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Sa`ud's Mother
 Sa`ud’s
mother Huda works as a secretary in a government office. She goes to work
five days a week, Saturday through Wednesday; Thursday and Friday are the
weekend days in Kuwait. It wasn’t easy for her to raise and support her
children after Sa`ud’s father died, but she would have had a much harder
time if it weren’t for the extended family. It isn’t unusual for women
to work in Kuwait; in fact, approximately one-third of the labor force in
Kuwait is female. The female participation rate in the Kuwaiti labor force
is among the highest in the Arab world, and higher than in any other
country on the Arabian Peninsula. Huda means “right guidance” in
Arabic.
Sa`ud's
Grandmother
 Tayba
is Sa`ud’s father’s mother. When she was young, there was no formal
schooling for girls in Kuwait, so she never learned to read and write. She
herself believes strongly in the value of education, and all
of her
children have university degrees. She is the unquestioned head of her
entire household, and everyone respects her wisdom and intelligence. She
married young and had five children—Sa`ud’s father, uncles Abdul
Latif and Amr, and aunts Majida and Nahida. Sa`ud calls his grandmother
"Mama Tayba." She helped take care of him when he was little, while his
mother worked. Life has changed a lot in Kuwait since Sa`ud’s
grandmother was young, and sometimes, Sa`ud wonders what she thinks about
the clothes he and Hanaan wear, or the music he listens to, but she never
says anything. Tayba means “good, kindly” in Arabic.
 Sa`ud's
Sister Hanaan
Hanaan
is two years older than Sa`ud, and they are very close friends. Hanaan
thinks Sa`ud is a good dancer and has a good sense of humor. Sa`ud thinks
Hanaan is beautiful and smart; he admires her academic abilities, and he
relies on her help with homework—especially in English language.
Hanaan’s name means “mercy” in Arabic.
Uncle
`Abdul Latif
 Sa`ud’s
uncle, his wife, and their daughter Nora live just a floor above Sa`ud.
Latif went to college in the United States, has a degree in civil
engineering, and works for the Kuwaiti government. He is the eldest of his
siblings, and serves as a father figure to the others and especially to
Sa`ud and Hanaan. Sa`ud calls him “`Ammu,” which means
"uncle." Arab
children frequently address adult males as `Ammu as a sign of respect,
even when there is no family connection. Abdul Latif means “servant of
the Kind One” in Arabic. Latif (Kind One) is one of many references
for God.
 Uncle
Amr
Uncle
Amr has the smallest apartment in the family house, because he hasn’t
yet married. He works in the tourist industry, renting jet skis at the
beach. Sa`ud works for him in the summer. In the winter, most people
don’t want to go in the water, so Sa`ud can take the jet skis out
whenever he wants. Amr is an old Arabic name that means “life.”
Aunt
Majida
 Majida
and her husband are
the parents of four children, Sa`ud’s cousins Aziz,
Aisha, Yousef, and Muhammad. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business,
and works at the Ministry of Finance. Majida means “glorious” in
Arabic.
 Aunt
Nahida
Aunt
Nahida shares an apartment with her mother in the family house. She
isn’t yet married, and it would be considered improper for her to move
out of the family house and live on her own. Like her sister Majida, she
earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Kuwait University, and she
works at the Ministry of Commerce. Nahida means “in the bloom of
youth” in Arabic.
Cousins
Even
though Abdul Aziz is only two years younger than Sa`ud, he looks up to Sa`ud
and wants to do everything he does. One of their favorite activities is playing
soccer on the community field a few blocks from the house. He and Sa`ud are
allowed to ride their bikes around the neighborhood and to go to the soccer
field alone. Before too long, Yousef will be old enough to join them; Muhammad
is still pretty much a baby. Hanaan is expected to stick closer to home, and
the same will be true for Aisha and Nora as they grow older.
The
names of Sa`ud’s cousins have the following meanings in Arabic:
Abdul Aziz
Servant of the
Powerful One (another name for God)
Yousef
Arabic form of
“Joseph”
Muhammad
Praised
Aisha
Living, or
prosperous
Nora
Light
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Nora |
Sa`ud with Muhammad |
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