As it stopped raining, they left the alcove and found a present outside. Uncle Larry was very surprised as he saw a "daf" in the package. He picked up the daf and headed for the next marker with his assistant.
Playing daf in turn, they went across the castle garden where planted with blue hyacinths and pink roses. The garden led to a lake shore, a strange lake which filled with a brown liquid.
Mr. Assistant shook his head sadly, "Parmis is crazy, she's filled the lake with chocolate sauce."
The aroma of sweet samanu wafted up from the lake, Uncle Larry smiled, "No, it isn't chocolate sauce, it must be samanu, a sweet pudding made from wheat germ. Iranians put this hot dessert on the haft-seen table."
A grin spread across the assistant's face, "I bet Parmis loves samanu."
Uncle Larry nodded, "That's right, her family makes samanu every year... It's getting dark, let's go." They went toward the rowboat moored by the shore.
As soon as they got on the boat, a heavy curtain of fog surrounded the lake. The fog was so thick that they could hardly see each other. Mr. Assistant turned pale. He asked, "What happened... now what can we do?", his voice shook with fear.
Uncle Larry took the oars and replied confidently, "Don't be frightened, buddy. I stay with you." Sitting down, he added, "Sit down and play daf. I'll also row."
It was so embarrassing for a friendly assistant to play daf while his leader was working hard, so he objected to his boss, "You must be joking! I don't let you row."
Uncle Larry began rowing, "You think that I'm getting old... I'm still young."
Mr. Assistant nearly died of embarrassment when Uncle Larry said that. He knew it was useless to protest. "Very well then, if you insist... then You Row, and I steer the boat," Mr. assistant said as he start to play daf.
Five minutes later, the fog was even thicker, Uncle Larry was rowing as quickly as he could, and Mr. Assistant felt they had been lost in the fog. He asked, "I'm Sorry, where are we going?"
Uncle Larry put oars in the oarlocks, sat there and lost in thought for a while, as if he had just ignored something important. He remembered samanu must be stirred a lot. Mr. Assistant kept playing daf, while he waited for Larry's answer.
Finally, Uncle Larry broke the silence, "We're searching for the third marker. You keep playing daf, while I'm singing."
Mr. Assistant nodded, "Another magic spell?"
Uncle Larry shook his head, "No. People of Tajikistan and Afghanistan are singing that song, when they're stirring samanu."
Now Mr. Assistant's eyebrows were raised in surprise, "I thought that Parmis's Mom was Iranian."
Uncle Larry laughed, "Yeah, I found the song in Wikipedia."
Uncle Larry picked up the oars, he started singing this song, "Samanak dar Jūsh u mā Kafcha zanēm – Dīgarān dar Khwāb u mā Dafcha zanēm." as he was rowing.The assistant's hope raised as the fog began to vanish.
When Uncle Larry sang the song for the third time, the fog finally lifted, and the north shore of the lake came into view.
Mr. Assistant shouted with excitement, "Look, the third marker's already vanished."
"Oh Look, there is a bowl of samanu in here." Uncle Larry laughed, pointing at the samanu bowl which was on the floor of the boat.
Mr. Assistant put the bowl into his basket and asked, "What's the meaning of the poem?!"
While Uncle Larry was rowing quickly to the shore, he responded, "Samanak is boiling and we are stirring it, others are asleep and we are playing daf."
As Uncle Larry beached the boat, Mr. Assistant jumped out and blew out a breath. At last they reached the land.
Best Wishes
M.T☺
M.T
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