Recollections of a Grandson
By Sir Aah
Washington, DC
It has been said that memories are what life is made of. For me and my family, May 15th, 2021, has a special significance because if he were alive my grandfather would have been 100 years old - Col. Aziz Ahmad, lovingly known to me and all my extended family, as “Abaji”. While many knew him for his rank in the military and the society he lived in, I only knew him as the man my Dad looked up to.
Each generation has its own way of recollecting memories. If my generation chooses to express things, then it shouldn’t be a surprise. Plus, I am a rapper – my songs are played on radio here and in the UK - and we are not known for diplomacy but let me try anyway to share some thoughts that might help inspire.
My grandfather grew up in a different time, in a different country, in a different world. When he was growing up, there was no Pakistan and the world’s superpower back then was the British Empire. They said the sun never set on it because the empire stretched across many continents of the earth.
World War II changed many things and so did the Partition which created Pakistan and an independent India. What is left of the British Empire is the United Kingdom, except that it doesn’t look so united anymore, especially after Brexit.
“God Save the Queen” is the mantra. Unfortunately, as graceful as she might be, the Queen’s image is a bit tarnished by Prince Harry’s separation from the royal family. But then again, each family has its own challenges so let them settle their own scores. Though, the nice thing was that Prince Harry went to the funeral of his grandfather - the late Prince Phillip who incidentally was born in 1921 – the same year my grandfather was born.
My grandfather fought for the good guys in World War II amongst brothers that were Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs for a land that would soon be split into many countries as the Empire collapsed.
I have very few recollections of my grandfather, but I always listen carefully to my Dad as he tells me stories about his life. He was a man of respect, he was large in stature, he had a commanding presence, and he was a man’s man; he was a big stepper for those hip to today’s slang.
In 1972, my grandfather supported my Dad’s decision to come to the US for education even though it was financially challenging, which was his life saving and all the money he had. This was a move that would pave the future for my father’s legacy, and mine, and now my son’s.
It’s bittersweet for me because I wish I could have seen him more, I was born in a different time, in a different country, in a different world than the one he grew up in.
From the pictures, I can tell he was in the USA, in the hospital when I was born. That means a lot to me, because my Dad was in the same hospital for my son when he was born.
The 80’s and 90’s that I grew up in was a rough time for my Dad’s side of the family. I’d like to think the birth of my sister, myself, and my brother put a smile on my grandfather’s face as the family dealt with serious health issues. My grandfather probably made a couple of trips to DC and Florida in the 80’s, but I was too young to remember those times. My only recollection of Abaji was in 1995, barely a teenager, in one of my only visits to Pakistan that I can remember. Abaji’s warm embrace to me felt like a wool blanket in the middle of winter. He said, “You are my son, and anything you want from me you can have.” I thought he was the richest man in Pakistan.
Before that trip ended, he gave me some advice, advice that I should be following more often. He told me every morning I should read two ayats (verses) of the Qur’an, and every evening I should read two ayats before I go to sleep. If I do those things, Allah will always guide me on the right path.
Abaji passed away on September 16, 1994, and the time, the country, and the world have changed. “Superpowers” have come and gone. Leaders like to think the countries they run are superpowers, but in the end the only power in this world belongs to Allah.
Leaving politics aside, one must not forget the legacies the elders leave behind. Remembering my grandfather, my cousin Faizan in Canada, shared his experience:
“A few years back I met an elder while volunteering at the Humanity First stall who I started talking to. I told him that I was from Kharian and immediately he asked me if I was related to “Col. Aziz Sahib.” I told him that he was my Nani’s elder brother and he was absolutely thrilled. He began telling me of how influential he was in his life and that he was like an older brother to him…”
I see countries with so much technology and advanced weaponry fail to rule over the oppressed. But I know Allah is enough for the believers, my grandfather and father have never led me astray. If you’re reading this I just want to convey two things: first, I love Abaji and my Dad. Second, I hope they are proud of me.
It is also my Phuppo’s birth today, Happy Birthday Apa Mateen! I hope you are feeling better. Rest In Peace to Abaji, Amiji, Aunty Amtul, Baby Aunty, and my favorite Aunty Shahida. ❤ ️, Haaris aka Sir Aah
FYI – for those unfamiliar with how rappers talk - I’m a big stepper now. Every time I level up, I wear the same plaid jacket and maroon as Abaji did.
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