Cairo - Joys and Tears - chapter (6)

(6)

The Liberation Authority was the name of the new political organization that the Free Officers formed to replace all parties. Dissolving of parties made Refaat Pasha and Mahmood Pasha without anything to do but memories. They met everyday and sometimes they went to Alexandria together just to have something to do. They read every newspaper and talked about policy. It was the same conversation everyday. Usually it started with one of them asking the other about a political decision. They agreed or hoped the new regime would fall. They put unrealistic scenarios about the return of the king. Although the revolution canceled titles, they insisted on using their titles when they talked to each other. The waiters in Atinuos in Alexandria called them with their titles for the tips. As if they wanted to support their point of view, they always talked about people resisting the revolution and their proof was the waiter calling them Pashas. Trials for old politicians started. They feared that they would be the next to be accused. They knew that Soliman being the son of law of Mahmood Pasha was not enough protection against trials. To flee away from thought of jail, they assured themselves, even falsely that the king would return. Even they arranged the names of the revolutionaries that should be severely punished. After a while, their meetings became less and less but never stopped.

It was six o´clock in the morning when Farida got up to breastfeed her baby daughter Noor. She tiptoed her way out of the bedroom to her daughter´s not to awake Abd El-Aziz. Noor was sleeping like an angel her bed. Her nanny was awaked waiting for Farida to come. Suddenly the phone rang. The nanny went to receive the call.

´Refaat Pasha wants to talk to you madam,´ the nanny said.

´Tell him that I breastfeed Noor,´ Farida said.

´I think something serious happened and that´s why he calls in the early morning. It´ll take one hour at least before they give him another line,´ the nanny said.

She stopped feeding her baby. Noor cried. The nanny took the baby and Farida hurried.

´Mum, no, oh my God. It happened suddenly,´ she cried. She saw her husband coming and annoyed. Before he asked, she said to him, ´mum died Aziz.´ She cried hysterically.

When Nashaat knew that his mother died, the first thing crossed his mind was that if his father had not forbidden him fro going there, he would have seen much of her. He sat silent looking at her photo and crying. He would never forgive his father for that. Memories hunted his mind. He remembered how she had managed to keep her children safe from their father´s stiff behavior. How she always defended their father´s decision even when it was obvious that he went far in his preservationist opinions. Sometimes, he and his sisters felt that she had not been convinced of what she had been defending. He remembered one of her stiff stand against his father when he chose to study in the faculty of commerce against the will of his father who wanted him to be a lawyer or an officer. His father never forgot that and never forgave them both. He remembered how he did much effort to win his father´s heart to satisfy his mother, but the hardhearted father never gave him the chance. Contrary to his kind mother, his father thought that expressing love was a sign of weakness. He wondered sometimes if his father loved anybody one day. He wondered if his mother loved his father or she married him because her father decided to marry her to his nephew. He found himself kissing the photo while weeping. His enrage overwhelmed him and decided to treat his father as a stranger during the funeral and the condolences service. Only one idea was in his mind which was his father prevented him from seeing much of his mother before she died. Sad and enraged he left the apartment. He drove to his sister´s house. He decided to keep a frigid masked face to hide his emotions not to let his tongue slip a word that might increase Farida´s sadness. When he reached there, Soliman and Roh were trying to comfort Farida while Abd El-Aziz was also doing his best to calm her.

´Mum died Nashaat,´ Farida said when she saw him and started to cry again.

He took her between his arms. He could not control himself when he saw his sister weeping on his chest. He said involuntarily, ´God bless her soul. God saved her from her hardhearted husband. I know she suffered much to bear his dictatorship. He made her suffer.´ He cried and sat on the nearest chair.

Farida was shocked at the way he talked about their father. She looked at her husband to say something. All the three were hesitant to say a word.

´I think it is not the proper time to discuss these things now Nashaat,´ Abd El-Aziz said.

´I think Refaat Pasha is not less sad than you and Farida,´ Soliman said.

Roh stood on the chair´s and put a hand on Nashaat´s shoulder and said, ´whatsoever you feel we are going for her funeral. For her sake you must control yourself more than that.´

´I wish I could see much of her. I haven´t seen her since ten months when she was here after Farida gave birth to Noor,´ he said.

Roh took his head between her arms to comfort him.

After calming him, they decided that he would go with Farida and Abd El-Aziz not to let him drive.

Abd El-Aziz was driving his private car. In the back seat, Farida was sitting silent. Noor was sitting on the lap of her nanny beside her mother. Nashaat was sitting on the right front seat and he offering that he might drive if his brother in law felt tired. In the other car, Soliman and Roh were in the back seat of the army car that was given to Soliman to use privately. A driver soldier was driving it. This offer was given to Soliman because he was an officer in the closest circle to the commandship after the thirteen establishing members. An offer was given to trusted officer and not related to their rank or army list.

´I didn´t think of Nashaat that child. Children cannot control their emotions. They love much and hate much,´ Soliman said to Roh.

´He is,´ Roh said. She feared that Soliman might blame her because she took Nashaat´s head between her arms. She looked at Soliman and added, ´In fact he will never grow up. His father was right to be hard to make a man of him. Nashaat´s childish behavior caused embarrassment for his father.´

´But he is very kind. Those overreacting persons are like an open book. They always tell about their thoughts. They have no secrets.´

´I told you before that he is just a big child,´ she said.

Roh and Soliman asked the driver to accelerate so that they would reach before Abd El-Aziz, Farida and Nashaat to give notice to Mahmood Pasha that Nashaat would come in the other car. Mahmood Pasha had a seat in the reception near the gate to receive Nashaat. When the other car parked, he went to receive Nashaat and embraced him.

´You should talk to your father. Let her be happy in her grave. She wished you reconcile,´ Mahmood Pasha said to Nashaat.

´But he prevented me from seeing her when she was living. I feel that there many thing I wish I would have told her about,´ Nashaat wept again.

´I´m sure that she knows now what you wanted to tell her. Her first wish was that you talk to your father. I´m sure this was her wish,´ Mahmood Pasha said.

´Did she tell you?´ Nashaat asked Mahmood Pasha while weeping.

´I´ll take you to Refaat Pasha,´ Mahmood Pasha put a hand on Nashaat´s back and they walked to study room where Refaat Pasha was using his handkerchief to dry his tears. It was the first time Nashaat saw his father cry.

He hurried to his father, took his hand, and kissed it, ´stop crying dad. I´m sure God chose the best for her.´

´She was a good and kind woman. God fulfilled her will that Nashaat returns to you,´ Mahmood Pasha said.

Refaat Pasha stood and hugged his son. That made Farida, Fayza and Malak relieved. After the funeral, they had lunch together with other who came for the condolence service. After lunch, men were having the coffee.

´Nashaat is too emotional to be a politician,´ Soliman said to Abd El-Aziz.

´I think he will be a good politician. Family problems are something that makes us emotional. Don´t forget that it was the wish of his mother,´ Abd El-Aziz said.

´Or Soliman Pasha said that to Nashaat,´ Soliman said smilingly.

The Police Station Commissioner came to present his condolences for the family and to tell Soliman the content of a cable for him.

´Major Soliman, President Mohamed Nagib delegates you to present him for the condolences service to Refaat Pasha and his family,´ the Commissioner said. Still he used the titles when he was talking unofficial.

´But I´m in civilian dress and I don´t have a uniform here,´ Soliman said.

´Tell me your size and I´ll send a car to Alexandria to bring a complete military uniform for you,´ the Commissioner said.

´Thank you,´ Soliman said.

When Roh knew that, her husband would be the representative of the president she started to talk about his responsibility. Her mother was embarrassed that her daughter became that showy. The mother asked her for a word.

´Nashaat will know that your husband is the representative of the president in the evening. Nobody here would tell him that. Most women here met the king in parties and most probably they prefer the old days,´ Golnar said.

´I don´t mean it,´ Roh said.

´No, you meant it. But the problem is that women understand that you talk to tell Nashaat. His sisters know. Women would say that you still love him,´ Golnar said.

´But I don´t mother,´ Roh´s tears fell.

´No you do,´ Golnar said.

Roh burst in crying. Farida and Fayza came.

´What´s the problem?´ Farida asked.

´Nothing but Roh talks too much when she is sad. She wants also to comfort you and your sisters. I thought that she should stop talking too much. When she stopped she cried,´ Golnar said.

´Let her talk aunt Golnar. All of us need to talk,´ Fayza said.

Golnar returned to her seat and noticed women when were smiling at their whispers.

In the evening, men were standing at the entrance gate of the palace, receiving people who came for showing their sorrow and condolences; old Pashas, ex-ministers, members from all old parties, villagers and others. Mahmood Pasha stood beside his friend Refaat Pasha and Abd El-Aziz stood beside Nashaat. Inside, attendees whispered about the presence of Nashaat and his reconciliation with his father.

Soliman wore his uniform in Mahmood Pasha´s palace then came. Before reaching the gate, the Police Commissioner hurried out and saluted him officially. The police station sent three soldiers with rifles to salute him.

While the soldiers were kicking the ground with their right heels and rifles´ heels, the commissioner shouted loudly, ´the representative of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Egypt.´

´The president asks God to bless her soul and pays his respect and condolences to you and to your family Mr. Refaat,´ Soliman said. His voice was a pit high that others would hear what the president´s message was.

Refaat Pasha was enraged that Soliman did not use his Pasha title. Mahmood Pasha looked angrily at Soliman while Nashaat accompanied him to the special seat that was put for the official representative to be seen by all attendees.

´This boy is crazy. I should have a word with him,´ Mahmood Pasha said.

´That´s what they told him to say,´ Refaat pasha said.

´Being one of them doesn´t mean that he doesn´t be decent and respectable. He has to apologize,´ Mahmood Pasha´s voice was loud.

Nashaat was coming after he seated Soliman and heard the last sentence Mahmood Pasha said. ´What´s the problem Aziz?´ Nashaat asked. When he knew, he smiled and said, ´but the president was a Pasha and cancelled his title.' Soliman came officially so he should express the views of the commandship.´

´You mean that you agree on humiliating your father,´ Refaat Pasha shouted at Nashaat.

´It isn´t a humiliation. Now all men carry one title which is Mr.´ Nashaat said.

´And I´m like others. I´m like any common. You mean it,´ Refaat Pasha said angrily.

´What´s the problem dad of being like others,´ Nashaat said.

Refaat Pasha slapped Nashaat and said loudly, ´if Mahmood Pasha hadn´t mediated I wouldn´t have allowed you to stay. Go out forever and ever never I see you here again or I´ll tell the servants to throw you out.´

Mahmood Pasha pulled away his friend and Abd El-Aziz took Nashaat away.

´If you father hadn´t asked me to reconcile I wouldn´t have talked to him. I´ll tell him that now,´ Nashaat said.

´No, please Nashaat. Keep quiet now,´ Abd El-Aziz said.

Soliman was about to leave and Abd El-Aziz thought quickly and asked him to take Nashaat to Cairo with him and Roh.

On the road, Nashaat kept silent. Roh did not know what happened between Nashaat and his father. She thought that Nashaat was silent because he was sad.

´I think I should go tomorrow. If you want to accompany me Nashaat I´ll tell the driver to pass at you tomorrow morning,´ she said.

´He expelled me and threatened that he would ask servants to throw me out,´ Nashaat said.

´Oh, my God,´ she said involuntarily. ´What happened?´

´It is a long story. Aziz and your father were present. I didn´t say anything. He just wants everybody agree to his opinions,´ Nashaat said.

To be followed.