instead.
“Your daughter closely resembles her
father. She inherited the color of her eyes, from him, didn’t she?”
The daughter looked briefly at her
father, who narrowed his eyes but did not react.
“I imagine that she took her beauty from
her mother,” and added at once: “With your permission, I am enchanted and
permit myself to address her.”
And, without waiting for a response from
the parents, he turned to the girl.
“What is your name, my dear?”
“Naziah, Sir,” she replied and modestly
lowered her long lashes.
Akai did not miss the sensual glances
that passed from Sallah to his daughter, and when they finished the meal, he urged
her to clear away the dishes and leave.
Sallah was not someone to pass up on a
girl like this, and he waited impatiently for the moment when they would
retire, he and Akai, to the living room and partake of coffee and cake. When
they were seated in the lounge, Sallah addressed Akai.
“Allah has blessed you with beautiful
children, Sir.”
“Thank you, kind Sir, but I am too
insignificant to take credit for that.”
There was silence, and Sallah leaned
back in the seat of honor and regarded his host, as he considered how to
approach the matter.
“The meal was excellent and helped me appreciate
that you have been blessed with a good wife.” To allow his compliment to sink
in, he gave his host time to thank him and continued:
“I presume that your daughters learned
to cook from her and, in time, will serve their spouses.”
“Of course, as is the custom in a
self-respecting Turkish family.”
Once again, they did not speak, and only
the clinking cups and the sounds of drinking coffee broke the silence.
“I am very pleased with our
cooperation,” Sallah began, “it seems we operate in one mind, as a team.”
“That’s right. Let us hope that it will
benefit both of us, with Allah’s help, of course.”
“I am wondering if it would be
impertinent of me to offer you an additional deal.”
Akai looked at him quizzically.
“I would thank you for respecting your
wife and sharing this with her,” Sallah proposed.
It was an unusual request and not the
accepted custom. He stood up and disappeared into the kitchen and, after quite
a long while, returned accompanied by his wife, Andar. Her eyes shone and from
the wetness of her lashes and her reddened eyelids, it appeared she had been
crying. Sallah ignored this and addressed her immediately.
“I would be delighted if you would grace
us with your presence, with your husband’s permission, of course.”
Akai nodded in approval and Andar sat
beside them, but her stiff-backed posture indicated her uneasiness.
Sallah considered how to say things
indirectly but found himself saying the first thing that came into his head.
“I wish to marry your daughter.”
The parents were aware of his status and
wealth and, in spite of the game they played for the present, they both
regarded the fact that the man wanted to marry their daughter as a high honor.
”Did you mention a deal?” Akai inquired.
“Yes, of course. In a fair deal, both
sides profit, right?
“I am told Sir, that you have a family
in Istanbul.”
“That is correct, a wife and children.”
Andar rose, but Akai looked at her
sharply and she sat down, her brow reddening above the veil that hid her face.
“When I said a deal, I meant it,” Sallah
repeated what he had said. “I intend to marry your daughter in “an illusory
marriage,” a temporary union.”
Andar, the girl’s mother, threw her
husband a glance showing her shock and Akai hurried to respond.
“I trust you, Sallah, my friend, and
presume you know what you are saying. From my point of view, it is alright;
only please explain what you said to the mother of the bride.”
“Fine,” Sallah countered, “the
relationship between your daughter and me will be consecrated and approved by the
religious officials of this city.”
“Does that mean that our
“Your daughter closely resembles her
father. She inherited the color of her eyes, from him, didn’t she?”
The daughter looked briefly at her
father, who narrowed his eyes but did not react.
“I imagine that she took her beauty from
her mother,” and added at once: “With your permission, I am enchanted and
permit myself to address her.”
And, without waiting for a response from
the parents, he turned to the girl.
“What is your name, my dear?”
“Naziah, Sir,” she replied and modestly
lowered her long lashes.
Akai did not miss the sensual glances
that passed from Sallah to his daughter, and when they finished the meal, he urged
her to clear away the dishes and leave.
Sallah was not someone to pass up on a
girl like this, and he waited impatiently for the moment when they would
retire, he and Akai, to the living room and partake of coffee and cake. When
they were seated in the lounge, Sallah addressed Akai.
“Allah has blessed you with beautiful
children, Sir.”
“Thank you, kind Sir, but I am too
insignificant to take credit for that.”
There was silence, and Sallah leaned
back in the seat of honor and regarded his host, as he considered how to
approach the matter.
“The meal was excellent and helped me appreciate
that you have been blessed with a good wife.” To allow his compliment to sink
in, he gave his host time to thank him and continued:
“I presume that your daughters learned
to cook from her and, in time, will serve their spouses.”
“Of course, as is the custom in a
self-respecting Turkish family.”
Once again, they did not speak, and only
the clinking cups and the sounds of drinking coffee broke the silence.
“I am very pleased with our
cooperation,” Sallah began, “it seems we operate in one mind, as a team.”
“That’s right. Let us hope that it will
benefit both of us, with Allah’s help, of course.”
“I am wondering if it would be
impertinent of me to offer you an additional deal.”
Akai looked at him quizzically.
“I would thank you for respecting your
wife and sharing this with her,” Sallah proposed.
It was an unusual request and not the
accepted custom. He stood up and disappeared into the kitchen and, after quite
a long while, returned accompanied by his wife, Andar. Her eyes shone and from
the wetness of her lashes and her reddened eyelids, it appeared she had been
crying. Sallah ignored this and addressed her immediately.
“I would be delighted if you would grace
us with your presence, with your husband’s permission, of course.”
Akai nodded in approval and Andar sat
beside them, but her stiff-backed posture indicated her uneasiness.
Sallah considered how to say things
indirectly but found himself saying the first thing that came into his head.
“I wish to marry your daughter.”
The parents were aware of his status and
wealth and, in spite of the game they played for the present, they both
regarded the fact that the man wanted to marry their daughter as a high honor.
”Did you mention a deal?” Akai inquired.
“Yes, of course. In a fair deal, both
sides profit, right?
“I am told Sir, that you have a family
in Istanbul.”
“That is correct, a wife and children.”
Andar rose, but Akai looked at her
sharply and she sat down, her brow reddening above the veil that hid her face.
“When I said a deal, I meant it,” Sallah
repeated what he had said. “I intend to marry your daughter in “an illusory
marriage,” a temporary union.”
Andar, the girl’s mother, threw her
husband a glance showing her shock and Akai hurried to respond.
“I trust you, Sallah, my friend, and
presume you know what you are saying. From my point of view, it is alright;
only please explain what you said to the mother of the bride.”
“Fine,” Sallah countered, “the
relationship between your daughter and me will be consecrated and approved by the
religious officials of this city.”
“Does that mean that our
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