"I am engaged and this is why I've not been able to see you.
I tried
so hard to refuse that, in turn, I was slapped
mercilessly."
**********************
He fumed with jealously having filled his heart an head.
Ill-luck, despair, and bitterness, all conspired! And
his vigorous manly passions gave no room to anything
else in the world but fight for her and take revenge
over those who had (and/or have) slapped and smacked
her.
And , as
before, he asked: "In what capacity can I face it?!"
He didn't dare have a talk with his parents to ask for hand;
for he was still a high-school student, which should
mean that had to wait for a few years more to be able to
make proper decisions…
So he
poco a poco began to suppress his anxieties and accept
the status quo.
But ….
One day,
he was invited to his granduncle’s wedding party.
Astounding, and unexpected! It was not a phantom!
There was sitting the queen of heart, his love , Mayyada, in
flesh and blood, his uncle's bride!!!!!
He was about to cry out: "This is my own sweetheart”…
He was on
the verge of leaving his seat to snatch her off his
uncle's hand ….
But he
was more for retreat, yet heart broken!
For the
bridegroom was his granduncle who used to love and honor
him.
So he
stopped considering his foolish ideas,
And
made his way out through the crowd, and returned
home desperately as if the whole world turned black…
She
noticed him as he was leaving and, suddenly, a glow
of fire filled her face, and tears filled her eyes.
And as days passed, during which Ma'moun had busied himself,
specially with his school assignments, not to mention
the voluntary extra work he asked for and indulged in,
his mother ( May God forgive her) asked him to go and
invite Mayyada to his youngest sister's birthday…
At the beginning he refused, but since his reasons were not
convincing enough, his mother insisted on his going. So
it was hard for him to anger her….
**********************
"Ma'moun?!!" said she in a whisper-like; the surprise
tied her tongue .
His
tongue got tied, too, upon seeing her.
Her face
was glowing…
Her
lightning eyes were filled with love and amiability.
He could find no word to start with.
"Every bit of me aspires for holding you between my arms, dear
Mayyadah", said he in secrecy to himself.
And as if
she got the message telepathically, she whispered but,
likewise, to herself:
"Me, too, Ma'moun; every single cell of my body yearns for
every single cell of yours to get united. She continued
musing over her hidden feelings:
"I wish I
could you let in, Ma'moun, but a solid wall stands
between you and me."
Then she
added with a trembling voice:
"I'm
sorry, Ma'moun, … can't… let…you in…"
He
nodded…
And
inhibited, with difficulty, a teardrop that was to
convey his feelings..
He felt unable to make any comment; for it was quite sufficient
for a nod to be a sign that stood for what she had
meant.
She
remained looking into his eyes for long…
He, too,
delved into her eyes for long…
Then he
articulated softly:
“Mom has
sent me to invite you to…
But
instead of completing what he had just said, he ventured
to ask:
“Are you
happy?"
She
nodded…
After a
considerable span of silence, she lifted her head.
Her
cheeks were by then wet; she answered:
"You know
I've been forced to…"
"I've been no more than a commodity, now a second-hand, to be
rid off before getting too old!" she whispered to
herself.
Then she
added sarcastically within the same stream of
consciousness:
"I've been no more than a lamb who is fed, bred, and nurtured
in order to be slaughtered on the Sacrifice Feast.
Then she
added with audible whispers: “No, I’m not happy…
As you
are aware, he’s quarter of a century older than me in
the least. He’s exactly of my father’s generation…
The
language of passions is lacking in his dictionary.
And for
him, I’m no more than a maid in his house or a nurse
observing his medication times prescribed for
rheumatism, blood pressure and diabetes.
But he is
nice and generous, not to mention his high morals which
have made no room for grumbling or complaining.”
She
slightly nodded, and added:
“And as
he’s impotent, there is no hope of carrying a baby. “
His
eloquence failed him to sympathize with her the way it
ought to have been. He couldn’t express his sincere sad
feelings in any other way than saying:” I’m awfully
sorry, Mayyada.”
Giving
him no chance to continue, she suddenly asked:” Are you
prepared to marry me if I ask him to divorce me??! Or,
better phrased: do you still keep your love?”
Her
courage and surprising stance, to tell the truth,
stunned him. He stammered before he could answer:
“But he’s
my uncle, Mayyada, my uncle who has been kind and
affectionate. I can’t hurt him. I dare not befall him
any wrong doing.”
Her
seriousness and pragmatism seemed to have the upper hand
in the debate:
“What’s
he to lose if you marry me after I get his divorce??”
She
bashfully nodded with a whisper on her lips:
“To be
straight with you: I’m still virgin!!!”
*********************
Then
added my friend, Ma’moun:
Although
he left her, heavily burdened with renewed anxieties,
overwhelmed by new life disturbances….
And,
nonetheless, uncertainties….
He was
yet to determine not to see her again.
**********************
A few more months later, he knew that the divorce had taken
place.. That his uncle was quite understanding and
civilized. My friend, Ma'moun, found the courage to
discuss the whole issue with him openly.
His uncle became not only his recommender, but a real supporter
of Ma'moun in finding a job that would enable him to get
married and continue his studies, as well as a good–will
intermediary to his parents in order to convince them
that Mayyada was to be married to Ma'moun…
Then the
granduncle was off the stage in the end!
And my
friend, Ma' moun, came to the close saying:
That was
my story:
Mayyada,
Uncle, and ME!,
And," as you see, I've not robbed her off… And it was no
treatury, as the rumors go…"
