by Snoe, Eboni
“So you couldn’t wait until I got back? Or have you two been using the lab I provided for you as your meeting place all along?”
Before Felicia could respond to his accusations, Na’im disappeared out the door.
‘ ‘Oh, sh-! I hope he’s not another hothead like Ilyas,’ ’ Phillip groaned. ‘ ‘ I heard what happened between him and George.”
‘ ‘Is that all you can think about-yourself? Why didn’t you say something?’ ’
“I was caught off guard, just like you were. Do you actually think he was going to stand there and listen to me make excuses about why I was hugging his woman. He’d only think I was lying.’ ’
“Well, you could have at least tried. I was trying to comfort you and your homey butt, remember?”
“Do you want me to go after him? I will if you want me to.”
Felicia had always known that Phillip’s bark was worse than his bite. For him to even offer to try to explain to Na’im was more than she expected from him.
“No. That’s all right. I’ll wait until he calms down and try to talk to him while we’re having dinner. Maybe then he will be in a better mood.
Relief flooded Phillip’s face. “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Put some of the old female charm on him. He won’t be able to resist you.”
Felicia wrapped the floor length, sheer nightgown about her feet, as she glanced at her watch for the umpteenth time. She’d had dinner delivered to their room as usual, but one thing was missing—Na’im.
The goat dish, simmered in sesame oil with okra, red peppers and onions, looked hardly edible. It, and the molokiea, an opaque green soup, had been sitting for such a long time, both dishes had grown cold and taken on a congealed look.
Felicia had no appetite. Her nerves were on edge and her ears strained for every sound that might be Na’im approaching the sitting room. They had been apart for four days and three nights now, and she had missed him terribly.
When Phillip had suggested that she use her feminine wiles to persuade Na’im, she thought it was a bad idea. But as time passed, and the look of anger and mistrust in Na’im’s eyes kept playing over and over in her mind, she had decided to use any method she could to get him to listen to her.
She was forcing down one of the dates that made up the small fruit dish, when she heard footsteps in the hallway. She felt a breathlessness come upon her and her stomach muscles began to contract. She didn’t know what she had expected when Na’im walked through the door, but it was not the solemn, aloof person who confronted her.
Suddenly she felt embarrassed about her near nudity. Na’im’s eyes held not even the remotest spark of desire or feeling for her. They were golden orbs devoid of anything nearing emotion, and that frightened Felicia more than anything had in a long time.
“Hello, Na’im.” Felicia waited for his reply. But there was none. He just looked at her.
“Won’t you give me a chance to tell you what was going on?”
‘ ‘If you can tell me the truth.’ ’
“I’ve never lied to you before, and I don’t intend to start doing it now.”
“Alright. You’ve got your chance.”
Felicia instinctively felt repulsed by the business-like tone of Na’im’s voice, but she told herself this was not the time to show it.
‘ ‘I was simply comforting Phillip.’ ’
“Oh. It appeared to me that he had you backed into the comer between two tables and the two of you were ‘comforting’ each other.”
“No, not really.”
“Why were you comforting him?’ ’
“It all started when he commented about my wearing the yellow pagnes. And then he...”
“What did he say about it? He didn’t like the idea of your looking good for him?”
“That’s not why I wore it, Na’im.”
“Well, why did you wear it? You usually wear those jeans he bought you that show far too much, but at least you had the decency to wear a long top. What made you wear that today, Felicia?”
‘ ‘I just felt like wearing it today. Na’im, don’t be angry with me.’ ’ She knew it sounded flimsy, but she could think
of nothing else to say. She couldn’t tell him the truth about why she had worn the dress without revealing to him her visit to A1 Kharijah.
Felicia had never seen such contempt on anyone’s face as she saw on Na’im’s.
“You think you can dress like that and seduce me into forgiving you for your tramp-like actions? You think that I only need to see your naked body and I will be blinded to your indiscretions? I am not a slave to your passions or to mine, Felicia. I told you once, do not rile me to the point where I would find it necessary to punish you. Then, I felt your punishment would be my own. But now I no longer feel that way. It is obvious to me that despite your other activities, you are still willing to go to bed with me. But that’s something I don’t plan to do.”
The sound of Na’im’s harsh words echoed in Felicia’s ears as he closed the door to his bedroom behind him. Tears of anguish and hurt flooded her eyes, but she wiped them away as swiftly as they tumbled down. How dare he think those things about her! Felicia felt as if she’d been stabbed in the stomach with a knife, the pain of Na’im’s rejection was so strong. Through a veil of tears, she made her way to her bed. Flinging herself across it, she cried until she could cry no more. Her pillow was wet with her sorrow. Before she drifted off to sleep, she pushed it aside, falling into slumber with her knees curled upward toward her belly. Never before in her life had she experienced such emotional pain.
Sleep was the one relief that Na’im sought, but it would not come. Out of his jealousy, he’d said things that he knew had terribly wounded the person most important to him. He’d tried to listen to her. He wanted her to give him an explanation that would take away how betrayed he felt. But instinctively, he knew she was not telling him the complete truth.
It had angered him even more to think she thought him so weak for her that he’d be able to forget the sight of her in Phillip’s arms and still make love to her. All of his life, Na’im had been known as a man full of pride. His pride had meant more to him than fame, wealth, or even love.
Na’im closed his eyes to hurry the peace of sleep, but it was as if his body felt the heat of Felicia, knowing she was so near. Those four days away from her had felt like an eternity. That was the reason he had returned early and gone to the lab. He couldn’t wait to see her. He had wanted to spend the rest of the day with her, behind closed doors, and discuss the future.
He knew her career was important to her, and that living with him at Karib would virtually bring an end to that. But he had felt he could convince her that his country needed people like her; that there would be special projects she could work on...once they started a family.
Now, Na’im feared there was a side to Felicia he had refused to acknowledge, the one thing he had warned himself about from the very beginning. She was an American, and he had experienced a pattern of infidelity and dishonesty among American females.
When Na’im had first arrived in the United States, beautiful, wealthy females were plentiful. He had been with all shapes, colors and sizes. Being an Egyptian and the son of a sheik, he was thrown into the jet set crowd, and women were available in droves.
In the beginning, he had enjoyed the wild gatherings and the different women each night. But soon it became monotonous. He began to notice the little games the women played. Some would feign coyness, playing the sweet virgin scheme. These women were looking for a man who could take over their lives and fulfill their every fantasy. Others came on strong, straight to the point, stating what they wanted, when and how they wanted it. But there was no depth to these affairs, only superficial relationships with superficial people.
He hadn’t gone to the United States to look for a wife. He had gone to learn more about the culture, but deep inside he had also felt an intelligent woman brought up in that country could be an asset as a wife.<
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Felicia had appeared to be different, maybe because of the circumstances under which they had met. She had shown herself to be a sensitive, giving person, with brains as well. Na’im felt he could trust Felicia, until Phillip came along.
No matter how much he mentally battered himself with Felicia’s betrayal, his body longed to be with her. Her nude, dark brown body had stood out underneath the see-through white gown, and the faint scent from her need of him, mixed with her perfume, had floated enticingly about his nostrils when he came near her. It was his physical urge to take her regardless of the circumstances that had fueled his anger.
Finally, the ache in Na’im’s loins compelled him to go to Felicia’s bedside. A panel of light from the moon illuminated her shape upon the large bed. Na’im could see that she was asleep. He could also see the tear stains that marred her velvety complexion.
He craved to reach out and take her in his arms, no matter what she had done. His thirst for her was paramount
in his mind and body. He stood there, watching, for an endless amount of time. With resolution, he hung his head, accepting that his manly pride would not allow him to do it.
Not even for the woman he loved.
Felicia found the short note Na’im had left her on the nightstand near her bed the next morning. It simply said he would be gone for the next few days.
She didn’t feel like eating breakfast, so after bathing and dressing, she headed for the lab. She could hear excessive laughter coming from the schoolhouse. She wondered what was going on.
The last time she had talked to Fatimah about the school, she’d talked about how discouraged she was. Classes had been in progress for at least a week, and she had not been able to really get the children to listen. They’d shown no real interest in their lessons, or in Fatimah’s method of teaching.
Another outburst of laughter emanated from the small building as Felicia passed by. She could see and hear Fatimah explaining something in Arabic, but the children’s eyes were all riveted to the opposite side of the room.
As she walked further, she caught a glimpse of George noisily acting out the role of a monkey. It was George’s actions that were bringing the guffaws from the children.
Fatimah opened up one of the children’s textbooks and started to read, pointing to George as an example. Then she had them all repeat the word “monkey” in English. Felicia was pleased to see Fatimah looking relaxed and satisfied. Evidently George’s presence had worked wonders for her as well as the students.
William was the only person in the lab when she arrived. George showed up moments later, gratified with his role in Fatimah’s progress. They only had a week and a half left to complete the research project, and things had gone pretty well up to now.
They’d determined that gene transfers or saline solutions were not the answer to dehydration, but a sugar substance known as trehalose might be. Many tests had been conducted on what was known as the desert resurrection plant, because of its ability to survive an unbelievable period of time without water.
Next the experiments advanced to tiny animal life. Nematodes were brought to the lab from some of the desert water holes. Felicia was amazed to see how these tiny invertebrates could lose more than fifty percent of the moisture in their bodies, appearing as dry as dust, and then revive totally when they were put back into water.
The substance that increased in the nematode’s body during these dry periods was trehalose. Trehalose was the key. And that’s where the problem began.
Their experiments to help lab animals produce this substance had failed, and the animals died. William, Phillip and George were spending long nights trying to solve the dilemma. Felicia worked with them, doing her share during the daylight hours, but now that the Mauritania proposal was so close to completion, it had put a damper on her input.
None of the team members complained about it. Actually, they felt their late night hours were overtime, and something they chose to do voluntarily. She knew all of them, including Phillip, wanted to give her an opportunity to spend time with Na’im. She couldn’t bear to tell them that Na’im hadn’t been in Karib on many of the days they’d let her leave early.
▲
Felicia was scheduled to meet Imam Anwar Jabar in two days in Afrah El Jabel, a large, noisy crowded place in the middle of A1 Kharijah. Najid had suggested this as the meeting place. It was a place known to all the nearby villagers. It would be a good place to meet because it was never empty during the day or night. He knew the owner of the spot, and had convinced him to let them use a large room in the rear of the building.
Everything had been prepared. The letter stating officials from the Mauritanian government had chosen Hassan’s village as a special place for recognition had been delivered to him. Word of his tragedy had traveled far.
Hassan was told not to leak this information to anyone, for the other village heads were sure to be jealous and could possibly cause trouble. He was told to bring several men, along with camels and carts. Hassan had replied as he’d been asked to. He stated he would be there at the appointed time.
Once Hassan’s message was received, the clerk contacted Najid, who then informed him the Mauritanian officials would be returning to his office in a couple of days. At that time, they expected to pick up all their correspondence. Everything had gone just the way Felicia had planned, up to this point. Everything was set.
Phillip showed up at the lab shortly after George. He tried to joke with Felicia, but seeing she wasn’t in the mood, he left her alone and got to work.
After her ordeal with Na’im the night before, and his leaving without saying goodbye, Felicia found the tedious lab testing a welcome relief; one that she buried herself in over the next two days.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Felicia’s eyes burned with the strain of reading by candlelight. William and Phillip had already quit for the evening, and were in bed in the adjoining room. George said he had some other things to tend to, and had left an hour earlier.
The men had placed a piece of canvas up to the doorway, separating the lab from their sleeping quarters. Felicia had chosen only one candle to work by, so as not to disturb them.
Her back and shoulder muscles ached from sitting on the three-legged stool, balancing her upper body over the small table to take full advantage of the light. She stretched her arms far over her head, yawning with sheer abandon. Boy, was she tired. She stacked up her papers, put them back in the file, and blew out the candle.
The moon shone brightly above in the blackish indigo sky, as she made her way back to the main house. Everything was so quiet as she crossed the grounds. Felicia had decided on these nights that she worked so late, she’d use the back entrance. She didn’t want to disturb the servants who might feel obligated to ask her if she were in need of
anything. As she approached the door, she could hear what sounded like voices coming from the garden.
Felicia walked quietly over to a hedge of wildflowers that bordered it, and the voices became louder. Once she reached them, she could tell it was a man and a woman- George and Fatimah.
Without making a sound, Felicia made her way back toward the house. Her mind only dwelt on the two young people sitting on the stone benches in the garden for a few moments. She wished them well. There were too many other things to think about: trehalose, Mauritania, Hassan and Na’im.
“You were wonderful with the children today, George. Have you ever thought of becoming a teacher?”
“Yes, I considered that at one time, but my father talked me out of it He said I wouldn’t make any money. So, I guess I let greed guide me instead of my conscious. Being a research scientist isn’t bad, though. I get to do a lot of things that could help humanity as a whole.” Fatimah reminded George of the beautiful women he’d seen in National Geographic magazine as a child. He had never known anyone like her, and he was glad she’d accepted his invitation to meet him in the garden.
They had to wait until after di
nner because she had to take care of several other duties. He had gobbled down the sitt alnoubeh, a sweet chicken stew with purslane and pastilles of aloe, and hurried to the appointed spot.
George had waited an abominable thirty minutes before Fatimah appeared between red and white blossoms that filled the garden hedge. She had already changed her pagnes before dinner, but this was the first time he had ever seen her long, waist length, dark brown hair undone.
Behind one ear, she wore a golden lotus flower hair ornament which set off her brown skin wonderfully.
George rose when he saw Fatimah. He was speechless as he gazed upon her beauty under the moonlight. She smiled at him, but this time it was not a timid smile. It was the smile of a woman who knew what she was doing.
Fatimah could tell that George was more than a little nervous as he rubbed his hand over his moonlit hair. Purposefully, she sat on the bench where he’d sat before rising to greet her. But having risen, he moved to the bench right beside it
“My life has changed a lot since you and Felicia arrived. I see things a lot differently now.”
‘ ‘Do you think that’s good or bad?”
“It is good in some ways and bad in others. It is good for the side of me that has always wanted her freedom, to do with my life as I please; to dream of more than living as a wife and a mother, where I am worth not more than the work or children I produce; growing physically old before my heart is ready. Even though I am the niece of Sheik Rahman, Na’im’s family will not be able to protect me for long. But it is bad as well, because I am an Egyptian woman who will probably marry a man whose roots are deep in tradition. It is not the religion that causes the problem. Some of the customs intrinsic to this land would be my enemy, customs that in time smother the female so that she can no longer grow.”
Fatimah inhaled the gentle scent of one of the flowers in the hedge behind them. “And so she withers, as this blossom that I have plucked from its place of nourishment will wither with time.”
“But you’re a teacher now. You’re showing how valuable you can be to Karib and this community.”