As usual he found Zanuba half asleep in their room. It was always like this. Before he entered, he could hear her snoring. By the time he reached the middle of the room she was moving and opening her eyes. In her sarcastic voice she said, “Praise God for your safe return”. Then she rose to help him take off his clothes and fold them. Unadorned, she appeared older than she was. He frequently thought she looked as old as he did. But she had become his companion, and their lives had become intermeshed. This former entertainer had succeeded in staying married to him, a feat no lady had accomplished before her. His wedded life was firmly anchored. At first there had been fights and loud quarrels, but she had always shown how much she cherished their marriage. In the course of time she had become a mother. When her son had died, leaving her with only Karima, that loss had made her redouble her efforts to safeguard her married life, especially once her beauty began to fade and she was threatened by premature aging. Time had taught her how attractive patience and conciliation are and how to perfect the role of a lady in every sense of the word. She went to such extremes in this regard that she dressed very simply when she went out. Her efforts eventually won a certain degree of respect for her on Palace Walk and Sugar Street. She had the good judgment to treat her stepson Ridwan exactly like Karima, showing both of them great tenderness and affection, even though she did not feel any love for the boy, especially after she lost the only son she bore Yasin. No longer a beauty, she was still careful to wear attractive clothes and to be clean and neat.
Yasin smiled as he watched her fix her hair in front of the mirror. Although she occasionally annoyed him to the point of anger, he sensed that she had truly become a precious part of his life, someone he could never do without.
Since she was shivering, she got a shawl, complaining, “It's so cold! Do yourself a favor and don't spend your evenings out during the winter.”
He answered sarcastically, “As you know, alcohol changes the season. Why tire yourself by waking up?”
She fumed, “What you say is as tiresome as what you do.”
In his nightshirt he looked like a blimp. Rubbing his hand over his belly, he gazed at the woman with satisfaction. His black eyes sparkled. Then he laughed suddenly and said, “If you could have seen me exchanging greetings with the officers…. The ones on the late patrol have become my dear friends.”
Sighing, she muttered, “I'm overjoyed.”
123
THE SIGHT of Yasin's son, Ridwan, striding through al-Ghuriya at a deliberate pace was really enough to turn heads. Seventeen years old, he had attractive dark eyes and a medium build with a slight tendency to be stocky. His attire was so dapper it attracted attention. His rosy complexion was attributable to his mother's family, the Iffats. He had a radiant charm, and his gestures betrayed the conceit of a person whose good looks were no secret to him. When he passed by Sugar Street, he turned his face with its faint smile in that direction, as his aunt Khadija and her sons, Abd al-Muni'm and Ahmad, came to mind. The thought of them evoked little reaction save apathy. He had never felt tempted even once to take either of his cousins as a friend in the true meaning of the word. Soon he had passed through Bab al-Mutawalli, the ancient city gate. Then turning into al-Darb al-Ahmar, he went down it until he reached an old house, where he knocked on the door and waited.
The door opened to reveal the face of Hilmi Izzat, who was a childhood friend, a colleague in Law School, and a rival in good looks. Hilmi beamed at the sight of him. They embraced and exchanged a kiss, as they always did when they met. On their way up the stairs, Hilmi commended his friend's tie and the way it matched his shirt and socks. They were both known for their elegance and good taste, and their interest in clothing and fashion was matched by their enthusiasm for politics and studying law. Their destination was a large room with a high ceiling. The presence of a bed and a desk in it indicated that it served for both sleeping and studying. Indeed the two young men frequently stayed up late studying there and then stretched out to sleep side by side in the great bed with its black posts and mosquito netting. It was nothing new for Ridwan to spend a night away from home. Since childhood, he had accepted invitations to pass days at a time in various different homes, like those of his grandfather Muhammad Iffat in al-Gamaliya or of his mother, Zaynab whose only child he remained, even though she had long since married Muhammad Hasan - in al-Munira. Because of this, his father's natural tendency to be nonchalant, and the secret relief his stepmother, Zanuba, took in anything that kept him away from home even temporarily, Ridwan encountered no opposition to his desire to stay overnight with his friend when they were studying for an examination. Eventually the practice became so common that no one paid any attention to it.
Hilmi Izzat had been raised in a similar atmosphere of indifference. His father, a police officer in charge of a station, had died ten years before. Hilmi's six sisters had married, and he lived alone with his aged mother. She had difficulty controlling him, and he sooti came to dominate the entire household. The widow lived on her husband's small pension and the rent from the first floor of her ancient house. The family had not had an easy life since the father's death, but Hilmi had been able to continue his studies and to enroll in Law School. All that time he had managed to keep up appearances. For Hilmi there was no pleasure equal to that of seeing his friend, and no period of work or relaxation was truly enjoyable unless Ridwan was present. Then Hilmi would feel a burst of energetic enthusiasm.
Hilmi invited Ridwan to have a seat on the sofa next to the door of the latticed balcony and, sitting down beside him, began to think of a topic of conversation. There were so many subjects to choose from…. But the despondent look in Ridwan's eyes cooled Hilmi's fervor. He gazed at Ridwan questioningly. Guessing what was wrong, he muttered, “You've been to visit your mother…. 1 bet you've just been there.”
Ridwan realized that his facial expression had given him away. With a vexed look in his eyes, he nodded hishead, without speaking.
“How is she?” Hilmi asked.
“Great”. Then he sighed and added, “But that man called Muhammad Hasan! Do you know what it means to have a step father? ”
Hilmi said consolingly, “Many people have stepparents. There's nothing shameful about it. Besides, that happened a long time ago.”
Ridwan cried out angrily, “No, no, no! He's always at home. The only time he leaves is to go to his job at the ministry. For once,I'd like to visit her when she's alone. He takes it upon himself to play the role of my father and adviser. Damn him. He never misses an opportunity to remind me that he's my father's boss in the records office and doesn't hesitate to criticize my father's conduct at work. But I don't let it pass in silence”. He was quiet for a minute while he got control of his emotions. Then he continued: “My mother was a fool to agree to marry this man. Wouldn't it have been better for her to return to my father?”
Hilmi knew about Yasin's notorious behavior. With a smile he recited, “How many laments passion has brought me….”
Waving his hand to show his disagreement, Ridwan said, “So what! Women's taste is a frightening mystery. What's even more disastrous is that she seems happy with him.”
“Don't dwell on things that upset you.”
Ridwan answered sadly, “How amazing! A vast part of my life is miserable. I detest my mother's husband and dislike my father's wife. The atmosphere is charged with hatred. Like my mother, my father made a bad choice. But what can I do about it? My stepmother is nice to me, but I don't think she loves me. How vile this life is!”
An elderly servant brought in some tea. Ridwan welcomed it with relish, since he had been stung by bitter February winds on the way there. They were silent as they dissolved the sugar in the tea. The expression on Ridwan's face changed, announcing the end of his gloomy recital.
Hilmi welcomed this and said with relief, “I'm so used to studying with you that I no longer know how to do it by myself.”
Ridwan responded to this affectionate comment with a smile but
suddenly asked, “Do you know about the decree that was issued concerning the delegation for the negotiations?”
“Yes. But many people are making a big stink about the atmosphere surrounding the negotiations. It seems that Italy, which poses a threat to our borders, is the real focus of the negotiations. For their part, the English pose a threat if the agreement fails.”
“The blood of our martyrs is not cold yet, and we have fresh blood to spill.”
Hilmi shook hishead as he remarked, “What people are saying is that the fighting's over and the talking has begun. What do you think?”
“At any rate the Wafd constitute an overwhelming majority within the delegation. Picture this. When I asked Muhammad Hasan, my stepfather, his opinion of the situation, he replied sarcastically, ‘Do you really think the English can leave Egypt?’ This is the man my mother consented to marry.”
Hilmi Izzat laughed out loud and asked, “Does your father's opinion differ?”
“My father hates the English. That's enough.”
“Dosshe hate them from the depths of hisheart?”
“My father does not hate or love anything from the depths of hisheart.”
“I'm asking what you think. Are you confident?”
“Why not? How long can this situation drag on? Fifty-four years of British occupation? Phooey! I'm not the only one who is miserable.”
Hilmi Izzat took a last sip of tea. Then he smiled and said, “I think you were speaking to me with this kind of enthusiasm when he caught sight of you.”
“Who?”
Hilmi smiled mysteriously and replied, “When you get excited you blush and that makes you look especially handsome. No doubt lie saw you talking to me at one of those happy moments the day our student delegation went to the House of the Nation to call for unity. Don't you remember?”
With an interest Ridwan did not attempt to conceal he said, “Yes. But who ishe?”
“Abd al-Rahim Pasha Isa!”
Ridwan thought a little before murmuring, “I saw him once from a distance.”
“Well, this was the first time he noticed you.”
There was an inquisitive look on Ridwan's face. Hilmi went on: “After you left, he asked me about you, requesting that I introduce you to him as soon as possible.”
Ridwan smiled and then said, “Tell me everything you know.”
Patting his friend's shoulder, Hilmi said, “He called me over and with his normal effervescence by the way, he is very entertaining asked, ‘Who was that beauty conversing with you?’ I told him you were a fellow student in the Law School, a longtime friend, and named so-and-so. With evident interest he asked, ‘When will you introduce him to me?’ Pretending not to understand the reason for his interest, I asked in turn, ‘Why, Pasha?’ He burst out with feigned anger his lively wit occasionally carries him to such extremes - and said, ‘To give him a lesson in religion, you son of a bitch.’ I laughed till he put a hand over my mouth'
During the pause that followed they could hear the wind howling outside. A shutter banged against the wall. Then Ridwan spoke up: “I've heard a lot about him. Doeshe live up to his billing?”
“And more.”
“But he's an old man!”
With inaudible laughter sparkling on his face, Hilmi Izzat said, “That's hardly significant, for he's an important man who is debonair and influential. It may well be that his age makes him more useful than if he were young.”
Ridwan smiled again and asked, “Where doeshe live?”
“In a quiet villa in Helwan.”
“It must be swarming with petitioners from all classes of society….”
“We'll be his disciples. Why not? He's a senior statesman and we're novices.”
Ridwan asked rather cautiously, “How about his wife and children?”
“What an ignoramus you are! He's single. He's never been married and has no taste for that kind of life. He was an only child and lives alone with his servants, like a branch torn from a tree. Once you've met him, you'll never be able to forget him.”
They exchanged a long, smiling, conspiratorial look. Finally Hilmi said a bit anxiously, “Please ask me, 'When are we going to visit him?'”
Looking at the tea leaves in his glass, Ridwan repeated, “When are we going to visit him?”
124
LOCATED AT the corner of al-Najat Street in Helwan, the home of Abd al-Rahim Pasha Isa was of exemplary simplicity and elegance. A one-story brown villa three meters high, it was entered through a gentlemen's parlor and was surrounded by a flower garden. The house, the street, and the neighborhood were refreshingly quiet. Seated on a bench by the gate were the doorman - a Nubian with a handsome face and a slender figure - and the chauffeur, an attractive youth with rosy cheeks.
Looking toward the parlor, Hilmi Izzat whispered to Ridwan, “The pasha has kept his promise. We're the only visitors today!”
Hilmi Izzat was known to the doorman and the chauffeur, who stood up to greet him politely. When he joked with them, they showed no embarrassment about bursting into laughter.
Although dry, the weather was bitterly cold. They went into a magnificent reception hall with a large picture of Sa'd Zaghlul in ceremonial attire on the center wall. Hilmi Izzat turned toward a mirror extending all the way to the ceiling on the right-hand wall to cast a long and searching look at his appearance. Ridwan was quick to join him, examining his own reflection with equal care. At last Hilmi Izzat said, “Two splendid moons in suits and fezzes. All those who love the Prophet's handsome appearance should pray for him.”
They sat down beside each other on a gilded sofa with a stunning blue cover. After a few minutes they heard something behind the curtain hanging in the large doorway beneath the portrait of Sa'd Zaghlul. Hisheart beating with excitement, Ridwan turned to look that way. A man wearing a pleasant cologne and an elegant black suit appeared at once. Clean-shaven, slender, and rather tall, he had fine features marked by age, a dark brown complexion, and small languid eyes. His fez was slanted so far forward that it almost touched his eyebrows. Calm and dignified, he came toward them with slow steady steps. He had a reassuring but awe-inspiring impact on the young man'sheart. Silent until he stopped before the two boys, who stood up to greet him, he examined them with a penetrating look that rested on Ridwan long enough to make the young man's eyelids twitch. Then the pasha smiled suddenly. The attractive affability shining from his face lessened the distance between them until it was indiscernible. Hilmi held out his hand, which the man took and held. The pasha puckered up his lips and waited. Noticing what he had in mind, Hilmi quickly presented his cheek, which the man kissed.
The pasha looked in Ridwan's direction and said in a delicate tone, “Don't take offense, my son. This is my way of greeting people.”
Ridwan held out his hand shyly. The man took it and laughingly asked, “And your cheek?”
Ridwan blushed. Pointing to himself, Hilmi cried out, “Your Excellency, you need to negotiate that with his guardian.”
Abd al-Rahim Pasha laughed and contented himself with a handshake. After inviting them to have a seat, he sat down in a large armchair nearby. With a smile he said, “You have a damn fool for a guardian, Ridwan isn't that your name? Welcome! I noticed you fraternizing with this naughty boy. I wanted to meet you, because I was enchanted by your manners. And you've been good enough not to begrudge me this pleasure.”
“I'm happy to have the honor of meeting you, Your Excellency.”
Turning a large gold ring around the finger of his left hand, the man said, “Asking God's forgiveness, my son… don't use any titles or honorific expressions. I don't like that at all. An endearing spirit and a soul that's sincere and pure are what really interest me. This business of ‘Pasha’ and ‘Your Excellency,’ well… we're all descended from Adam and Eve. The fact is that your manners pleased me, and I wanted to invite you to my home. So you're most welcome. You're Hilmi's classmate in Law School. Isn't that so?”
“Yes, sir. We've been
classmates since Khalil Agha Elementary School.”
The man raised his white eyebrows in admiration and said, “Childhood friends!” Then, nodding hishead, he continued: “Excellent, excellent! Perhaps like him you're from al-Husayn district?”
“Yes, sir. I was born in the home of my grandfather, Mr. Muhammad Iffat, in al-Gamaliya. I live now with my father in Palace of Desire Alley.”
The man said with a joy that was almost delirious, “Cairo's ancient districts… grand places! Would you believe that I lived there for a long time with my late father in Birguwan. I was my parents' only child and a rascal. I frequently got the boys together in a procession, and we'd go from neighborhood to neighborhood, leaving a trail of devastation behind us. Woe to any poor soul whom fate sent our way. My father would get extremely angry and chase after me with a stick…. Son, you said that your grandfather is Muhammad Iffat?”
Ridwan replied proudly, “Yes, sir.”
The pasha thought for a moment before saying, “I remember seeing him once at the home of the deputy for al-Gamaliya. He's an outstanding person and a sincere nationalist. He was almost nominated to run in the forthcoming elections, but his friend the former deputy beat him out at the last minute. The recent coalition necessitates a certain amount of goodwill so that our brothers in the Liberal Constitutionalists can win a few seats. You're with Hilmi in Law School…. Beautiful! Law is the master of all the other disciplines. Its study requires true brilliance. To have a fine future, just strive to do your best.”
The Cairo Trilogy: Palace Walk, Palace of Desire, Sugar Street Page 120