Midaq Alley

13

How his meetings in Azhar Street had changed life for Abbas! He was in love. A new fire burned within him, desire melting his nerves and intoxicating his brain. He felt gay and confident, like a carefree troubadour knight — or perhaps a tippler safe in a familiar bar.

They now met frequently and their conversations never failed to center on their future. Yes, they now planned their futures as one, and Hamida made no attempt to resist the idea, either in his presence or away from him. She often asked herself whether any of her factory girlfriends could hope for anyone better. She made a point of walking with him just at the time when they left work and she delighted in watching their curious glances and in seeing the impression he made on them. One day they asked her about the young man "whom they had seen with her" and she had replied, "He is my fiance. He owns a barbershop."

She asked herself which one of them would not consider herself lucky to become engaged to a cafe waiter or blacksmith's apprentice. Indeed, he was the owner of a shop, definitely middle-class. Moreover, he wore a suit. She constantly made practical comparisons, but never allowed herself to be drawn into his magical world of dreams. Only occasionally and briefly was she emotionally moved and at these rare times she seemed to be truly in love.

On one such occasion he had wanted to kiss her and she had neither yielded nor refused. She longed to taste one of those kisses about which she had heard. He carefully noted the passersby while he felt for her mouth in the darkness of the evening and then placed his lips on hers, trembling violently as he did so. His breath engulfed her and her eyes closed tightly in ecstasy.

When the time for him to leave approached, he was determined to become engaged to her. He chose Dr. Booshy as his ambassador to visit Umm Hamida. The dentist's profession gave him friendly access to all the homes in Midaq Alley. The woman was delighted to accept the young man, whom she saw as the alley's only suitable husband for her daughter. Indeed, she had always thought of him as "the owner of a barbershop and a man of the world." However, she feared the opposition of her rebellious daughter and foresaw a long and difficult battle with her. So Umm Hamida was truly astonished when her daughter accepted the news with mild resignation and even pleasure. Her daughter's unexpected attitude caused her to shake her head and say, "This is what happened through that window, behind my back!"

Abbas commissioned Uncle Kamil to make a splendid dish of nut cake and send it to Hamida's mother. He called on her accompanied by Uncle Kamil, his partner in his house and his life. Uncle Kamil had great difficulty in climbing the stairs and frequently had to stop gasping for breath to lean against the banister. At last, on the first landing, he commented jokingly to Abbas, "Couldn't you have put off your engagement until you returned from the Army?!"

Umm Hamida greeted them warmly, and the three sat and chatted affably. Eventually Uncle Kamil announced, "This is Abbas Hilu, born and bred in our alley and a son of yours and mine; he wants Hamida's hand in marriage."

Her mother smiled and said, "Welcome to him indeed, the sweet boy. My daughter shall be his and it will be as though she had never left me."

Uncle Kamil went on talking about Abbas and his fine qualities, about Umm Hamida and her fine qualities, and then he announced, "The young man, may God grant him success, is going away soon and he will become better off. Then the matter of the marriage can be concluded to our satisfaction and his, with the permission of Almighty God."

Umm Hamida said a prayer for him and then turned jokingly to Uncle Kamil and asked, "And you, Kamil, when are you intending to marry?"

Uncle Kamil laughed so heartily that his face went red as a ripe tomato. He patted his enormous belly and said, "This impregnable castle of mine prevents that!"

They read the opening verses of the Qur'an, as was the custom at all engagement parties. Then refreshments were passed round.

The lovers' last meeting took place in Azhar Street two days after this. They walked together in silence. Abbas felt warm tears seeking a path to his eyes.

She asked him, "Will you be away long?"

The young man answered sadly and quietly, "My period of service will probably last a year or two, but I am sure I will get a chance to come back before that."

Suddenly feeling a deep tenderness for him, she whispered, "What a long time that is."

At this, his heart leaped with joy. Yet, his voice heavy with sadness, he said, "This is the last time we'll meet before I leave, and God alone knows when we'll meet again. I'm in a state of bewilderment, halfway between sadness and happiness. I'm sad that I'm going far away from you, yet glad that this long path I've chosen is the only one leading to you. I leave my heart with you, in the alley. It refuses to travel with me. Tomorrow I'll be in Tell el-Kebir, and every morning I'll think of the beloved window from which I first glimpsed you combing your lovely hair. How I'll long for that window and our walks along Azhar Street and Mousky. Oh, Hamida, these are the thoughts that will break my heart to bits. Let me take away with me as vivid memories as I can. Put your hand in mine and hold it as tightly as I grip yours. Oh God, how sweet it is to feel your touch! It makes my heart pound. My heart is in your hand, my darling, my love, my Hamida! How beautiful your name is; to say it makes me wild with joy."

His loving and passionate words lulled her into a sort of dream. Her eyes took on a faraway look as she murmured, "It was you who chose to go away."

Almost wailing in lament, he said, "You are the cause, Hamida. It is because of you, you! I love our alley and I am deeply grateful to God for the livelihood He provides me from it. I don't want to leave the quarter of our beloved Hussain, to whom I pray morning and night. The trouble is, I can't offer you a life here which is worthy of you and so I have no alternative but to leave. May God take my hand and lead us towards better circumstances…"

Deeply touched, Hamida replied, "I'll pray for your success and will visit the tomb of our Lord Hussain and ask him to watch over you and bring you success. Patience is a virtue and it's a blessing to travel."

He answered wistfully, "Yes, travel is a blessing, but how sad that I'll be so far away from you."

She whispered softly, "You won't be the only sad one…"

He turned abruptly toward her, delirious at her words, and lifted her hand until it touched his heart, whispering, "Truly?"

By the dim light of a nearby shop his love-filled eyes saw her sweet smile of reply. At that moment he was aware only of her beloved face. Words streamed from his lips: "How beautiful you are! How tender and kind you are! This is love. It is something rare and beautiful, Hamida. Without it, the whole world means nothing."

She had no notion of how to reply and so she took refuge in silence. Hamida was delighted to hear his words, which made her tremble with ecstasy, and she wished they would continue forever.

The strength and passion that Abbas felt was such that he scarcely knew what he was saying as he went on: "This is love. It is all we have. It is enough and more than enough for our needs. It is everything. It means happiness when we are together and comfort when we are apart. It gives us a life that is far more than life itself."

He was silent a moment and then added, "I leave you in the name of love. By its strength may I return with lots of money."

"A great deal of money, I pray to God," she murmured, almost unaware of what she said.

"With God's permission and by the grace of Hussain. All those other girls will really envy you."

She smiled happily and agreed. "Ah, how nice that would be!"

Before they knew it, they were at the end of the street and they laughed aloud in unison. Then they turned and he suddenly realized that their meeting was approaching its end. Thoughts of a dreaded farewell swam before him. Sadness enveloped him and halfway along the street he asked nervously, "Where shall we say goodbye?"

She understood what he meant and her lips trembled. She asked halfheartedly, "Here?"

However, he opposed the idea, explaining, "We can't just snatch this farewell hurriedly, like thieves."

"Where do you suggest?"

"Go home a bit ahead of me and wait for me on the stairs."

She hurried off and he followed slowly. When he reached the alley, all the shops were closed and he made his way dreamily toward Mrs. Saniya Afify's house. He moved cautiously up the pitch-black stairs, breathing as quietly as possible, walking with one hand on the banister and one groping into the shadows before him.

On the second landing his fingers touched her cloak. This caused his heart to leap with desire. He took her arm and drew himself gently toward her. His mouth searched desperately for hers, touching first her nose and then making its way down to her lips, which were already parted in welcome. He was transported on a wave of ecstasy from which he did not recover until she gently drew herself from his arms and went upstairs. He whispered after her, "Goodbye."

Hamida herself had never before had such an emotional experience. For this one brief period in her life, she brimmed with emotion and affection, feeling that her life was forever bound to his.

That night Abbas visited Hamida's mother to say farewell. Then he went to the cafe, accompanied by his friend Hussain Kirsha, to have their last coffee together before departure. Hussain was happy and triumphant with the success of his suggestion, and he said to Abbas, his voice somewhat challenging, "Say goodbye from now on to this wretched alley life. Now start to enjoy a real life."

Abbas smiled silently. He had not told his friend of his agony at leaving both the alley and the girl whom he loved so dearly. He sat between his two friends and tried to suppress his sadness, saying goodbye to well-wishers and enjoying their kind words.

Radwan Hussainy too had blessed him and said a long prayer for him. He also advised him, "Save what you can from your wages after buying the necessities. Don't be extravagant and keep away from wine and pork. Never forget that you come from the alley, and it's here you will return."

Dr. Booshy said to him, laughing, "If God wills, you will return here a rich man, and when you do, we'll have to extract those rotten teeth of yours and give you a nice set of gold ones appropriate to your new position."

Abbas smiled his gratitude to the "doctor." It was he who had acted as ambassador to Hamida's mother, and it was he who had bought his shop fittings at a price that provided the money for his journey. Uncle Kamil sat silently listening, his heart heavy with his friend's impending departure. He dreaded the loneliness which would set in the next day, when the friend whom he loved, and with whom he had shared so many long years of his life, would be gone. Every time anyone shook his friend's hand or said how sorry he was that he was leaving, Uncle Kamil's eyes filled with tears, so that everyone around him laughed.

Sheikh Darwish recited the holy "Throne Verse" from the Qur'an in blessing and commented, "You have now become a volunteer in the British Army, and if you prove yourself a hero, then it's not unlikely that the King of England will carve you out a little kingdom and appoint you ruler in his place. The title for this in English is 'Viceroy' and it is spelled v-i-c-e-r-o-y."

Early next morning Abbas left his house carrying his clothes tied in a bundle. The air was cold and moist and the only people in the alley yet awake were the bakeress and Sanker, the cafe waiter. Abbas lifted his head toward the sacred window and saw it was closed tight. He stared at it with such a fierce longing that the dew on its shutters almost seemed to evaporate.

He continued slowly, lost in thought, until he reached the door of his shop. Abbas stood looking at it sadly as his gaze rested on a notice in large letters: "For Rent." His chest tightened and his eyes flooded with tears.

He increased his pace, as though fleeing from his emotions. And when he reached the end of the quarter, he felt as though his heart wanted to pound its way out of his body and return to the alley.