 Husseinaly was
similar to Akber in the things he enjoyed, especially sports. He
came to be known as Mama and inherited a love for pan from Habib
Bapa. Like Akber, he also had a romantic involvement
while still very young, but the course of love ran much smoother
in his case. Rehmat's brother Zaver had a very pretty daughter,
Nurbanu. Hussein developed a crush on her when she was 14 years
of age, and it became apparent that the attraction was mutual.
Nurbanu soon started attracting attention from other suitors; even
Pir Sabzali played a part in putting forward one proposal. In 1940,
when Nurbanu was 17, her father was Jamati Mukhi, and it was customary
for visiting missionaries to stay with the Mukhi. Pir Sabzali was
therefore staying in Zaver's house, and enquiries were made of
Zaverbhai as to whether he would approve Nurbanu's marriage to
someone in Nairobi. Things were getting serious for the young lovers,
but Zera Jivraj Kachra came to the rescue. She confided to Rehmatbai
about the situation between Hussein and Nurbanu. Rehmatbai took
up the cudgels on their behalf and immediately marched off to Zaverbhai,
saying that Nurbanu was going to be joining her home. Zaverbhai
was in no position to oppose his older sister; Rehmatbai's word
was law.
In
1940, Rehmatbai decided to send Hussein to Janmohamed Bapa in Chunya
(Southern Tanganyika) to receive training in business. He again
put his foot down and said that he could not go unless he and Nurbanu
were first engaged. The daftari was called for, Hussein signed,
and the same day he was promptly dispatched to Chunya by train
in a third class carriage. He felt very sorry for himself, while
in Dar-es-salaam the engagement party ran its full course. Hussein
and Nurbanu were married in 1942 and had five children over a period
of 21 years.
Hussein showed initiative in establishing contacts with foreign suppliers who
could supply the business with goods for resale. He wasn't afraid to venture
out and explore new avenues for profit. He was always very involved in the
local sports scene, both as a player and as a promoter of sports events. He
became an expert bridge player, and he has carried on his passion for the game
in Toronto. |
