father himself had allowed her to accompany him to the cinema more
than once. It was not right for this man to forbid her something that
her husband allowed. She was satisfied that she had not done anything
wrong or disgraceful. Her conscience told her this and more,
but she was unable to speak a single word when faced by his eyes,
which demanded obedience and respect, and his large nose, which
when his head was tilted back looked like a revolver aimed at her.
Her internal dialogue was concealed behind a fagade of polite agreement,
just as sound waves seem to hide inside the wireless receiver
once it is turned off.
Before she knew what was happening, she heard him ask her, as
though continuing his conversation, "Do you have any objection to
what I have said?"
She shook her head in the negative and the word "no" was traced
on her lips although she did not say it. So he told her, "We've agreed,
then. You may retire to your room in peace."
She left the room with a pale face, and al-Sayyid Ahmad turned
toward Yasin, who was looking at the ground. Shaking his head
with great sorrow, he said, "The matter is extremely serious, but
what can I do? You're no longer a child. If you were, I'd break your
head. But, alas, you're a man and an employee and a husband too,
even if you don't abstain from frivolous entertainments on account
of your marriage. So what can I do with you? Is this the result
3 4
Naguib Mahfou
of the education I've given you?" Then he continued even more
sorrowfully: "What came over you?... Where's your manhood?...
Where's your sense of honor? By God, I can scarcely believe what
I've heard."
Yasin did not raise his head and did not speak. His father assumed
that his silence showed he was afraid and felt he had been in error.
He did not imagine that his son might be drunk. Yasin's apparent
contrition was no consolation to him. The offense seemed too outrageous
to be left without some decisive remedy, even though the
former one, the stick, was out of the question. He would have to be
firm or the family structure would be destroyed.
He said, "Don't you know that I forbid my wife to leave the house
even if only to visit al-Husayn? How could you have given in to the
temptation to take your wife to a bawdy show and stayed there with
her until after midnight? You fool, you're propelling yourself and
your wife into the abyss. What demon has hold of you?"
Yasin thought it best to seek refuge in silence, for fear his voice
or his garrulousness would reveal his intoxication. This strategy
seemed especially necessary since his mind, scoffing at his serious
situation, insisted on stealing out of the room and shooting off to the
far horizons, which to his drunken head appeared to be dancing at
times and swaying at others. No matter how much his father's voice
terrorized him, it could not silence the tunes the comedians had sung
at the theater. They leapt to his mind, in spite of himself, like ghosts
appearing to a frightened person at night, and whispered:
]'ll sell my clothes for a kiss
From your creamy cheek, you Turkish delht;
You, there, sweet as a tart,
You "re a Iudding too or even smootter.
The song would be banished by his fear, only to bounce back.
His father became upset by his silence and shouted angrily,
"Speak! Tell me what you think. I'm determined that this incident
will not slide by."
Afraid that silence would prove harmful, Yasin abandoned it fearfully
and uneasily. Making a valiant effort to gain control of himself,
he said, "Her father treated her somewhat leniently." Then he added
hastily, "But I'll admit I made a mistake."
Overlooking the last phrase, al-Sayyid Ahmad screamed angrily at
him, "She's no longer in her father's house. She must respect the
PALACE WALK 5Iy
rules of the family to which she now belongs. You're her husband
and master. It's up to you to make her see things the way you want.
Tell me: Who's responsible for her going with you: you or her?"
Despite his intoxication, Yasin was aware of the trap laid for him,
but fear forced him to equivocate. He mumbled, "When she learned
of my intention to go out, she begged me to let her go too."
AI-Sayyid Ahmad beat his hands together and said, "What kind of
man are you?... The proper reply to her would have been a blow.
Only men can ruin women, and not every man is capable of being a
guardian for them." (Qur'an 4:34.)
Then, furious at his son, he said, "You take her to a place where
women dance half naked?"
In his imagination Yasin saw once more the scenes his father's
appearance at the head of the stairs had spoiled. The tunes rang
through his head again: I'll sell my clothes..."
Before Yasin knew what was happening the man was threatening
him: "This house has rules which you know. Reconcile yourself to
respecting them if you wish to remain here."
Aisha took charge of beautifying Khadija for her wedding and accomplished
the task with unparalleled zeal and extraordinary skill, as
though she felt the adornment of Khadija was in every way the most
rewarding accomplishment of her life. Khadija really looked like a
bride and prepared herself to move to the bridegroom's house. In
keeping with her custom of downplaying the value of services other
people performed for her, she claimed that the credit should go to
her plumpness more than to anything else. Moreover, her beauty was
no longer the focus of her concern, since a man who had happened
to see her himself had asked for her hand.
Despite all the manifestations of happiness surrounding her, they
were not able to obliterate her pulsing homesickness at the prospect
of the impending separation. It was exactly what one would expect
of a girl whose heart pounded with love for nothing so much as for
her family and house--from her parents, whom she adored, to the
chickens, hyacinth beans, and jasmine. Not even marriage itself, for
which she had longed and yearned so impatiently, was able to diminish
the bitterness of parting. Before anyone had asked for her hand
she had seemed oblivious to her love and respect for the house. Any
minor vexation would suffice to mask her authentic feelings, for love
is like health. It is taken lightly when present and cherished when it
departs. With her mind put at ease about her future, her heart refused
to make the change from one life to another without intense anguish
that seemed an attempt to atone for some offense or a stingy reluctance
to part with something of value.
Kamal gazed at her silently. He no longer asked, "Will you return?"
He had learned that a girl who marries does not return. He
murmured to his sisters, I'll visit both of you frequently in the afternoon
when school lets out."
Although they indicated they would welcome his visits, Kamal was
no longer beguiled by false hopes. He had visited Aisha often without
ever finding the old Aisha. In her place he found another woman, all
decked out, who received him with such exaggerated affection that
he felt like a stranger. Even if he was alone with her for a moment,
PALACE WALK 37
her husband would soon join them. Khalil did not leave the house
and amused himself with various pastimes like smoking his cigarettes
or water pipe or strumming his lute. Khadija would be no better than
Aisha. The only companion he would have left in the house would
be Zaynab, and she was not as affectionate to him as she should be,
unless his mother was watching. Then she seemed to try to ingratiate
herself with Mrs. Amina by being nice to him. Whenever the mother
left, Zaynab would ignore him, as though he were invisible.
Although Zaynab did not feel she would be losing a dear friend
with the departure of Khadija, she disapproved of the quiet and serious
atmosphere enveloping the wedding day. She used that as a
pretext for expressing some of the resentment and rage she harbored
against the domineering spirit of al-Sayyid Ahmad. She observed sarcastically,
"I've never seen a house like yours where what's licit is
forbidden.... What's the wisdom of that?" Since Zaynab did not feel
like saying goodbye to Khadija without a polite word, she praised
her abilities highly and said she was a good homemaker who would
be a credit to her husband.
Aisha agreed with that and added, "The only thing wrong with
her is her tongue. Haven't you experienced it, Zaynab?"
Zaynab could not help laughing. She replied, "Praise God, I
haven't, but I've heard it used against other people."
Everyone laughed, and Khadija was the first. Then they saw suddenly
that the mother was trying to listen to something. She said,
"Hush." They all stopped laughing immediately. They could hear
people shouting outside.
Khadija said at once in alarm, "Al-Sayyid IRidwan has died."
Maryam and her mother had excused themselves from the wedding
because of the acute condition of Mr. Muhammad 1Ridwan. It was not
strange, then, that Khadija should infer from the clamor that he had
died. The mother rushed out of the room. After a few minutes she
returned to say with great sorrow, "Shaykh Muhammad Ridwan has
indeed passed away.... What an awkward situation."
Zaynab said, "Our excuse is as obvious as the sun. It's no longer
in our power to postpone the wedding or to keep the bridegroom
from celebrating his special night in his house, which, praise God, is
far away. What more can they expect from you than this profound
silence?"
Khadija, though, was lost in other thoughts that cast fear in her
heart. She saw an evil portent in this sad news. She murmured as
though to herself, "O Gracious Lord.... "
tg
Naguib Mahfou
Her mother read her thoughts and became upset too, but she refused
to yield to this uninvited emotion or to allow her daughter to
do so. Pretending to play down the importance of the coincidence,
she commented, "We should not second-guess God's decree. Life and
death are in His hands. Looking for evil omens is the work of Satan."
Yasin and Fahmy joined the assembled women in the bride's room
once they had finished dressing. They told the mother that al-Sayyid
Ahmad had gone to represent the family, in view of the pressure of
time. He would bear the necessary condolences to the family of al
Sayyid Ridwan.
Yasin looked at Khadia and said with a laugh, "Al-Sayyid Ridwan
refused to remain in this world once you decided to move out of our
neighborhood."
She responded with a pale smile that gave no indication of her
feelings. He began to examine her carefully and nod his head in approval.
He sighed and remarked, "Whoever said, 'Dress up a reed
and you can make it look like a bride,' was right."
She frowned to indicate she was not prepared to banter with him.
She brushed him off: "Be quiet. I don't think it's a good omen that
al-Sayyid Ridwan has died on my wedding day."
He laughed and said, "I don't know which of you is more to
blame." He laughed some more and continued: "Don't worry about
the man's death. What I'm afraid does not augur well is your tongue.
My advice for you, which I never tire of repeating, is to soak your
tongue in sweet syrup till it's fit for you to converse with the bridegroom."
At that, Fahmy said in a conciliatory way, "Putting aside the question
of al-Sayyid Ridwan, your wedding day coincides with a blessing
for which the world has been waiting a long time. Don't you know
that the armistice has been announced?"
Yasin cried out, "I almost forgot about that. Your wedding isn't
today's only miracle. Something happened for the first time in years.
The fighting stopped and Kaiser Wilhelm surrendered."
Their mother asked, "Will the high prices and the Australians go
away?"
Yasin laughed and replied, "Naturally... of course. The high
prices, the Australians, and Miss Khadiia's tongue."
Fahmy looked thoughtful. He remarked as if to himself, "The Germans
were defeated.... Who would have imagined that? There's no
longer any hope that Khedive Abbas or the nationalist leader Muham
3
PALACE WALK
3t9
mad Farid will return. All hopes of restoring the Muslim caliphate
have been lost. The star of the English continues in the ascendant
while ours sets. We're in His hands."
Yasin said, "The two who got something from the war are the
English and Sultan Fuad. Without it, the former could never have
dreamed of getting rid of the Germans and the latter could never
have dreamed of ascending the throne of Egypt." He was quiet for a
moment and then continued merrily: "And there's a third party whose
luck was equal to theirs. She's the bride who never dreamed of finding
a husband."
Khadija cast him a threatening glance and remarked, "You insist
on provoking me to say something vicious about you before I leave
the house."
He backed down, saying, "I'd better ask for an armistice. I'm no
mightier than Kaiser Wilhelm or Hindenburg." Yasin looked at
Fahmy, who seemed more pensive than was appropriate for such a
happy occasion. Yasin advised him, "Put politics behind you and
prepare for music, delicious food, and drinks.... "
Although many thoughts were running through Khadija's mind
and dream upon dream filled her heart, an insistent memory from just
that morning almost obliterated all her other concerns because of its
intense impact on her. Her father had invited her to a private meeting
in honor of the day that was the beginning of a new life for her. He
had received her with a graciousness and compassion that were a
healing balm for the shame and terror that afflicted her, making it
difficult for her to walk without stumbling. He had told her, with a
tenderness that made a strange, unprecedented impression on her,
"May our Lord guide your steps and grant you success and peace of
mind. I cannot give you any better advice than to imitate your mother
in every respect, both great and small."
He had given her his hand, which she kissed. Then she had left
the room, so moved and touched she could scarcely see what was in
front of her. She kept repeating to herself, "How gracious, tender,
and compassionate he is.... "
With a heart filled with happiness she remembered his words: "Imitate
your mother in every respect, both great and small."
Her mother had listened to her with a blushing face and flickering
eyelids when Khadija asked, "Doesn't this mean he thinks you're the
best model for the best kind of wife?" She had laughed and continued:
"What a lucky woman you are! Who could have believed all this?
Nagulb Mahfou
It's like a happy dream. Where was all this beautiful affection stored
away?" She had invoked God's blessing for him until her eyes flowed
with tears.
Then Umm Hanafi came to inform them that the automobiles had
arrived.
The coffee hour lost Khadiia just as it had previously lost Aisha, but
Khadiia left a void that remained unfilled. She seemed to have taken
with her the session's spirit, plundered its vitality, and deprived it of
the qualities of fun, mirth, and squabbling that were so important to
it. As Yasin observed to himself, "In our conversations she was like
the salt in food. Salt by itself doesn't taste good, but what taste is
there to food without it?" Out of consideration for his wife, he did
not make his opinion public. Although his hopes for marriage were
so disappointed that he no longer sought a remedy at home, he at
least worried about hurting her feelings, if only to keep her from
growing suspicious of his spending night after night "at the coffee
shop," as he claimed.
Yasin preferred mirth to seriousness so much that there was little
of the serious about his character. Now he had lost the companion
who inspired his iokes and taunted him in return. Thus all he could
do was content himself with the few remnants of his traditional observance
of the coffee hour. He sat on the sofa with his legs folded
under him, sipped some coffee, and looked at the sofa opposite,
where the mother, his wife, and Kamal were absorbed in meaningless
chatter. For perhaps the hundredth time he was amazed at Zaynab's
earnest.ness. He remembered that Khadiia had accused her of being
dull and was inclined to accept that opinion. He,would open al-llamasa,
Abu Tammam's collection of ancient poems, or The Maiden of
Karbala, a novel by Jurii Zaydan, and read to himself or relate to
Kamai some of what he had read.
When he looked to his right, he found that Fahmy wanted desperately
to talk. What would it be about? The nationalist leaders Muhammad
Farid and Mustafa Kamil? Yasin had no idea, but it was clear
that Fahmy was going to speak. Indeed, today, ever since returning
from the Law School, he had looked like a sky threatening to rain.
Should he stir him up? No, there was no need for that. Fahmy was
acknowledging his glance with intense interest and staring at Yasin
as though he was about to address him. He asked, "Don't you have
any news?"
Naguib Mahfou
Fahmy asked him what news he had! "I've got too much news to
count," he thought. "Marriage is just a big deception. After a few
months as tasty as olive oil, your bride turns into a dose of castor
oil. Don't feel sad that you didn't get to marry Maryam, you callow
politician. Do you want some other news? I've got a lot, but it definitely
wouldn't interest you. Even if I wanted to, I'm not courageous
enough to reveal it in my wife's presence."
To his surprise, Yasin found he was reciting to himself a verse
from the medieval poet al-Sharif al-Radi:
I have lassionate messages [ won "t mention,
But f we weren't lining watchea
I would have shard them with your mouth.
Yasin asked Fahmy in turn, "What news do you mean?"
Fahmy replied excitedly, "Amazing news is spreading among the
students. Today it was all we talked about. A delegation or "ward"
composed of the nationalist leaders Sa'd Zaghlul Pasha, Abd al-Aziz
Fahmy Bey, and All Sha'rawi Pasha went to the British Residency in
Cairo yesterday and met with the High Commissioner requesting
that the British protectorate over Egypt be lifted and independence
declared."
Yasin raised his eyebrows to show his interest. A look of astonished
doubt appeared in his eyes. The name of Sa'd Zaghlul was not
new to him, but there was little he could attach to it except some
obscure memories connected with incidents he had forgotten long
ago. They had made no appreciable impact on him emotionally, for
he paid slight attention to public affairs. He was hearing about the
other men for the first time. But the strangeness of their names was
nothing compared with their strange action, if what Fahmy had said
was true. How could anyone think of requesting independence for
Egypt from the English immediately after their victory over the Germans
and the Ottoman Empire? He asked his brother, "What do you
know about them?"
With the resentment of a person who wished these men were
members of the National Party, Fahmy replied, "Sa'd Zaghlul is Vice
President of the Legislative Assembly and Abd al-Aziz Fahmy and
All Sha'rawi are members of it. The truth is, I don't know anything
else about the last two. As for Sa'd, I don't see anything wrong with
him, based on what many of my fellow students who are nationalists
tell me. They disagree about him a lot. Some of them think he has
sold out totally to the English. Others acknowledge his outstanding
II
PALACE WALK
J2J
qualities that make him worthy of being ranked with the men of the
National Party. In any case, the step he took with his two colleagues
was a magnificent act, and he's said to have been the instigator. He
may be the only one left who could have done something like that,
since the prominent members of the National Party have been banished,
including their leader, Muhammad Farid."
Yasin tried to appear serious so his brother would not think he
was making fun of his enthusiasm. As though wondering aloud, he
repeated the words: "Requesting that the British protectorate over
Egypt be lifted and independenc declared.... "
"We also heard that they requested permission to travel to London
to lobby for Egyptian independence. For that reason they met with
Sir Reginald Wingate, the British High Commissioner for Egypt."
Yasin could no longer conceal his anxiety. His features revealed it,
and he asked in a slightly louder voice, "Independence!... Do you
really mean it?... What do you mean?"
Fahmy replied nervously, "I mean the expulsion of the English
from Egypt: what Mustafa Kamil called an 'evacuation' when he advocated
it."
What a hope! Yasin was not naturally inclined to seek out conversations
about politics, but he would accept Fahmy's invitation in order
to avoid upsetting his brother and to amuse himself with this
novel form of entertainment. His interest in politics was aroused occasionally,
but never to the point of enthusiasm. He may have shared
his brother's hopes in a calm, passive way, but he had never demonstrated
much interest in public affairs at any time in his life. His
only goal was enjoyment of the good things in life and its pleasures.
For this reason, he found it difficult to take Fahmy's statements seriously.
He questioned his brother again: "Does this fall within the
realm of possibility?"
Fahmy replied with a combination of enthusiasm and censure: "So
long as there's life there's hope, brother."
This sentence, like the others before it, prompted Yasin's sarcasm,
but pretending to be in earnest, he asked his brother, "How can we
expel them?"
Fahmy thought for a moment and then said with a frown, "That's
why Sa'd and his colleagues asked permission to journey to London."
The mother had been following their conversation with interest.
She was concentrating her full attention on it to try to understand as
much as she possibly could. She always did whenever the conversation
turned to public affairs remote from domestic chatter. These mat
Nagui, Mahfou
ters intrigued her, and she claimed to be able to understand them.
She did not hesitate to participate in such a discussion, if the opportunity
arose, and was oblivious to the scorn mixed with affection that
her opinions often provoked. Nothing could daunt her or prevent her
from taking an interest in these significant matters, which she appeared
to follow for the same reasons she felt compelled to comment
on Kamal's lessons in religious studies or to debate what he related
to her about geography and history in the light of her religious and
folkloric information. Because of her serious attention, she had acquired
some knowledge of Mustafa Kamil, Muhammad Farid, and
"Our Exiled Effendi," the Khedive Abbas II. Her love for those men
was doubled by their devotion to the cause of the Muslim caliphate,
making them seem in her eyes, which were those of a person who
judged men by their religious stature, almost like the saints of whom
she was so fond. Thus when Fahmy mentioned that Sa'd and his
colleagues were asking permission to travel to London, she suddenly
asked, "Where in God's world is this London?"
Kamal answered her immediately in the singsong voice pupils use
to recite their lessons: "London is the capital of Great Britain. Paris
is the capital of France. The Cape's capital is the Cape.... "Then he
leaned over to whisper in her ear, "London is in the land of the
English."
His mother was overcome by astonishment and asked Fahmy,
"They're going to the land of the English to ask them to get out of
Egypt? This is in very bad taste. How could you visit me in my house
if you're wanting to throw me out of yours?"
Her interruption annoyed the young man. He gave her a look that
was smiling and critical at the same time, but she thought she would
be able to convince him. So she added, "How can they ask them to
leave our lands after they have been here all this long period. When
we were born and you as well, they were already in our country. Is
it humane for us to oppose them after this time we've spent Jiving
together as neighbors and to tell them bluntly, and in their country
at that, to get out?"
Fahmy smiled in despair. Yasin guffawed, but Zaynab said seriously,
"Where do they get the nerve to tell them that in their own
country? Suppose the English kill them there. Who would know what
happened to them? Haven't their soldiers made walking in streets of
Cairo far from home hazardous and uncertain? So what will happen
to someone who storms into their country?"
Yasin wished he could encourage the two women to keep saying
PALACE WALK 2y
these nai've things in order to satisfy his thirst for fun, but he noticed
Fahmy's annoyance and was apprehensive about making him angry.
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