The Cairo Trilogy

by Naguib Mahfouz

  Eaamal was more concerned about memorizing the new message than he was about understanding it. He sensed at once that his mission had ended. He put the remainder of the melon seeds in his shirt pocket. Then he shook hands with her, slipped to the floor, and departed.

  22

  WHENEVER AISHA looked at herself in the mirror, she was immensely pleased with what she saw. Who else from her illustrious family, indeed from the whole neighborhood, was adorned by golden tresses and blue eyes like hers? Yasin flirted openly with her, and Fahmy, when he spoke to her about one thing or another, did not neglect to give her admiring glances. Even little Kamal did not want to drink from the water jug unless her mouth had moistened the lip. Her mother spoiled her and said she was as beautiful as the moon, although she did not conceal her anxiety that Aisha was too thin and delicate. For this reason she had encouraged Umm Hanafi to concoct a remedy to fatten her up. Aisha herself was perhaps more conscious of her extraordinary beauty than any of the others. Her intense solicitude for every detail of her appearance made this clear.

  Khadija did not let her sister's excessive concern for her beauty pass without comment, rebuke, and criticism. It was not that Khadija would have been pleased if Aisha had neglected herself. She took after her mother more than any of the others when it came to cleanliness and neatness. But it annoyed her to observe her sister greet the day by combing her hair and fixing her attire before doing the household chores, as though Aisha could not bear for her beauty to be left untended for even one hour out of her whole life.

  It was not simply interest in her own beauty that caused Aisha to want to fix herself up first thing in the morning. When the men went off to work, she wanted to be ready to repair to the parlor and open the shutters of the window overlooking Palace Walk just the least bit. Then she would stand searching the street, while she waited anxiously and fearfully.

  She stood there this morning with her eyes wandering from Hammam al-Sultan to the ancient building that housed the public cistern. Her young heart pounded while she waited for “him”. Then he appeared in the distance. He turned the corner, coming from al-Khurunfush, and strutted along in his uniform with the two stars gleaming on the shoulder. As He approached the house, he cautiously began to raise his eyes but not hishead. When he was close, the faintest of smiles flickered across his face, one more clearly perceived by the heart than the eyes, like the crescent moon the first night. Then he disappeared beneath the balcony.

  She whirled around to continue watching him from the other window overlooking al-Nahhasin but was shocked to see Khadija, standing on the sofa between the two windows, looking over her bead at nhe street. A moan escaped Aisha. Her eyes grew big with unmistakable alarm. She stood rooted to the spot. When and how had her sister come? How had she gotten up on the sofa without Aisha being aware of it? What had she seen? … When and how and what?

  Meanwhile Khadija fixed her eyes on her sister, slowly and silently narrowing them. She extended the silence as though to prolong Aisha's suffering.

  Aisha gained partial control of herself. She lowered her eyes with great effort and turned toward the couch, futilely pretending to have steadied her nerves. She stammered, “Lady, you frightened me!”

  Khadija did not show any interest. She remained where she was on the sofa. Her gaze was directed at the street through the crack. Then she muttered sarcastically, “Did I frighten you? … May the name of God protect you…. I must be the bogeyman.”

  After retreating a little to escape from Khadija's eyes, Aisha gritted her teeth in rage. In a calm voice she said, “I suddenly saw you, over my head, without knowing you'd come in. Why did you sneak up?”

  Khadija jumped down. She sat on the sofa, completely and scornfully at ease. “I'm sorry, sister,” she said. “Next time I'll hang a bell around my neck like a fire truck so you'll know I'm here and won't be frightened.”

  Still terrified, Aisha answered, “There's no need to wear a bell. It would be enough if you'd just walk the way God intended us

  Casting her a knowing look, Khadija continued in the same sarcastic tone: “Our Lord knows I walk the way He intended. What's clear is that you, when you stand behind the window, I mean behind this crack, are so caught up in what's in front of you that you're no longer conscious of what is happening around you and don't act the way our Lord intended.”

  Aisha snorted and mumbled, “You'll never change.”

  Khadija was silent again for a moment. She turned her eyes away from her victim and raised her eyebrows as if thinking about a difficult puzzle. Then she pretended to be pleased, as though she had found the right answer. Speaking to herself this time, without looking at her sister she said, “Then this is the reason she frequently sings: ‘You there with the red stripe, you who have taken me prisoner, have pity on my humiliation.’ Not being suspicious, darling, I just thought it was an innocent song, merely for your amusement.”

  Aisha'sheart beat wildly. What she feared most had happened. It was no use anymore to cling to the phantoms of false hopes. She was afflicted by a disturbance that rocked the very pillars of her being, and she almost choked on her tears. All the same, her despair forced her to risk everything to defend herself. In a voice that shook so much the words were hard to understand, she yelled, “What's this nonsense you're saying?”

  Khadija appeared not to have heard her. She continued to herself: “This is also the reason she fixesherself up so early in the morning. I've often asked myself if it made sense for a girl to get all dolled up before she does the sweeping and dusting. But what sweeping and what dusting? Oh, Khadija, you poor dear, you'll live a fool and die a fool. You're the one who'll do the sweeping and dusting, and you won't have time to worry about your appearance either before or after work. You miserable creature, why should you deck yourself out? You could look through the crack of the window day after day, and if even one officer out on patrol took an interest in you, I'd be so surprised I'd chop my arm off.”

  Upset and nervous, Aisha shouted at her, “Shame on you. Shame.”

  “She's right, Khadija. You with your muddled mind aren't able to understand these arts. Blue eyes, hair of spun gold, a red stripe, and a gleaming star, these all fit together nicely in a rational way.”

  “Khadija, you're mistaken. I was looking at the street. That's all. I wasn't trying to see someone or be seen by him.”

  Khadija turned toward her as though hearing her protest for the first time. She asked apologetically, “Were you talking to me, sweetheart, Shushu? Excuse me, I'm thinking about some important matters. So don't say anything just now”. She shook her head thoughtfully again and said to herself, “Yes, it all makes perfect sense, but is this your fault, Mr. Ahmad Abd al-Jawad? I feel sorry for you, sir, you noble and generous man. Come see your women, sir, you whom I honor most of all.”

  Aisha's hair stood up on end at the mention of her father. Her head whirled. She remembered what he had said to her mother when he was attacking Fahmy's request to get engaged to Mar-yam: “Tell me: Hashe seen her? … I didn't know I had sons who were sneaking looks at the respectable women of our neighbors”. That was what he thought about his son; so what would he think about his daughter? She nearly choked as she cried out, “Kha-dija… this isn't right…. You're mistaken…. You're wrong.”

  Khadja kept on talking to herself without paying any attention to her sister: “Do you suppose this is love? Perhaps! Don't they say, 'Love has penetrated my heart…. It won't be long till I'm taken to Tokar Prison'? I wonder where this notorious Tokar Prison is? Perhaps it's in al-Nahhasin; indeed perhaps it's in the home of Mr. Ahmad Abd al-Jawad.”

  “I can't bear what you're saying. Have mercy on me and spare me yom tongue. Oh Lord… why won't you believe me?”

  “Think carefully about what you're going to do, Khadija. It's not a game. You're the older sister. A duty is a duty, no matter how bitter it may seem. The authorities must be informed. Should you confide the secret to your father? The truth is that I wouldn't kno
w how to tell him such an important secret. Yasin? He might as well not exist for all the help he can provide. The most that can be hoped from him is for him to chant some incomprehensible words. Fahmy? But he's also sweet on the golden-haired wonder who is the source of the whole problem. I suspect the best thing is for me to tell Mother. I'll let her do what she thinks is right.”

  Khadija moved as though she intended to get up. Aisha rushed at her like a chicken without a head. She grabbed her shoulders and shouted, as her chest heaved, “What do you want?”

  Khadija asked, “Are you threatening me?”

  Aisha started to speak but all at once choked on her tears. She murmured some words that were mangled by her sobs. Khadija stared at her silently and thoughtfully. Then the mischievous sarcasm of her expression changed to a frown as she listened uncomfortably to the girl's sobs. Speaking in a serious tone for the first time, she remarked, “What you did was wrong, Aisha.”

  Then she stopped. The frown on her face became more pronounced. Her nose seemed to stick out even farther. She was clearly moved. She started speaking again: “You've got to confess you made a mistake. Tell me how you talked yourself into this mischief, you crazy girl.”

  Drying her eyes, Aisha mumbled, “You misjudge me.”

  Khadija snorted and scowled as though she could not stand any more of this lamentable obstinacy. All the same, she abandoned the notion of acting hostilely toward Aisha or of mistreating her. She always knew when and where to stop. She would not let things get out of hand. Her sarcasm had satisfied her rough and hostile tendencies. As usual, she was content to draw the line there. Her other inclinations, as far removed as possible from hostility and harshness, still had not been satisfied. They were impulses arising from the affections of an older sister. Indeed her feelings were almost maternal and embraced every member of the family, no matter how fierce her attack against one of them might be, or his against her.

  Impelled by these affectionate urges, Khadija said, “Don't be obstinate. I saw it all with my own eyes. I'm not joking now. I want to tell you frankly that you made a big mistake. Our family has not known this kind of mischief in the past and we don't want to experience it again, now or in the future. It's nothing but recklessness that has landed you here. Listen to me and pay attention to my advice. Don't ever do this again. Nothing remains a secret forever, no matter how long it may be concealed. Imagine the situation for all of us if someone on the street or one of our neighbors noticed you. You know very well how people talk. Imagine what would happen if the news reached Daddy. God help us!”

  Aisha bowed her head and allowed her silence to serve as a confession. Her face was stained red with shame in a physical manifestation of remorse that conscience releases inside us when injured by one of our offenses.

  Khadija sighed and said, “Beware, beware. Understand?” Then a wave of sarcasm swept across her and her tone changed somewh at: “Hasn't he seen you? What's keeping him from asking for your hand like an honorable man? When that happens, we'll gladly say farewell to you, lady, or even good riddance.”

  Aisha got her breath back. Her smile resembled the first glimmer of consciousness after a long swoon. The sight of this smile seemed to make Khadija disinclined to let her sister escape from her grasp so soon, after she had enjoyed dominating her for a long time. She shouted at her, “Don't think you're off the hook. My tongue won't be still unless you do a good job of entertaining it.”

  Aisha asked her cheerfuly, “What do you mean?”

  “Don't neglect it. Otherwise it might yield to a malicious urge. Divert k with some candy so it'll be occupied with that and not you, a box of bonbons from Shangarly, for example.”

  “You can have all you want and more.”

  Silence reigned while each of them was busy with her own thoughts. Khadija'sheart, as it had been from the beginning of the encounter, was a breeding ground for all sorts of different emotions …jealousy, anger, sympathy, and affection.

  23

  MRS. AMINA was busy getting ready for the traditional family coffee hour when Umm Hanafi rushed up to her. The gleam in her eyes suggested that she was bringing good news. She announced importantly, “Three ladies I've never seen before wish to call on you.”

  The mother set everything down and straightened up quickly in a way that showed the impact of the news on her. She stared at the servant with a look of intense interest, as though it was likely the visitors were from the royal family or even from heaven. Then, seeking confirmation, she stammered, “Strangers?”

  Umm Hanafi replied in a tone that had a happy, triumphant ring to it, “Yes, my lady. They knocked on the door and I opened it. They asked me, ‘Isn't this the home of al-Sayyid Ahmad Abd al-Jawad?’ I said, ‘Yes, indeed.’ They said, ‘Are the ladies in?’ I replied, ‘Yes.’ They said, ‘We would like to have the honor of calling on them.’ I asked them, ‘Shall I say who the visitors are?’ One of them told me with a laugh, ‘Leave that to us. All the messenger needs to do is carry the message.’ So I flew to you, my lady. I've been saying to myself, 'May our Lord make our dreams come true.'”

  Her interest still showing in her eyes, the mother said quickly, “Invite them to the parlor… hurry.”

  For a few seconds Amina did not move. She was sunk in these new thoughts, in a happy dream world that suddenly revealed its riches to her, after she had worked for nothing else all these past years. Then she snapped out of her reverie and called Khadija in a voice that made it clear she would not tolerate any delay. The girl came at once. The moment their eyes met she smiled and, unable to restrain her joy, told her daughter, “Three ladies we've never seen before are in the parlor… Put on your best clothes and get yourself ready.”

  When Khadija blushed, Amina blushed too, as though she had caught this contagious embarrassment from her daughter. Then she left the sitting room to retire to her room on the top floor to prepare herself as well to receive the visitors. Khadija was looking vacantly at the door through which her mother had vanished. Her heart was pounding so much it almost hurt. She asked herself, “What's, behind this visit?” Then she pulled herself together. Her mind immediately resumed functioning. She summoned Kamal from Fahmy's room and told him, “Go to Miss Maryam and give her my greetings. Tell her that Khadija asks her to send some powder, kohl, and rouge.”

  The boyjumped at the chance to obey this order and rushed out of the house. Khadija hastened to her room and proceeded to remove her housedress. Aisha looked at her with inquiring eyes. Khadija told her, “Pick out the best dress for me … absolutely the best: one.”

  Aisha asked her, “Why are you in such a state?… Is there a visitor? Who?”

  Khadija replied in a faint voice, “Three ladies…”. With special emphasis, she added, “Strangers

  Aisha drew back her head in astonishment. Then her beautiful eyes grew wide with delight. She cried out, “Oh!… Should we understand from this that… Oh, what news!”

  “Don't get your hopes up…for who knows what it really means.”

  Aisha headed for the armoire to select an appropriate dress. She was laughing and saying, “There's something in the air…. A wedding smells like pure perfume.”

  Khadja laughed to hide her uneasiness. She went to the mirror and looked carefully at herself. She covered her nose with her hand and said ironically, “There's nothing wrong with my face now”. Removing her hand from her face, she commented, “Now, like this, only God can save me.”

  While helping her sister put on a white dress embroidered with lavender flowers, Aisha laughingly remarked, “Don't be so hard on yourself. Can't your tongue spare anything? There's more to a bride than her nose. What about your eyes, long hair, and quick wit?”

  Khadija wrinkled her nose as she answered, “All people see are the defects.”

  “That's true for people with your temperament, but not everyone is like you, thank God.”

  “I'll answer you when I can find the time.”

  As Aisha smoothed her sister's d
ress, she patted her waist and said, “And don't forget your soft, plump body…. What a great body you've got.”

  Khadija laughed happily and said, “If the bridegroom was blind

  I wouldn't worry about anything___I wouldn't mind a blind one, even if he was a religious scholar from al-Azhar Mosque.”

  “What's wrong with the religious scholars from al-Azhar? Don't some of them have treasures as boundless as the ocean?”

  When they were done with the dress, a murmur of displeasure escaped from Aisha. Khadija asked her, “What's the matter?”

  She grumbled, “There isn't a bit of powder, kohl, or rouge in our house, as though there weren't any women living here.”

  “The best thing would be to take this complaint to Father.”

  “Isn't Mother a lady? Doesn't she have a right to use cosmetics?”

  “She's beautiful just the way she is, without any need for them.”

  “What about you? Are you going to meet the visitors like this?”

  Khadija laughed and replied, “I sent Kamal to Maryam to get the powder, kohl, and rouge. Is my face one to leave bare when I meet matchmakers?”

  Since there was not enough time to waste even a minute, Khadija removed her scarf and began to take down her two long, thick braids. Aisha started combing the flowing hair. She remarked, “What long, straight hair you have. What do you think? I'll plait it into a single braid. Wouldn't that be the more beautiful?”

  “No, two braids…. But tell me: Should I leave on my stockings or have bare legs when I meet them?”

  “It's winter and people would normally wear wool stockings, but I'm afraid if you leave them on they'll think there's something wrong with your foot or leg that you're deliberately trying to hide.”

  “You're right. A court of law is more merciful than the room of women waiting for me now.”