Cairo! Joys and Tears - a novel chapter (3)
Ahmed Hany
February 21, 2009
(3)
Refaat Pasha took a step into the office of Serag Zaki the secretary of the Interior Minister. He stopped and coughed faintly to draw the attention of the secretary to his coming. The man stood up and wore his fez. The secretary extended his hand to Refaat Pasha while moving towards him. Their hands met in the middle of the room.
´His Excellency the Minister is waiting for you,´ Serag said politely. He opened the door between the two offices for the Pasha. However, he smiled sarcastically when Refaat Pasha gave him his back while crossing the door between the two offices.
´Hello, it´s been a long time since I´ve seen you,´ the minister said. He invited Refaat Pasha to sit on the sofa and took a seat beside him. ´Your Turkish coffee that is medium sweetened will be ready soon,´ the minister said.
´Your Excellency has a sharp memory,´ Refaat Pasha said.
´You know that I like you more than many others. His Majesty likes you also. There is a good chance that you´ll be with us in the next government. However, I want your son Nashaat to behave himself more. I know you´re at odds with him and you expelled him from the family home. You had to keep an eye on him. It would be great embarrassment to you and your chances if His Majesty or the press knew that he joined a communist cell,´ the minister said in a serious tone with a cold smile.
´Communist,´ Refaat Pasha stuttered. Refaat´s grip on his stick was fixed and he closed his eyes and took a deep breath and added, ´blasphemous, non-believer, oh my God.´ He turned his head and asked the minister, ´are you sure?´
´Yes, he was arrested with a communist cell. You have to talk to him. If His Majesty knew he would be too angry,´ the minister said and stood. He gave a piece of paper to Refaat Pasha and said, ´his address. I ordered them to release him. He is now in his apartment. I gave instructions for censorship office not to give permission for anybody to publish the story.´ The minister extended his hand to bide Refaat Pasha a farewell.
When Refaat left the minister´s office and saw Serag standing to walk with him until the stairs, he asked Serag to bring a glass of water.
´It is ready for you Pasha. I ordered lemonade for you also,´ Serag said. ´Usually, one needs one of them before leaving our offices. Some need both. Some sit down for a while. Some asked me to call their drivers to support them. You don´t worry; most of our visitors do that.´
´Water will be fine,´ Refaat Pasha said. He took a sip and put the glass on the secretary´s desk. While he was drinking, Serag returned to his seat. ´Thank you,´ Refaat Pasha said and left.
When Refaat Pasha left, the café boy emptied the glass and returned it in a blue box that would be used for jewelries. Serag wrote on a small piece of paper "Refaat Pasha, April, 2, 1952 – Communist son - Water only – Didn´t collapse." With an evil smile, he put the paper in the box with the glass and kept the box in a safe. ´One day these boxes will worth a fortune,´ he thought.
Refaat Pasha kept silent during the road from Cairo to his Farm near Alexandria. Nashaat also kept silent. From now and then the father and son looked at each other and without a word, they turn their heads before their eyes met. When they reached the palace, Refaat Pasha went directly to his study room. Eetemad and his sisters kissed Nashaat. They thought that the conflict between the father and son was resolved and the Pasha forgave Nashaat. However, when they knew Nashaat´s story they did not say anything. They knew that the Pasha´s rage would be unprecedented. The steps of the Nubian butler towards them increased Eetemad´s anxiety.
´The Pasha wants you and Mr. Nashaat,´ the butler said.
The girls could not explain words despite the high voice of their father and brother. They heard Nashaat defensive high voice repeatedly saying, ´I´m not a communist. I´m not non-believer.´ Eetemad was the first person who came out of the room. She was crying and hurried towards the stairs to and ran her way to the second floor. Nashaat left the room and had a seat in the reception.
´You will not inherit anything,´ Refaat Pasha came out of the room and stood few steps away from his son. ´You should leave the Wafd party and become Liberal Constitutional. You should leave Bank Misr and work here with me. You have to go to his Excellency the Interior Minister to thank him because he released you while your friends the communists and blasphemous are still in prison.´
´No, I won´t do that. I don´t care about the inheritance,´ Nashaat said.
´Stop it,´ Farida cried. She looked at her father. ´Stop giving orders to everybody. We are human beings and we can choose for ourselves. Every one of us dreams about the day that she leaves this house to live her life. Nashaat knew what freedom means. He did not do anything wrong.´
Refaat Pasha slapped Farida on face and Nashaat stood to receive her before falling.
´You won´t leave this house until you marry Aziz,´ Refaat Pasha said. He went to his study and closed the door.
´It is good that you´ll marry Aziz. He is a kind person, well educated and gentleman. Besides, you love him. Boys also know the meaning of girls´ looks when they love. He knew that you love him. He loves you more than anything he does. He told me. Now you smile. I know you will marry after ten days. He told me and I know that father ordered you not to tell me. Aziz did to keep our friendship. He is a good person. When you live in Cairo, you will see me everyday. Now you smile,´ he whispered to his sister.
She forced a smile for his sake.
´Tell Roh that I don´t hate her. I love her as a sister and this s not enough. Aziz her brother understood. I hope she would understand one day. I wish her best of the best. But I have other plans,´ he whispered again. He kissed his sisters and left.
It was a great party in Mahmood Pasha´s palace. His son Abd El-Aziz was sitting beside his bride Farida and few steps away his daughter Roh was sitting beside her groom Soliman. Refaat Pasha insisted on not inviting his son Nashaat. However, both couples planned to spend the honeymoon in Mina House Obroy hotel in Giza near the pyramids. Both couples would live in Heliopolis near Nashaat´s apartment.
After the honeymoon, Farida and Roh spent their mornings in Sporting Club and in the evening, they met with their husbands. Nashaat visited his sister frequently. When Soliman asked Roh about Nashaat and his story, she did not tell the truth. She said that she refused to marry him because she did not like him and added that he was not a gentleman.
It was Friday. It was the first time Farida invited Roh and Soliman to have lunch in her home. In the early morning, she went with Roh to Sporting Club as usual. Abd El-Aziz and Soliman met in Groppi café with other friends. Farida asked her husband to invite her brother and he welcomed the idea. He phoned Nashaat and asked him to come to Groppi to have café before returning to home to have lunch. He thought that it would be better if Nashaat and Soliman knew each other before having lunch together. When Nashaat came, three officers were sitting with his brother in law and Soliman.
´Captain Soliman Abd El-Wahab my brother in law,´ Abd El-Aziz said to Nashaat.
For a second Nashaat felt uneasiness, but he hid it with a smile and presented himself, ´Nashaat, Farida´s brother.´
Abd El-Aziz felt embarrassed because Nashaat said the name of his wife, as it was not proper to do so in men´s communities. He responded quickly to hide his embarrassment and said to Nashaat, ´Have a seat Mr. Nashaat. They have good café and I know that you love it.´
Soliman decided to be very conservative with Nashaat. His class refused calling women by her names. They used words like Mrs. Or Mother of a person in spoken language. Barely did he talk to Nashaat until they go to Abd El-Aziz place to have lunch.
During the lunch, Abd El-Aziz noticed that Soliman did not talk with Nashaat. He knew what made his friend too conservative with his brother in law. He told the story of her name to Farida and said that he felt shy and they laughed.
´Why do you consider women´s names shame?´ she commented on the story.
´Names of women are written in wedding invitations,´ Nashaat said.
´The right thing is that one says Mrs.´ Roh said with a masked face. With a monotonous tone while looking at Nashaat coldly she added, ´even in Europe they say that.´
´However we aren´t in Europe,´ Nashaat stared into Roh´s eyes. He did not give her a chance to respond and added, ´all of us know the Prophet´s wives by their names. We say Virgin Mary as well. Why did not we learn the respect of time and work from Europe. We import some social habits only, that may or may not be right.´ Before she answers he looked at Soliman and said, ´what are your views, Captain Soliman? I think the Europeans occupied us and we took some social trends and traditions. However the good things that made them advanced are not transferred yet. I think it is time for their army to leave this country, and the palace should have a role in battle for evacuation.´
´You´re damn right Mr. Nashaat,´ Soliman said. he smiled at Nashaat and added, ´however our society is shy when it comes to women. I think this shyness is because we´re eastern community not because we imported Madame and Mrs. From Europe. Most people in our community use sons´ names to call their mothers, for example they say Om Soliman or Om Mohamed.´
´If a woman had only girls, it would be a problem,´ Nashaat laughed.
´They use her husbands´ name and say Mr. and his group. The Egyptian version of Mrs. But they never use her name. If one did not marry and became old and spinster they invent a son´s name and call her using this name,´ Soliman said.
´Did you choose a name for your future son?´ he asked Farida.
´I like Mahmood,´ she said.
´From now on I´ll call you Om Mahmood,´ Nashaat said.
All laughed.
When Roh and Soliman returned to their apartment, she slammed the door.
´This Nashaat always makes me nervous,´ she said. She looked at Soliman and added, ´and you gave him the chance to reason his ideas. He talked to everybody without giving the chance to anybody to respond. You should have told him that he was wrong.´ She shouted.
´Don´t ever tell me again what I should do,´ he said calmly.
She went to the bedroom. He stayed in the reception. ´What would Nashaat feel if he knew that she was angry? He would apologize and say that he did not mean what she was angry about,´ she thought.
´Take it easy. I didn´t mean to angry you,´ Soliman said to her while she was taking off her dress.
´But, Nashaat meant it,´ she said.
´I don´t think so. If he did that, I would stop him. I´ll never let anyone do that to you,´ he said.
She forced a smile.
Refaat Pasha took a step into the office of Serag Zaki the secretary of the Interior Minister. He stopped and coughed faintly to draw the attention of the secretary to his coming. The man stood up and wore his fez. The secretary extended his hand to Refaat Pasha while moving towards him. Their hands met in the middle of the room.
´His Excellency the Minister is waiting for you,´ Serag said politely. He opened the door between the two offices for the Pasha. However, he smiled sarcastically when Refaat Pasha gave him his back while crossing the door between the two offices.
´Hello, it´s been a long time since I´ve seen you,´ the minister said. He invited Refaat Pasha to sit on the sofa and took a seat beside him. ´Your Turkish coffee that is medium sweetened will be ready soon,´ the minister said.
´Your Excellency has a sharp memory,´ Refaat Pasha said.
´You know that I like you more than many others. His Majesty likes you also. There is a good chance that you´ll be with us in the next government. However, I want your son Nashaat to behave himself more. I know you´re at odds with him and you expelled him from the family home. You had to keep an eye on him. It would be great embarrassment to you and your chances if His Majesty or the press knew that he joined a communist cell,´ the minister said in a serious tone with a cold smile.
´Communist,´ Refaat Pasha stuttered. Refaat´s grip on his stick was fixed and he closed his eyes and took a deep breath and added, ´blasphemous, non-believer, oh my God.´ He turned his head and asked the minister, ´are you sure?´
´Yes, he was arrested with a communist cell. You have to talk to him. If His Majesty knew he would be too angry,´ the minister said and stood. He gave a piece of paper to Refaat Pasha and said, ´his address. I ordered them to release him. He is now in his apartment. I gave instructions for censorship office not to give permission for anybody to publish the story.´ The minister extended his hand to bide Refaat Pasha a farewell.
When Refaat left the minister´s office and saw Serag standing to walk with him until the stairs, he asked Serag to bring a glass of water.
´It is ready for you Pasha. I ordered lemonade for you also,´ Serag said. ´Usually, one needs one of them before leaving our offices. Some need both. Some sit down for a while. Some asked me to call their drivers to support them. You don´t worry; most of our visitors do that.´
´Water will be fine,´ Refaat Pasha said. He took a sip and put the glass on the secretary´s desk. While he was drinking, Serag returned to his seat. ´Thank you,´ Refaat Pasha said and left.
When Refaat Pasha left, the café boy emptied the glass and returned it in a blue box that would be used for jewelries. Serag wrote on a small piece of paper "Refaat Pasha, April, 2, 1952 – Communist son - Water only – Didn´t collapse." With an evil smile, he put the paper in the box with the glass and kept the box in a safe. ´One day these boxes will worth a fortune,´ he thought.
Refaat Pasha kept silent during the road from Cairo to his Farm near Alexandria. Nashaat also kept silent. From now and then the father and son looked at each other and without a word, they turn their heads before their eyes met. When they reached the palace, Refaat Pasha went directly to his study room. Eetemad and his sisters kissed Nashaat. They thought that the conflict between the father and son was resolved and the Pasha forgave Nashaat. However, when they knew Nashaat´s story they did not say anything. They knew that the Pasha´s rage would be unprecedented. The steps of the Nubian butler towards them increased Eetemad´s anxiety.
´The Pasha wants you and Mr. Nashaat,´ the butler said.
The girls could not explain words despite the high voice of their father and brother. They heard Nashaat defensive high voice repeatedly saying, ´I´m not a communist. I´m not non-believer.´ Eetemad was the first person who came out of the room. She was crying and hurried towards the stairs to and ran her way to the second floor. Nashaat left the room and had a seat in the reception.
´You will not inherit anything,´ Refaat Pasha came out of the room and stood few steps away from his son. ´You should leave the Wafd party and become Liberal Constitutional. You should leave Bank Misr and work here with me. You have to go to his Excellency the Interior Minister to thank him because he released you while your friends the communists and blasphemous are still in prison.´
´No, I won´t do that. I don´t care about the inheritance,´ Nashaat said.
´Stop it,´ Farida cried. She looked at her father. ´Stop giving orders to everybody. We are human beings and we can choose for ourselves. Every one of us dreams about the day that she leaves this house to live her life. Nashaat knew what freedom means. He did not do anything wrong.´
Refaat Pasha slapped Farida on face and Nashaat stood to receive her before falling.
´You won´t leave this house until you marry Aziz,´ Refaat Pasha said. He went to his study and closed the door.
´It is good that you´ll marry Aziz. He is a kind person, well educated and gentleman. Besides, you love him. Boys also know the meaning of girls´ looks when they love. He knew that you love him. He loves you more than anything he does. He told me. Now you smile. I know you will marry after ten days. He told me and I know that father ordered you not to tell me. Aziz did to keep our friendship. He is a good person. When you live in Cairo, you will see me everyday. Now you smile,´ he whispered to his sister.
She forced a smile for his sake.
´Tell Roh that I don´t hate her. I love her as a sister and this s not enough. Aziz her brother understood. I hope she would understand one day. I wish her best of the best. But I have other plans,´ he whispered again. He kissed his sisters and left.
It was a great party in Mahmood Pasha´s palace. His son Abd El-Aziz was sitting beside his bride Farida and few steps away his daughter Roh was sitting beside her groom Soliman. Refaat Pasha insisted on not inviting his son Nashaat. However, both couples planned to spend the honeymoon in Mina House Obroy hotel in Giza near the pyramids. Both couples would live in Heliopolis near Nashaat´s apartment.
After the honeymoon, Farida and Roh spent their mornings in Sporting Club and in the evening, they met with their husbands. Nashaat visited his sister frequently. When Soliman asked Roh about Nashaat and his story, she did not tell the truth. She said that she refused to marry him because she did not like him and added that he was not a gentleman.
It was Friday. It was the first time Farida invited Roh and Soliman to have lunch in her home. In the early morning, she went with Roh to Sporting Club as usual. Abd El-Aziz and Soliman met in Groppi café with other friends. Farida asked her husband to invite her brother and he welcomed the idea. He phoned Nashaat and asked him to come to Groppi to have café before returning to home to have lunch. He thought that it would be better if Nashaat and Soliman knew each other before having lunch together. When Nashaat came, three officers were sitting with his brother in law and Soliman.
´Captain Soliman Abd El-Wahab my brother in law,´ Abd El-Aziz said to Nashaat.
For a second Nashaat felt uneasiness, but he hid it with a smile and presented himself, ´Nashaat, Farida´s brother.´
Abd El-Aziz felt embarrassed because Nashaat said the name of his wife, as it was not proper to do so in men´s communities. He responded quickly to hide his embarrassment and said to Nashaat, ´Have a seat Mr. Nashaat. They have good café and I know that you love it.´
Soliman decided to be very conservative with Nashaat. His class refused calling women by her names. They used words like Mrs. Or Mother of a person in spoken language. Barely did he talk to Nashaat until they go to Abd El-Aziz place to have lunch.
During the lunch, Abd El-Aziz noticed that Soliman did not talk with Nashaat. He knew what made his friend too conservative with his brother in law. He told the story of her name to Farida and said that he felt shy and they laughed.
´Why do you consider women´s names shame?´ she commented on the story.
´Names of women are written in wedding invitations,´ Nashaat said.
´The right thing is that one says Mrs.´ Roh said with a masked face. With a monotonous tone while looking at Nashaat coldly she added, ´even in Europe they say that.´
´However we aren´t in Europe,´ Nashaat stared into Roh´s eyes. He did not give her a chance to respond and added, ´all of us know the Prophet´s wives by their names. We say Virgin Mary as well. Why did not we learn the respect of time and work from Europe. We import some social habits only, that may or may not be right.´ Before she answers he looked at Soliman and said, ´what are your views, Captain Soliman? I think the Europeans occupied us and we took some social trends and traditions. However the good things that made them advanced are not transferred yet. I think it is time for their army to leave this country, and the palace should have a role in battle for evacuation.´
´You´re damn right Mr. Nashaat,´ Soliman said. he smiled at Nashaat and added, ´however our society is shy when it comes to women. I think this shyness is because we´re eastern community not because we imported Madame and Mrs. From Europe. Most people in our community use sons´ names to call their mothers, for example they say Om Soliman or Om Mohamed.´
´If a woman had only girls, it would be a problem,´ Nashaat laughed.
´They use her husbands´ name and say Mr. and his group. The Egyptian version of Mrs. But they never use her name. If one did not marry and became old and spinster they invent a son´s name and call her using this name,´ Soliman said.
´Did you choose a name for your future son?´ he asked Farida.
´I like Mahmood,´ she said.
´From now on I´ll call you Om Mahmood,´ Nashaat said.
All laughed.
When Roh and Soliman returned to their apartment, she slammed the door.
´This Nashaat always makes me nervous,´ she said. She looked at Soliman and added, ´and you gave him the chance to reason his ideas. He talked to everybody without giving the chance to anybody to respond. You should have told him that he was wrong.´ She shouted.
´Don´t ever tell me again what I should do,´ he said calmly.
She went to the bedroom. He stayed in the reception. ´What would Nashaat feel if he knew that she was angry? He would apologize and say that he did not mean what she was angry about,´ she thought.
´Take it easy. I didn´t mean to angry you,´ Soliman said to her while she was taking off her dress.
´But, Nashaat meant it,´ she said.
´I don´t think so. If he did that, I would stop him. I´ll never let anyone do that to you,´ he said.
She forced a smile.