with three rascal sons and a daughter. The three boys were extremely naughty, yet really kind and hospitable. Their mother died, when the eldest child, the girl, was a teenager. The father needed to get himself a second wife to take care of the four kids. He married “zan amou jaan”, the daughter of the Baha’i guy. I think she was barely older than the eldest child. She was a very kind woman, and took good care of the four kids. They all loved her. She and my grandpa’s uncle had one son and one daughter. They are all still alive up as of today, except for the uncle who died of brain tumor after a brain surgery when I was in third grade. The three rascal boys are now the wealthiest people in the family. So is the daughter. Her husband had a job in Shah’s court, I guess a low-level job in treasury inventory. I am not quite sure, but he got his wealth mainly from there. The three boys were sort of frauds, but they always had a gang with whom they worked. Their father didn’t leave them much and spent the wealth of “Sheikholeslami” family. The three boys were like king Midas, though. If they touched something, it turned into gold! The two elder brothers had a notary public, and their family made lots of money out of some illegal (sometimes harmless, sometimes harmful) things that they did. They were lazy students and always failed at school or bribed or threatened their teachers to pass their courses. They, however, had a great sense of risk and very strong interpersonal skills. They started from scratch and made themselves and their families a fortune. The third brother went to college and got a post diploma degree (two years of studies after high school graduation). He got a job in one of the factories, and he too, made his way into wealth and success. I will write about examples of all they did, so that you get an idea of how they built their wealth. The son of “zan amou jan” also got involved in the business of the two older brothers, married, and has two daughters now. Those girls should be in their twenties now. The daughter of “zan amou jaan” got married to a very mediocre man. I clearly remember her wedding. I was 9 years old. I think she got married after his father died, and I cannot be sure why he got married to such a vulgar man. She was a elementary school/pre-school teacher. She was such a kind and nice woman, and tolerated all the bad habits of the guy. Now she has a rather good life. I am sure she has two sons, but can’t remember if she has a daughter too, or not.
I am not sure what happened to the other three daughters of the Baha’i guy. I guess they might have married at an old age, and not to ideal suitors.