Guest Post: A Child’s Language
This post was written by Azka Madihah, a cousin of Yasin and translated by AF. You can find her at http://azkamadihah.wordpress.com.
My name is Aisha Raudha Mardhia. I am now seven months old. This is a special story about me and my cousin once removed, Yasin, when I was curled up inside my mother’s womb.
When I was about 40 months old, I was swimming in the sea of amniotic fluid of my mother. During that time, I learnt a lot of things. One of them was how to communicate with the outside world. I knew my mother’s voice. I responded to her greeting by a kick or a tiny fist hitting from inside. My mother, without any words, always told me stories about what was in her heart. I knew it by the beat of her heart. When she was happy, or when she was sad, I knew. I tried to make her feel better with my kicks.
I was also aware of how people would be happy to stroke me from outside of my mother’s tummy. They greeted me and prayed for me. Some of those strokes I replied with kicks, others I only gave them smiles – even though they may not have known.
One day, I came and played at my cousin once removed’s house. They said they wanted to swim. When I got there, my mother greeted her cousin. Yasin’s hand was placed over my mother’s tummy. I bounded up and down with joy. Someone had asked me to talk with them! Yasin laughed and clapped his hands too! I was very happy.
This didn’t happen only once. My other cousin once removed told me that Yasin knew I had come and immediately clapped his hands. When Yasin touched my mother’s tummy, I always replied with a kick – and my sweetest smile, of course. The subjects of our conversation were far and wide – from the family news, to science, literature, the development of the Islamic world, and our ambitions. My mother (though she did not really understand what we were talking about) was amazed at seeing our conversation through touch, claps, laughter and the light of Yasin’s eyes; that I replied with a hit and a smile. My mother smiled and said, “There is a special language that is only understood by those with the purest of hearts.”
