The Beginning and the End

SIXTY-FIVE

On Friday evening, he stood in Queen Farida Square, waiting for the No. 10 bus to take him to the College. He had spent a happy day with his family and had a delicious dinner. Nefisa was merry as usual, but within hearing distance of her mother, she said to him sarcastically, “I wish I’d seen you escorting the ‘lady’ to the cinema!”

Realizing that his secret was known when his sister opened fire on him, he gave a loud laugh. He glanced at his mother; she was silent, with something like a smile on her face. He was grateful for his military uniform, which had rescued him from her blows forever.

“What a lovely couple you are!” Nefisa began again with sarcasm. “You with a figure like a lamppost, and your ‘lady’ only a few inches tall, her sour temper announcing the presence of both of you!”

“With your defects,” her mother scolded, “you’re in no position to find fault.”

“Anyhow, at least I’ve got a sweet temper,” the girl replied with a laugh. “But you’re excused, Master Hassanein, since my face isn’t made for the cinema!”

Now he experienced remorse, and Hassanein very warmly apologized to her. What harm would there have been if he had invited her to go with them to the cinema? While he stood waiting for the bus, the memories of the day passed through his mind. After a while many of his classmates appeared and the bus arrived. Jostling, they all rushed into it. Other classmates, some of whom he had seen the day before at the cinema, climbed aboard. Hassanein was pleased at the thought that, as was customary under such circumstances, they would probably comment on his girl. He eagerly awaited their observations on his adventures as a Don Juan. He had not long to wait, since more than one of his classmates seemed to be on the alert. Pointing to him, one of them said, “Guess what. Yesterday this hero was seen with a girl on his arm.”

Hassanein hoped that all his classmates heard this remark and would devote their conversation to him alone.

“What type was she?” another inquired.

“The homely type.”

“Beautiful?”

Focusing all his attention on their remarks, Hassanein’s awareness intensified.

“She had blue eyes,” the first one said, “but she had a crudely native look.”

The blood rushed to Hassanein’s face. His high elation vanished; his ecstatic enthusiasm was extinguished. The others continued their commentary in boisterous hilarity.

“Too short and too plump.”

“As sour-tempered as a field marshal.”

“Old-fashioned, on the whole. Where did you find her?”

Returning to his senses, Hassanein realized that this last question was directed to him, but he remained silent. Pretending indifference, he kept laughing, despite his wounded feelings of shame and defeat. One young man said, “I hope she’s not your fiancée.”

Almost unaware of what he was saying, Hassanein exclaimed, “Of course not!” “A mistress?”

Feelings of pain and frustration upsurging within him, he answered, “It’s only for fun!”

“In that case, she’s good enough. A virgin?”

“Yes,” he said, extremely perturbed.

“May God disappoint your hopes! Why do you waste your time with virgins? Don’t you understand that it’s our College tradition to spend Thursday night with a mistress and Friday with a fiancée, or a substitute for one?”

Hassanein forced a laugh. “Hereafter,” he said, “I’ll straighten out my schedule of appointments with women!”

They all laughed, and the drift of their conversation changed. Suffering the anguish of defeat, he became absorbed in his dejection. Unwittingly, he had denied his girl. Ah! If they knew she was my fiancée, he thought, and that even after two years of perseverance she still refuses to allow me to kiss her! A crudely native look…too short and too plump…as sour-tempered as a field marshal. Is this true of Bahia? Sure, she’s old-fashioned; there’s some truth in the description. She doesn’t know how to appear with me in public. She lacks a sense of humor and doesn’t know how to converse with people. She only grumbles and finds fault. He wondered how he could possibly appear with her in public! People would say all these things and even more about her. He was depressed and resentful. Totally absorbed in these thoughts, he realized that the bus had stopped in front of the College only when his classmates left their seats.