her
with a joy that wiped the fierce look from his face:
- Hello, Hind!
She replied in her gentle voice:
62
Adham
- Hello! (Then, to Hu maam:) Good evening, cousi n !
Humaam smi led.
- Good evening, cousi n, how are you?
Qadri took her hand and went with her towards the big rock,
which stood a few yards from where they were. They went
rou nd it to the side facing the jebel, shielded from the desert
and its occupants. He drew her to him, enfolded her i n his
arms and gave her a long kiss on the lips till their teeth
touched. For a moment the girl was carried away. Then she
managed to free herself from his arms and stood breathing
hard and straigh tening her drape, meeting his eager look with
a smile; bu t the smi le faded as if she had thought of somethi ng,
and she pursed her lips in displeasure and said:
- I had a struggle to come. Oh dear, what an unbearable
life !
Qadri understood what she meant and scowled.
- Don't take any notice. We are the children of idiots. My
good father is a fool, and your wicked father is just as foolish.
All they want is for us to inheri t their hatred for each other.
What stupidity! But tel l me how you managed to come.
She puffed, and sai d :
- The day went l i ke every day, wi th a non-stop quarrel
between my father and mother. He hit her once or twice and
she screamed curses at him and worked off her anger by
breaking a jug, bu t her temper didn ' t get any worse than that
today; she often grabs ' him by the collar and curses him,
bearing his blows as best she can. But when wine's got i nto him,
then you 're only safe right out of his sight. So I often want to
ru n away, and I feel I hate life, and I comfort myself by crying
till my eyes arc sore. Anyway, I wai ted ti ll he'd dressed and gone
out, then I pu t on my ch ador, and my mother came at me and
tried to stop me as usual, but I dodged her and escaped.
Qadri took her hand in his and said:
- Doesn't she gu ess where you're going?
63
Children of Gebelaawi
- I don' t think so, but it doesn ' t worry me; she'd never dare
tell my father.
Qadri laughed.
- What do you think he'd do if he knew?
At a loss, she echoed his laugh.
- I' m not afraid of him in spite of his harshness, in fact I tell
you I love him and he loves me in a simple way that's quite out
of keeping with his harsh nature. But he doesn 't bother to tell
me I'm the most precious thi ng in his world, and perhaps
that's the root of my troubles.
Qadri sat down on the grou nd at the foot of the rock, and
i nvited her to do so too by smoothing the grou nd at his side.
She sat down , throwi ng off the heavy chador. He leaned over
and kissed her cheek and said:
- It seems to be easier to get the better of my father than
of yours, bu t he turns very violent when yours is mentioned. He
refuses to adm it that he has any good qualities.
She laughed.
- Men ! My father speaks just as badly about yours. Your
father looks down on mine for his roughness, and mine on
yours for his gentleness. The main point is that they'll never
agree abou t anything.
Qadri's head jerked up as if he were butting the air, and he
said defiantly:
- But we' ll do what we li ke.
Hind looked at him with tender affection as she said:
- My father is like that - able to do whatever he likes.
- I'm able to do many things. What does this drunken old
uncle have in mind for you?
She laughed in spite of herself and said half seriously, half
playfu lly:
- Speak poli tely about my father! (She tweaked his ear. )
I 've often wondered what he has i n mind for me. I t sometimes
seems to me that he doesn ' t want me to marry anybody.
He stared at her, refusi ng to take her seriously. She went on:
64
Adham
- I once saw him looking furiously at the Great House and
saying: ' If he's pleased to do down his sons and grandsons, is
he going to do down his granddaughter as well? No p lace is fit
for Hind except this barred and bolted house. ' Another time
he
with a joy that wiped the fierce look from his face:
- Hello, Hind!
She replied in her gentle voice:
62
Adham
- Hello! (Then, to Hu maam:) Good evening, cousi n !
Humaam smi led.
- Good evening, cousi n, how are you?
Qadri took her hand and went with her towards the big rock,
which stood a few yards from where they were. They went
rou nd it to the side facing the jebel, shielded from the desert
and its occupants. He drew her to him, enfolded her i n his
arms and gave her a long kiss on the lips till their teeth
touched. For a moment the girl was carried away. Then she
managed to free herself from his arms and stood breathing
hard and straigh tening her drape, meeting his eager look with
a smile; bu t the smi le faded as if she had thought of somethi ng,
and she pursed her lips in displeasure and said:
- I had a struggle to come. Oh dear, what an unbearable
life !
Qadri understood what she meant and scowled.
- Don't take any notice. We are the children of idiots. My
good father is a fool, and your wicked father is just as foolish.
All they want is for us to inheri t their hatred for each other.
What stupidity! But tel l me how you managed to come.
She puffed, and sai d :
- The day went l i ke every day, wi th a non-stop quarrel
between my father and mother. He hit her once or twice and
she screamed curses at him and worked off her anger by
breaking a jug, bu t her temper didn ' t get any worse than that
today; she often grabs ' him by the collar and curses him,
bearing his blows as best she can. But when wine's got i nto him,
then you 're only safe right out of his sight. So I often want to
ru n away, and I feel I hate life, and I comfort myself by crying
till my eyes arc sore. Anyway, I wai ted ti ll he'd dressed and gone
out, then I pu t on my ch ador, and my mother came at me and
tried to stop me as usual, but I dodged her and escaped.
Qadri took her hand in his and said:
- Doesn't she gu ess where you're going?
63
Children of Gebelaawi
- I don' t think so, but it doesn ' t worry me; she'd never dare
tell my father.
Qadri laughed.
- What do you think he'd do if he knew?
At a loss, she echoed his laugh.
- I' m not afraid of him in spite of his harshness, in fact I tell
you I love him and he loves me in a simple way that's quite out
of keeping with his harsh nature. But he doesn 't bother to tell
me I'm the most precious thi ng in his world, and perhaps
that's the root of my troubles.
Qadri sat down on the grou nd at the foot of the rock, and
i nvited her to do so too by smoothing the grou nd at his side.
She sat down , throwi ng off the heavy chador. He leaned over
and kissed her cheek and said:
- It seems to be easier to get the better of my father than
of yours, bu t he turns very violent when yours is mentioned. He
refuses to adm it that he has any good qualities.
She laughed.
- Men ! My father speaks just as badly about yours. Your
father looks down on mine for his roughness, and mine on
yours for his gentleness. The main point is that they'll never
agree abou t anything.
Qadri's head jerked up as if he were butting the air, and he
said defiantly:
- But we' ll do what we li ke.
Hind looked at him with tender affection as she said:
- My father is like that - able to do whatever he likes.
- I'm able to do many things. What does this drunken old
uncle have in mind for you?
She laughed in spite of herself and said half seriously, half
playfu lly:
- Speak poli tely about my father! (She tweaked his ear. )
I 've often wondered what he has i n mind for me. I t sometimes
seems to me that he doesn ' t want me to marry anybody.
He stared at her, refusi ng to take her seriously. She went on:
64
Adham
- I once saw him looking furiously at the Great House and
saying: ' If he's pleased to do down his sons and grandsons, is
he going to do down his granddaughter as well? No p lace is fit
for Hind except this barred and bolted house. ' Another time
he
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