Changing The Level Since Eighteen Years, Yet Still Present!

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It’s been around two weeks since my brother’s anniversary, and I am late this year. Was it the recent incidents in the Middle East, or exhaustion from continuously writing about death? I’m not sure. Yet, it wasn’t the forgetfulness; I still feel his presence, and it gives me strength.

I titled this post ‘Changing the Level…’ because it reflects Al’s interpretation of death. I also agree with him that since no Persephone has returned from Hades to describe it, we have the free will to accept our assumptions about the afterlife as we imagine them.

Let’s stop discussing death and speculating about the afterlife. This time, I want to share with you a story about him and his relationship with our father, especially his actual name, which he truly disliked. It’s pretty common for fathers and sons with similar genetic material to struggle to get along.

As I mentioned in my article a few weeks ago, our father was a devout Muslim with a strong emphasis on the mystical aspects of the faith. He loved the Arabic language, which he always regarded as one of the most perfect languages in the world. As a result, he gave us Arabic names. I was fortunate to have a name associated with an enchanting fairy tale. Unfortunately, Al’s name, inherited from our grandfather, is a genuine Arabic name: Abulhasan! (I also refer to a promise I made to a respected friend of mine, Resa.)

Things deteriorated further when he tried to abbreviate our names for calling. He knew that shortening Abulhassan to Abul sounded awful, so he picked two sounds he thought suited us: ‘Ala’ for me and ‘Aali’ for Al, both meaning “the best of all.” I was still lucky in this instance, but ‘Aali’ is technically an adjective meaning excellent—more appropriate as a source or descriptor than a proper name. This mistake led to trouble for Al; at school, he was fooled, teased, and bullied.

He carried this burdensome heritage throughout his life. After we escaped to the West, he became quite desperate about how friends called him. Most called him Ali, a plain, simple Arabic name, but close and smart friends called him McAllister, after the English footballer from Liverpool, his ever-beloved team. As a result, his name was shortened to McAll, then to All, or Al!
I do believe choosing names is a crucial decision for parents, and honestly, as Persians, we were not particularly enthusiastic about Arabic names.

In any case, he could have had greater success in life, especially as an author, if circumstances had been different, and I understand this well. We were neither of us fortunate! Still, he endured for 57 years, and I, with my worn-out body and suffering soul, seek to join him.

I dedicate this song to you, Al, because you introduced me to Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost; thank you!

Thank you for reading. 🙏💖

26 thoughts on “Changing The Level Since Eighteen Years, Yet Still Present!”

  1. Jean Raffa's avatar Jean Raffa

    Oh, Aladin. I was deeply moved by this. Your love and respect for Al is an inspiration. Does he feel it in the afterlife? How can he not? Your souls were so deeply intertwined. May it bring you comfort in your sorrow and bitterness, which I hope will ease up as you regain your health, to celebrate the many contributions you have made with your life. Jeanie

    Liked by 2 people

    • I treasure your calming words in every letter, keeping them close in my thoughts, my dear Jeanie. I continue to hold deep respect for him and his wisdom, which encourages me to keep moving ahead. Thank you!

      Sincerely, Aladin 💖💖🙏🤗

      Liked by 1 person

  2. When it’s the right time ‘words’ are everything, be they inside and out of the ‘mind’. It is clear that All was a fine man. You’re thanks for telling us, it means a lot to him and you. Regards, Mike.

    Liked by 2 people

  3. My dear Aladin,

    Your love for Al was made clear to me the first time I ever read words you wrote about him.

    Don’t worry about being late in this remembrance, for you remember him every day.

    Now I know why your names ate so close, Al & Al….

    It sounds like your recovery is taking longer than thought. At the very least it has made you more thought filled than ever.

    Think I’ll drop you a line this weekend! Sending love,

    Resa

    ❦❦🌹✌️🌟

    Liked by 1 person

  4. I found the memory of your dear brother and the tribute you paid to him so beautiful. 🙏💖🙏💖🙏
    I agree with you: choosing names is a crucial decision for parents, who often don’t realize how much a wrong choice can negatively impact a person’s personality and life.
    The Latins said “Nomen Omen,” referring to the prophetic meaning of a name, and expressing the belief that a person’s name could somehow reflect or predict their character or future.

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Aladin, this is beautiful. Finally after quite a week I was able to come by and read it. I wanted the time to read it because when I saw the title and the picture I knew it would be about your beloved brother. And you always take the time to put a most moving tribute to him –to you both as boys especially–together, so i wnated to take the time to read it. How dearly and beautifully you have brought him to life today, all the little things that weren’t, as in what he was nicknamed here are all the things that do make him real. I agree re Persephone. I think I favor Shakespeare more re the more things in heaven and hell. By that I mean I am very much a non believer. But I will say to you–as I say to myself every other day– our last house was a very odd house and we were not the only ones to think so . Eventually someone else who also thought so came and encouraged, shall we say, what seemed to be also living there, to go….. Let’s just say what happened next would probably convince most people. I still remain most people while I say , there is probably something else out there.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Oh, my dearest Shehanne, I sincerely thank you for your honest and heartfelt comment. It truly touches me.
      Furthermore, I love Shakespeare and his depiction of Heaven and Hell. Although I am also a non-believer (or agnostic), I am convinced there is something on the other side that we might never discover until we reach it. I have mentioned that my dreams sometimes come true, and it has been very exciting for me. Anyway, I appreciate you taking the time to read my post and sending my heartfelt gratitude. xxxxxxxxxxxx

      Liked by 1 person

      • Well, I think you ahve aniled what I was trying o say. I am probably an athiest and yet, that day…and my younger girl who was there, even said to a friend a few weeks back… it was scary actually, what went on. It was the first I even remembered she was there that day and she described a few weeks back unprompted to her friend who needed a wee bit guidance, exactly what went on and my younger girl is like me actually in terms of belief. Also there were times in that house people ran out because things were thrown at them. I just don’t want to say too much re that house in case I come over as an idiot. We bought that house from my sister who, as it turned out, thought it wasn’t right either and wanted out. At the time we just wanted a bigger house and whatever…., it made it possible for us to be where we are now. But interestingly this house is fine……

        Liked by 1 person

      • I understand what you mean; it’s very strange! I experience such things from time to time. My nearest aunt has shared many stories about ghosts haunting her old house. I was once an atheist, but I now believe there must be something after death; all this energy can’t just vanish suddenly.
        However, it is well known that ghosts are said to haunt all over Scotland: remember Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë!😉👻

        Liked by 1 person

  8. Oh aye. The thing was this ‘ghost’ was picked up on by different people with no connection to each other. and they all said the same thing. The pity was that the house had been leased until 1925. So I wasn’t able to find tenancy records on it. I am sure they mus be somewhere in old street directories but I’d need names to search them.

    Liked by 1 person

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