E

arly in the morning after dawn prayers, a few days before Wednesday'€™s election, one of my sister-in-laws called.

'€œWhat are you doing?'€ she asked politely. She was among the legislative candidates for the local council, so I guessed why she was calling. And I had guessed right; the sister of my late wife had always reminded us, in family gatherings, to give her our support.

'€œPlease don'€™t forget to pick my picture, you and your wife and children, too,'€ she said. Without giving me a chance to respond, she added that before going to the polling station, my family and I should gather at her house with our other relatives. She was in a rush, I guessed she was about to call other relatives for the same purpose.

Sure enough, shortly after a brother called, saying we should gather at her house about 10 a.m. on voting day.

He also suggested we should support her and temporarily put our differences aside.

I thought: This candidate is basically fine; she'€™s known to be one who cares about family and neighbors. But the way she insists on her purpose with a high pitch bothers me and other relatives have also been avoiding her, especially in raising different views.

Some said she became different after her life took a turn for the better. I agreed with my brother, though, who said we should help relatives while we can.

But I didn'€™t expect the reaction of my family, who received the news before breakfast that we should gather at the candidate'€™s place.

'€œOh why bother,'€ said my wife. I could understand actually; our relations with the family are good, but the candidate had ignored her for quite some time, following the death of my first wife from cancer.

And lately, the candidate had behaved oddly '€” she did not visit my daughter when she was admitted to hospital recently, while she had protested when we failed to inform her that the same girl had had an operation the previous month. '€œHave you forgotten your elder sister now?'€ she had said.

On voting day my daughter had the perfect excuse not to go to the candidate'€™s house. She was busy with wedding preparations. My son had a different excuse. He was not very interested in the legislative election, having no one he could likely trust for either the local or national legislative body, unlike the presidential election where at least one of the candidates might be to his liking.

So I was somewhat in a bind. My son asked: '€œWhy are we urged to support one candidate?'€ As a parent, of course, I was supposed to reassure them of the basic principles of democratic elections '€” that everyone should ensure they were direct, free and discreet.

I wanted to keep silent amid all this reaction, but then I blurted out the truth. '€œYour elder sister is getting married and I could really use your aunt'€™s help.'€

The candidate'€™s family has given a lot of assistance for family events with her husband often being our spokesperson. In one wedding, they didn'€™t hesitate to lend their sedan for the bridal.

Eventually my wife and children agreed to support this candidate (though I have no idea who they really voted for). During the post-voting lunch, prepared by the candidate, they laughed as my brother-in-law said, '€œWhether she wins or loses, the main thing is we'€™ve helped her. If she wins without our help she could say, '€˜I didn'€™t need you guys to win'€™.'€

So despite the potentially decisive election, we managed to keep the family happily united.

'€” M. Yazid