Cairo - Joys and Tears - chapter (8)
Ahmed Hany
July 20, 2009
(8)
Soliman´s father was living with his unmarried daughter Samiah. After the condolences days he decided that his sister should live with him, as it was not accepted socially that a girl lives alone. In fact, Roh felt that Soliman would take that decision so she decided to tell him first. He appreciated much her thinking. Roh bought a new bedroom for Samiah and she went to help her to bring her belongings. She took Samiah to Farida. They treated her as a sister. Rapidly, a good friendship developed between Farida and Samiah. However, Roh nearly controlled Samiah´s life and in fact, she liked her sister in law, but her domination instinct found Samiah a suitable person. Samiah also liked the aristocratic life that Roh was living. Soliman was almost always in work.
On Fridays, Nashaat saw Samiah frequently. He did not feel something special towards her. Once, all were having lunch together as usual. This time was Roh´s turn to invite them. Samiah was studying in the faculty of commerce. She did not like accounting. Roh suggested that Nashaat might help her to understand the subject. She was in the third year.
´Nashaat,´ Roh said while Nashaat was eating a fish dish that it was first time Roh put it on the table. ´Do you like this kind of fish?´
´Yes, it is very delicious,´ he said.
´Samiah made it,´ Roh said.
´You have to tell me how you do it. I think Aziz liked it too much also,´ Farida said.
´Yes I did,´ Abd El-Aziz said.
Samiah responded by a shy smile.
´Don´t tell anybody,´ Roh said. ´Let it be your special plate when we come to eat at your house when you marry.´ Roh smiled at Farida who understood what her friend meant.
´Did you tell Nashaat about the accounting, Samiah?´ Farida said.
Nashaat looked at Samiah who smiled and said softly ´would please help me to understand some difficulties in accounting. I´m in third year and I´ll choose management section. So, this year is the last one that I study accounting.´
´You welcome. But promise me that you´ll cook fish after passing the exam,´ he said.
´Thank you,´ Samiah said.
´When do we start?´ Nashaat said.
´Today, after lunch,´ Roh decided.
After lunch while Nashaat and Samiah were sitting on the dining room solving accounting problems, Soliman and Abd El-Aziz were discussing something more important that changed history of the country later on. They went to the study room to drink café.
´Next week, we´ll impeach General Nagib. This is a top secret. It is good that Nashaat is busy with Samiah. I told you to know your opinion,´ Soliman said.
´Although I like President Nagib, I think we´re at crossroads. His Majesty agreed to the Free Officers request to leave the country not to make a fight between his officers. Nagib should take the same decision,´ Abd El-Aziz said.
´Then you´re with us,´ Soliman said.
´Yes,´ Abd El-Aziz said. He looked at Soliman and asked, ´will you force him to leave the country?"
´Really, I don´t know. I think the only one who could answer this question is Nasser. He may have told his closest friends in the commandship, the Commandship Council, I mean,´ Soliman said.
In the balcony, Roh and Farida were planning another different plan, planning for union not for abdication.
´It would be a great pleasure,´ Farida said.
´But we need some arrangements. First, who tells Nashaat? Second, uncle Refaat Pasha should be with him when he proposes to Samiah and meets Soliman officially,´ Roh said.
´I tell Nashaat. But I doubt that my father would forgive him after selling the land. Second, it is no secret that father did not like Soliman after he called him Mr. the day mother died,´ Farida said.
Roh thought for a while then said, ´you tell Nashaat. I´ll find a solution. Soliman also sympathized with Nashaat when he knew that Nashaat defended him that day and your father expelled him from the house.´
Nashaat was sitting in his office in the factory when Hassan Al-Sheikh entered the office. Hassan was angry because Nashaat fired a worker after an engineer asked him to do.
´Could I ask you a question?´ Hassan said.
Soliman´s father was living with his unmarried daughter Samiah. After the condolences days he decided that his sister should live with him, as it was not accepted socially that a girl lives alone. In fact, Roh felt that Soliman would take that decision so she decided to tell him first. He appreciated much her thinking. Roh bought a new bedroom for Samiah and she went to help her to bring her belongings. She took Samiah to Farida. They treated her as a sister. Rapidly, a good friendship developed between Farida and Samiah. However, Roh nearly controlled Samiah´s life and in fact, she liked her sister in law, but her domination instinct found Samiah a suitable person. Samiah also liked the aristocratic life that Roh was living. Soliman was almost always in work.
On Fridays, Nashaat saw Samiah frequently. He did not feel something special towards her. Once, all were having lunch together as usual. This time was Roh´s turn to invite them. Samiah was studying in the faculty of commerce. She did not like accounting. Roh suggested that Nashaat might help her to understand the subject. She was in the third year.
´Nashaat,´ Roh said while Nashaat was eating a fish dish that it was first time Roh put it on the table. ´Do you like this kind of fish?´
´Yes, it is very delicious,´ he said.
´Samiah made it,´ Roh said.
´You have to tell me how you do it. I think Aziz liked it too much also,´ Farida said.
´Yes I did,´ Abd El-Aziz said.
Samiah responded by a shy smile.
´Don´t tell anybody,´ Roh said. ´Let it be your special plate when we come to eat at your house when you marry.´ Roh smiled at Farida who understood what her friend meant.
´Did you tell Nashaat about the accounting, Samiah?´ Farida said.
Nashaat looked at Samiah who smiled and said softly ´would please help me to understand some difficulties in accounting. I´m in third year and I´ll choose management section. So, this year is the last one that I study accounting.´
´You welcome. But promise me that you´ll cook fish after passing the exam,´ he said.
´Thank you,´ Samiah said.
´When do we start?´ Nashaat said.
´Today, after lunch,´ Roh decided.
After lunch while Nashaat and Samiah were sitting on the dining room solving accounting problems, Soliman and Abd El-Aziz were discussing something more important that changed history of the country later on. They went to the study room to drink café.
´Next week, we´ll impeach General Nagib. This is a top secret. It is good that Nashaat is busy with Samiah. I told you to know your opinion,´ Soliman said.
´Although I like President Nagib, I think we´re at crossroads. His Majesty agreed to the Free Officers request to leave the country not to make a fight between his officers. Nagib should take the same decision,´ Abd El-Aziz said.
´Then you´re with us,´ Soliman said.
´Yes,´ Abd El-Aziz said. He looked at Soliman and asked, ´will you force him to leave the country?"
´Really, I don´t know. I think the only one who could answer this question is Nasser. He may have told his closest friends in the commandship, the Commandship Council, I mean,´ Soliman said.
In the balcony, Roh and Farida were planning another different plan, planning for union not for abdication.
´It would be a great pleasure,´ Farida said.
´But we need some arrangements. First, who tells Nashaat? Second, uncle Refaat Pasha should be with him when he proposes to Samiah and meets Soliman officially,´ Roh said.
´I tell Nashaat. But I doubt that my father would forgive him after selling the land. Second, it is no secret that father did not like Soliman after he called him Mr. the day mother died,´ Farida said.
Roh thought for a while then said, ´you tell Nashaat. I´ll find a solution. Soliman also sympathized with Nashaat when he knew that Nashaat defended him that day and your father expelled him from the house.´
Nashaat was sitting in his office in the factory when Hassan Al-Sheikh entered the office. Hassan was angry because Nashaat fired a worker after an engineer asked him to do.
´Could I ask you a question?´ Hassan said.