Cairo, Tears and Joys - chapter (4)

(4)

Captain Abd El-Aziz El-Sisi of the Royal Guard Forces was on duty service in Abdeen Palace in Cairo. King Farok was in his summer residential Palace in Ras El-Tin in Alexandria. It was after midnight when a soldier knocked at his room´s door. Usually he spent the nights reading when he was on duty. The repetitive knocking made him hurry to open.

´What´s the problem?´ he asked the soldier.

´Some forces encircled the palace. They want us to surrender and open the door,´ the soldier said.

´You should have told me earlier when you noticed their approach,´ he reprimanded the soldier.

´It happened quickly. Suddenly we found them encircling the palace,´ the soldier said.

When Abd El-Aziz reached the main gate of the palace, he saw tanks directing their canons to the palace and infantry forces ready for combat. Other officers came. He gave orders to them to defend the palace and not to respond to threats. The officers and soldiers were ready to fight.

´Don´t forget that we swore in to be loyal to the monarch. I think the British Embassy is behind this treasonous act. They want to impeach the king like what happened in February 4. They want to clear their name from the Cairo fire and accuse the king of plotting it. Everybody goes to his place according to the plan of defending the palace,´ Aziz said to officers and soldiers. Although he tried to explain the situation, he was not sure that the British were really behind that. All forces around the palace were Egyptian. In February 4, the British used their forces only. However, he had some doubts because all British forces were in Suez Canal area.

´Aziz,´ a well-known voice not only to him but also to other officers came from outside the walls of the palace.

´Who are you?´ Aziz shouted, not believing.

´I´m Captain Soliman Abd El-Wahab.´

´I cannot believe it. You do that. You betray His Majesty,´ he said.

´It is not like that. Let´s have a talk. We don´t want to kill anyone,´ Soliman said.

´We´re not going to surrender,´ Aziz said.

´I´m coming towards the gate, non-armed and alone,´ Soliman said.

Outside the gate, midway between it and the tanks both Soliman and Abd El-Aziz met. Soliman was calm. Abd El-Aziz was enraged.

´How come you share in a conspiracy against the monarch,´ Abd El-Aziz started.

´It is a movement against corruption. We were defeated in Palestine War and nobody was tried. This movement will bring stability to the country after the disturbances since Cairo fire. This movement will start serious negotiations with the British for evacuation and independence. We are the Free Officers. Of course, you heard about them. Our leader is General Mohamed Nagib Pasha. All officers know that he is an honest man. We want the king to be impeached and Prince Ahmed Foad II becomes the new king. We want all officers in the Royal Guard to be with us. Impeaching the king saves the monarch,´ Soliman said.

´Egypt is a constitutional kingdom. The corrupted parties are responsible for the defeat. The army should ask His Majesty to correct the political scene not to impeach him,´ Abd El-Aziz said.

´It is too late for him to do anything. Perhaps five years ago he might have done that if corrupted politicians and groups had not been around him. He is weak now,´ Soliman said.

Before Abd El-Aziz respond to Soliman, an officer came to him from the palace and said, ´The Navy in Alexandria sent a cable. They are with the king and ready to fight against those who want to topple him,´ the officer said.

´You and your forces are not going to enter the palace and any advance towards the gates or the wall will be dealt with. We are ready to fight,´ Abd-Aziz said. He gave Soliman his back and went towards the palace gate.

In the early morning, Egyptians knew the news of the army movement. The sound of Anwar Al-Sadat told them. People supported the movement because they were fed up of the corruption and instability. Several Ministries in few days were enough sign that the political scene was worsening. The chronic poverty and illiteracy problems made people suffer. Besides the conservative people were too enraged by the bad reputation of the mother queen and her daughter after they had flee to America. General Mohamed Nagib was well known to people. Sadat was also a known figure because he was tried several years in Amin Osman´s assassination case. Osman was one of men who were loyal to the British. Although the court cleared Sadat´s name, many considered him one of the group of heroes who killed a traitor. Lt. Colonel Gamal Abd El-Naser was not known to Egyptians but too few persons who knew that he was one of the negotiators of the truce after Palestine War. His close friend Abd El-Hakim Amer was not known at all. Naser came from a poor family and was the founder of the Free Officers Movement. Aristocratic Amer was its co-founder with undoubted belief in Naser´s leadership.

When Roh knew the news of the army movement in the early morning, she was anxious about her husband and her brother. When Soliman was on duty, he was used to phone her at 10 am. That day the telephone did not ring. She decided to go to Farida. After she dressed, the servant told her that Farida came.

´Did you hear the news?´ Farida asked. She was very anxious and added, ´I think they entrapped in Abdeen Palace. I knew that the Royal Guard and the Navy support the king. I succeeded to pick up the Voice of America half an hour ago.´

´Soliman did not call me. Of course they will defend the monarch,´ Roh said.

´How come the officers of the army do that to their king,´ Farida said. ´Aziz was on duty yesterday. Perhaps they are fighting the rebellious officers now. I told the servant to tell him to call me here if called. I´m afraid,´ she cried.

Although Roh was anxious about her husband and her brother, he could control emotions more than Farida. She turned on the radio to know the news. As soon as she did, the ringing of the telephone made her turn it off involuntarily and both women ran extending their arms to pick its mouthpiece.

´Hello, how are you Soliman? Are you safe?´ Roh said.

´Thanks to God, I´m safe. All of us are safe. We did it, Roh,´ Soliman said at the other end of the line.

´You did what? Did you defeat the conspirators?´ she asked.

´They are not conspirators. They are revolutionaries. I´m one of them,´ he said.

´And what´s about Aziz?´ she asked.

´He is safe,´ he said.

She felt that her husband´s voice was not decisive like when he told her about the army movement.

´Is Aziz safe? Is he with you?´ her voice was somewhat higher and her sharp tone annoyed Farida.

Farida stood beside Roh to hear what Soliman would tell.

´He is safe. He is inside Abdeen Palace now,´ he said. He decided to end the call. Not giving her a chance to discuss anything further, he added, ´excuses me. I´ll call you later.´

The two women did not understand why Soliman was outside the palace while Aziz was inside it. After discussing different possibilities, they reached a conclusion that Aziz was controlling the palace while Soliman had some other missions outside. They did not predict that Aziz was besieged and surrounded by a force that was led by his brother in law.

Abd El-Aziz was standing among his officers and soldiers ready for the combat when an officer came to him carrying a cable for the command on duty. He read it. He asked the officer to call other officers.

´His Majesty decided to abdicate. He ordered all loyal forces in the Royal Guard and Navy not to fight and to obey orders of General Mohamed Nagib. He does not want officers and soldiers to fight each other,´ he said.

Soliman and his forces entered the palace peacefully.

´Are you going to arrest us?´ Abd El-Aziz asked Soliman.

´Support the army movement and you will be with us. You won´t regret it,´ Soliman said.

´But we allowed you to be in when His Majesty asked us to do to spare the army officers fighting each other. For me, I obeyed His Majesty until the last minute. I don´t know the officers of the army movement to support them,´ Abd El-Aziz said.

´You know me,´ Soliman said.

´I thought I knew you. If you trusted me you had to tell me before,´ Abd El-Aziz said.

´It is not like that. I nominated you to be in the movement. I would tell you within few days. However, something happened and leadership of the movement decided to act sooner than it was planned. The leadership of the movement includes Lt. Colonel Gamal Abd El-Naser, Lt. Colonel Abd El-Hakim Amer and Anwar El-Sadat. They are faithful to this country and they are honest. I think all officers know their names after the election of the Officers´ club. Sadat has a long history of struggle against the British and their agents,´ Soliman said.

Mentioning names of the commandship made Abd El-Aziz less aggressive. He asked Soliman to talk to Royal Guard Officers. It took ten minutes and Abd El-Aziz was talking to one of the leadership of the movement through the wireless set and expressing the support of the Royal Guard unit in Abdeen Palace. Before leaving the palace, Soliman received orders that an officer from the infantry would come and be on charge of the palace. They did not arrest Abd El-Aziz, but he was told to stay in home for a while.

´Just for one or two days Aziz. I promise you will be back soon. I trust you. However they do not know well. I arranged for a car to take you home,´ Soliman said.

After few days, the king left Egypt for Italy and the army movement changed its name to the revolution. General Mohamed Nagib became the Leader of the Revolutionary Commandship Council. Nashaat received the news of the army movement with enthusiasm. He decided to go to Soliman´s house to congratulate him. He sent flowers and bought chocolates from Groppi on his way to Soliman. He knocked at the door and their servant invited him to wait in the reception.

´Hello Nashaat,´ Roh greeted him and extended her hand for him to kiss it.

After kissing touching the dorsum of her hand with his lips he said, ´congratulation for Captain Soliman and for us all.´

´Thanks,´ she said with a masked face and took a seat before inviting him to sit down. She crossed her legs and with a movement from her hand, she invited him to have a seat and said arrogantly, ´In fact the revolutionary commandship called Soliman for something urgent. Of course, his responsibility became too much. Mine also, as I find myself obliged to receive his visitors.´

Nashaat stood up while the servant was coming pushing the tea tray car. She left him standing and started to pour tea in one of the two cups that were on the tray.

´Have a seat Nashaat. Sorry, of course I don´t mean you. We´re a family. I´m talking about strangers,´ she said.

He sat down.

´Since the revolution day, people haven´t stopped calling and asking for favors or recommendations. He doesn´t like that. He says that the revolution was against that practice first of all, but it´ll take time for people to understand,´ she said.

´It´ll take time for people to know that they could get their rights without recommendations. However, not everybody comes asking for recommendations,´ he said.

´I don´t mean you. However take care when you talk to him to avoid misunderstanding,´ she said.

´I think you understand me and you would tell him,´ he stood to leave.

This time she did not invite him to sit down and said in a serious tone, ´all of us know that Pashas of Wafd Party recommended you to have your job in Bank Misr,´ she said.

´Don´t worry, I won´t ask him for any favor. Would you please tell him my sincere congratulations,´ he said and moved towards the door.

She followed him. She would about to say to him to stay.

He turned suddenly to face her while the servant was opening the door. He stared at her eyes and said, ´when I had told my father that I would not marry. I meant I had other plans. I didn´t refuse you as a wife. I wished you someone better than me. There was not a chance to explain that to you.´ he took her hand and kissed the dorsum then added sarcastically, ´Princess Roh, I promise to take utmost care when speaking to your husband.´ He left before she could respond.

When he left she went to her bedroom and took a small box where old her old photos were kept. She took a photo of her and Nashaat with his sisters and she kissed it then she put it near her heart. She wiped a teardrop not to ruin her eyeliner.

After about an hour Soliman returned and asked Roh about Nashaat and if she told him that, he would not be late. She told him about her conversation with Nashaat, she did not mention his words at the door just before leaving.

´I think he came to start a friendship with you so that when he needs something you would recommend him. He likes to be around people of influence. I talked to him arrogantly not to repeat it again,´ she finished her story.

´I don´t think Nashaat does that. And I don´t have influence and if I have, I won´t use it. Don´t forget he was arrested with revolutionaries,´ he said.

´With communists,´ she said.

´And I don´t like you to talk arrogantly with anybody for any cause. We impeached the king not be new kings,´ he said. He tried to phone Nashaat but the phone rang continuously. He phoned Abd El-Aziz and he knew that Nashaat was there He decided to go to Nashaat.

Nashaat was playing backgammon with his brother in law when Soliman reached. It was obvious that Nashaat did not tell about the conversation with Roh.

´Sorry that you came and I was not present,´ Soliman whispered to Nashaat when they were leaving together.

´I know you have many responsibilities,´ Nashaat said.

´No, it is not that. It won´t take more than an hour. I expected that you might apologize if I told you. I asked Roh to receive you. In fact, I apologize for the way Roh talked to you. I don´t like her to talk like that to anybody because I´m one of Free Officers. I talked harshly to her,´ Soliman said.

´Roh is a sister like Farida. I don´t like her to sleep sad. For my sake go and say some soft words to her. I won´t sleep before you phone me and assure me that she is happy. In fact, Roh did not commit a mistake. If she feels slightest thing that may contradict your ethics she should be behave like that,´ Nashaat said.

When Nashaat went home, he went into deep sleep as soon as his body touched the bed. The phone rang and he woke up. He forgot his conversation with Soliman.

´Hello, Soliman,´ he said and started to remember.

´Didn´t you tell me that you would not sleep until I call you?´ Soliman said.

´Sorry, I slept while I was waiting for your call because I was very tired. How´s Roh?´ Nashaat said.

´Very happy after I told her that you supported her point of view. You are very kind. Good night,´ Soliman said.

Nashaat put the mouthpiece back. He whispered while laughing, ´not kinder than you, Mr. Princess´ husband.´