Palace Walk tct-1

by Naguib Mahfouz

  He was wrenched from his stream of thoughts by a scream that rent the silence enveloping the house. He turned toward Fahmy and his stepmother. He found they were trying hard to listen, looking concerned and anxious. The screaming continued, and they easily ascertained that it came from a woman. Their eyes showed that they were wondering what direction it came from and what the cause was. Was it announcing a death or a fight or calling for help? Amina began to ask God’s protection against all evils.

  Then Fahmy said, "It’s near… perhaps on our street". He rose suddenly, furrowing his brow, and asked, "Could it be that the English have attacked a woman who walked past them?"

  He rushed to the balcony with the others trailing behind. The screaming stopped, leaving no indication of the direction from which it had come. The three of them looked through the peephole in the latticework to search the street. Their eyes came to rest on a woman who attracted attention by the strange way she was standing in the center of the street and by the circle of passers by and storekeepers gathered around her. They recognized her immediately and cried out together, "Umm Hanafi!"..

  Amina had sent the servant to get Kamal from school. She asked, "Why don't I see Kamal with her? What’s making her stand there like a statue?"

  "Kamal… My Lord… where’s Kamal?"

  Relying on her intuition, the mother said, "She’s the one who screamed. I recognize her voice now… Where’s Kamal? Save me…"

  Neither Fahmy nor Yasin uttered a word. They were busy searching the roadway in general and the English camp in particular for Kamal. They saw people looking toward the soldiers, most notably Umm Hanafi. They were certain that it was Umm Hanafi who had screamed and thus gathered the people around her. They felt instinctively that she was calling for help because some danger was threatening Kamal. Their fears centered on the English. But what was the danger? Where was Kamal? What had happened to the boy?

  The mother kept appealing for help. They did not know how to comfort her and probably needed some reassuring themselves… Where was Kamal? Some of the soldiers were sitting down, others stood or walked along minding their own business. Each was preoccupied with his own activities, as though nothing had happened, as though there was no crowd of people gathered in the street.

  Suddenly Yasin punched Fahmy’s shoulder and yelled, "Don't you see those soldiers standing in a circle under the cistern building on our street? Kamal’s standing in the middle… Look".

  The mother could not keep herself from screaming, "The soldiers have Kamal… There he is, O my Lord… Lord… save me".

  Four giant soldiers had linked arms to form a circle. Fahmy’s eyes had searched in that direction more than once without discovering Kamal. This time he noticed the boy in the center of the circle, visible through an opening between the legs of a soldier who was standing with his back to them. The family imagined the soldiers were going to kick him back and forth like a ball until they did him in.

  Fahmy’s fear for his brother made him forget his own safety. He turned around and said excitedly, "I'm going to him, no matter what".

  Yasin’s hand grabbed his shoulder. Yasin told Fahmy decisively, "Stop". Then with a calm, cheerful voice he told the mother, "Don't be afraid. If they had wanted to harm him, they would not have hesitated… Look. He seems to be involved in a long conversation. And what about this red thing in his hand? I wager it’s a piece of chocolate… Calm yourself. They're just having some fun with him". He sighed and continued: "He’s frightened us for no reason at all".

  Yasin regained his composure. He still remembered his happy adventure with the soldier. He did not think it too unlikely that some of the man’s fellow soldiers were as gracious and gentle as he was. Then he thought he would shore up and corroborate what he had said for the sake of the mother’s agonized heart. He pointed to Umm Hanafi, who had not moved, and observed, "Don't you see that Umm Hanafi kept screaming until she realized there was no need for it? The people around her are beginning to move away. They seem reassured".

  The mother murmured in a shaky voice, "My heart won't be reassured until he comes to me".

  They focused their attention on the boy or what they could see of him from time to time. The soldiers unlinked their arms and relaxed their legs as though they were confident that Kamal would not run away. Now Kamal could be seen in his entirety. He was smiling, and they could tell from the movement of his lips and from the gestures of his hands, which he used to get a point across, that he was talking. The fact that he and the soldiers seemed to understand each other indicated that they could use the Cairo dialect of Arabic to some extent. But what was he telling them and what were they saying to him? None of them could guess that, but they calmed down. Even the mother in her anxious astonishment was finally able to watch silently, without any wail or call for help, the strange scene unfolding before her eyes.

  Yasin laughed and said, "It’s clear we were far too pessimistic when we assumed that the occupation of our district by these soldiers would create endless problems for us".

  Although Fahmy appeared to be grateful that the soldiers were treating Kamal correctly, he did not appreciate Yasin’s remark. Without turning his eyes away from the boy, he commented, "The way they treat men and women may differ from their treatment of children. Don't get too optimistic".

  Yasin almost burst out with an account of his happy adventure, but he stopped himself in time for fear of enraging his brother. To be polite and ingratiating he said, "May our Lord free us safely from them".

  Amina asked impatiently, "Isn't it time for them to let him go, with our thanks?"

  It appeared that the circle of men around Kamal were expecting something else to happen. One of the four had gone off to a nearby tent to fetch a wooden chair, which he placed in front of Kamal. The boy immediately jumped on the chair. He stood there erect, with his arms hanging down straight at his sides, as though reviewing a formation of soldiers from an elite guard. His fez had slipped down over the back of his head, probably without his noticing it, to reveal his large, protruding forehead. What was he doing? Why was he standing like that? They did not have long to wonder, for his clear voice soon rang out with this song:

  I want to go home,

  Darling.

  They've taken my boy,

  Darling.

  He sang it all the way through in his pleasing voice while the soldiers watched, their mouths open and smiling. They clapped their hands in appreciation at the end of each phrase. One of them was touched when he understood part of the meaning of the song and began to shout, "I'm going home… I'm going home".

  Kamal was encouraged by the enthusiastic response of his audience. He sang his very best, taking special care with his vibrato and projection. He finished the song to applause and praise, in which his family at the peephole participated, after singing along with him in their hearts, filled with joy and apprehension. Yes, the family participated in praising him after sharing vicariously in the singing, which they had followed anxiously, praying that he would excel and not make any mistakes. They might almost have been singing through him. It was as though their honor, both individually and as a family, was riding on his success.

  Amina forgot her fears in the midst of these other feelings. Even Fahmy thought of nothing but the song and his hopes for its success. When the song was concluded successfully they all sighed deeply and wished Kamal would hurry home before anything happened to spoil the impact.

  It seemed clear that the party was about to break up, for Kamal jumped down from the chair. He shook hands with each of the soldiers and raised his hand in salute. Then he shot off toward the house. The family rushed from the balcony to the sitting room to be ready to greet him. He arrived flushed and out of breath, with perspiration on his brow, his eyes and features contented, his limbs moving jerkily and aimlessly from his joyful feeling of victory. His young heart was filled to overflowing with happiness, which he could not help but proclaim in every possible way, calling the others to share in it. It
was like a swelling deluge the riverbanks cannot retain that floods the fields and valleys. One look would have been enough to show him the impact of his adventure on their faces, but he was blinded by his joy and shouted, "I've got news you won't believe. You couldn't imagine it…"

  Yasin laughed loudly and sarcastically, "What news, my darling?"

  This phrase lifted the veil from his eyes, like a light suddenly glowing in the darkness, so he could see the eloquent expressions of their faces. His knowledge that they had witnessed his adventure compensated for missing the opportunity to astonish them with his amazing account. He burst into laughter, slapping his knees with his hands. Then, struggling with his giggles, he asked, "Did you really see me?"

  At that the voice of Umm Hanafi was heard complaining, "It would have been better if they had seen how I suffered… What’s all this joy about after I was almost undone?… One more incident like that and it'll be time for God to have mercy on me". She had not removed her black wrap and looked like a sack of coal full to bursting. Her face appeared pale and sickly. There was a strange look of resignation in her eyes.

  Amina asked her, "What happened?… Why did you scream? God was kind to us and we didn't see anything alarming".

  Umm Hanafi leaned her back against the door and commenced: "I'll never forget what happened, lady. We were on our way home when a devil of a soldier jumped in front of us and motioned to Mr. Kamal to go with him. Frightened, he ran toward Qirmiz Alley, but another soldier cut him off there. He turned into Palace Walk. He was screaming and my heart plunged from fear. I started to call for help at the top of my lungs. My eyes did not leave him for a minute while he ran from one soldier to another until they surrounded him. I was so afraid I almost died, and I couldn't see straight. I could not see much of anything. Before I knew it, people had gathered around me, but I kept on screaming until Uncle Hasanayn, the barber, told me, 'May God spare him from being harmed by those bastards. Proclaim the oneness of God. They're being nice to him.' Oh, lady, our master al-Husayn was with us and protected us from evil…"

  Kamal objected, "I never screamed".

  Umm Hanafi beat her hand against her breast and said, "Your screaming was so loud it hurt my ears and drove me crazy".

  In a low voice, as though apologizing, he said, "I thought they were going to kill me, but one of them began to whistle and patted my shoulder. Then he gave me a piece of chocolate". Kamal patted his pocket before continuing: "I stopped feeling afraid".

  Amina’s happiness left her. Perhaps it had been a hasty, spurious joy. The fact she should not lose sight of was that Kamal had been terrified for some minutes. She would need to pray to God for a long time to spare Kamal any evil effects. She did not think of fright merely as a transitory sensation. Certainly not… It was an abnormal state with a mysterious, invisible halo around it. The jinn sought refuge there like bats in darkness. A frightened person, particularly someone young, would be harmed. There would be bad consequences. In her opinion, fear required special care and precautions, whether recitation of verses from the Qur'an, incense, or amulets. She remarked sadly, "They frightened you! May God destroy them…"

  Yasin, reading her thoughts, joked, "Chocolate is a useful charm against fright". Then he addressed Kamal: "Did you talk to them in Arabic?"

  Kamal embraced the question, because once more it opened for him the doors to imagination and adventure, rescuing him from the vexations of reality. With his face beaming again, he replied, "They spoke to me in a strange kind of Arabic… I wish you had heard it yourself". He went on to imitate the way they talked until everyone was laughing. Even his mother smiled.

  Yasin, who envied his brother, asked him, "What did they say to you?"

  "Lots of things!.. 'What’s your name?' 'Where’s your house?' 'Do you like the English?'"

  Fahmy asked sarcastically, "How did you reply to that wonderful question?"

  Kamal looked at him and hesitated, but Yasin answered for him: "Of course he said he loves them… What would you have wanted him to say?"

  Kamal spoke up again to add fervently, "But I also told them to bring back Sa'd Pasha".

  Fahmy could not restrain himself from laughing out loud. He asked Kamal, "Really!.. What did they say to that?"

  Feeling better now that his brother had laughed, Kamal replied, "One of them tweaked my ear and said in English, 'Sa'd Pasha, no.'"

  Yasin had another question: "What else did they say?"

  Kamal replied innocently, "They asked me if there weren't any girls in our house?"

  For the first time since Kamal had arrived they looked at each other grimly. Fahmy asked him with concern, "What did you tell them?"

  "I told them my sisters Aisha and Khadija got married, but they didn't understand what I was saying. So I said there’s no one at home except 'Nina.' They asked what that meant and I told them 'Mama.'"

  Fahmy gave Yasin a look that said, "Do you see how appropriate my suspicions were?" Then he remarked sarcastically, "They didn't give him the chocolate simply for the love of God".

  Yasin smiled feebly and muttered, "There’s nothing to be worried about". He was not willing to allow this subject to cloud their reunion. So he asked Kamal, "Why did they invite you to sing?"

  Kamal laughed. He said, "During the conversation one of them began to sing in a low voice. Then I asked them if they wanted to hear me".

  Yasin laughed loudly. He remarked, "What a daring boy you are… Weren't you afraid when you were surrounded by their legs?"

  "Not at all," Kamal boasted. Then he said with feeling, "How handsome they are! I've never seen anyone more handsome before. Blue eyes… golden hair… gleaming white skin. They look like Aisha!"

  He suddenly ran off to the study, where he raised his head to see the picture of Sa'd Zaghlul on the wall next to those of the Khedive Abbas II, Mustafa Kamil, and Muhammad Farid. When he returned he said, "They're a lot better-looking than Sa'd Pasha".

  Fahmy shook his head sadly and remarked, "What a traitor you are… They bought you with a piece of chocolate. You're not so young you can be excused for saying that. Pupils in your school are dying as martyrs every day. May God grant you failure".

  Umm Hanafi had brought in the brazier, coffeepot, cups, and the container with the coffee. Amina began to prepare the coffee for the time-honored session. Everything had returned to normal except that Yasin had begun to think once more of his angry wife. Kamal went off by himself and took the chocolate out of his pocket. He began to remove its gleaming red wrapper. Fahmy’s attempt to make him feel bad seemed to have been in vain, for in his heart there was nothing but contentment and love.

  60

  Yasin’s marital problems became more complex. They were more momentous than anyone had expected. Before al-Sayyid Ahmad knew what was happening, Muhammad Iffat appeared in the store the day after Zaynab had fled. Even before he freed his hand from al-Sayyid Ahmad’s handshake of greeting, he said, "Al-Sayyid Ahmad, I've come to you with a request. Zaynab must be divorced today. Before tomorrow, if possible".

  Al-Sayyid Ahmad was staggered. Yes, he had been totally disgusted by Yasin’s behavior, but he had never thought it would inspire an honorable man like Mr. Muhammad Iffat to request a divorce. He had certainly not imagined that these "errors" would require a divorce. Indeed, it had never occurred to him that a request for divorce would come from the wife. It seemed to him that the world had been turned upside down. He refused to believe the man was in earnest. In the gracious tone that had so often captivated the hearts of his friends, he said, "I wish the brothers were here to observe you hurling this harsh language at me… Listen to me. In the name of our friendship I forbid you to mention the word 'divorce.'"

  He examined his friend’s face to gauge the impact of his words on him but found Muhammad Iffat frowning glumly in a determined way that boded ill. He began to sense the seriousness of the situation and to feel pessimistic. He invited his visitor to have a seat. Mr. Iffat sat down but looked even glummer. Al-Sayyid Ah
mad knew him to be a stubborn, intractable man. When he got angry, affection and kindness were useless. All ties of kinship and friendship were ripped apart by the cutting edge of his wrath.

  Al-Sayyid Ahmad said, "Declare the oneness of God… and let’s talk calmly".

  Muhammad Iffat replied, in a tone he seemed to have borrowed from the angry fire of his cheeks, "Our friendship is not in question, so let’s leave it out of this. Your son Yasin is not fit to live with. I ascertained this after learning everything. How patient the poor girl has been… She kept her worries to herself for a long time. She hid everything from me. Then she revealed it all after her heart was broken… He stays out all night and returns at dawn so drunk he can't walk straight. He has scorned her and rejected her. What has been the result of all her patience? She catches him in her house with her servant". He spat on the ground before continuing: "A black maid!.. My daughter wasn't made for this. Absolutely not, by the Lord of Heaven. You know better than anyone else how I feel about her. No… by the Lord of Heaven. I would not be Muhammad Iffat if I kept quiet about this".

  It was the same old story but with a new element that stunned and shocked him: Mr. Iffat’s statement that Yasin "returns at dawn so drunk he can't walk straight". Had he learned his way to the bar as well? When? How?… Oh, he did not have time to think about it or to be upset. He needed to control his emotions. The hour required calmness and control. He had to take charge of the situation to ward off any irreparable damage. He observed in a sad voice, "What distresses you distresses me twice as much. Unfortunately, none of the disgraceful actions you have mentioned ever reached me or came to my attention, by God, except the last incident. I have disciplined him more severely for that than any other father would have thought permissible. What can I do? I have subjected him to stern discipline since he was a boy. Beyond our wills, there are the devils and the world of the flesh, which mock our determination and spoil our best intentions".