Children of Gebelaawi (28 page)

Two figures emerged from the desert. They sidled along at

the foot of the walls of the Great House, then passed in front

of the Effendi 's house, maki ng for Hamdaan's sector. They

stopped i n front of the middle tenement-house and one of

them knocked, maki ng a sound that boomed in the silence

like a drum-roll. Hamdaan himself opened the door, his face

ghostly white by the light of the lamp he was holding. He raised

the light, the beller to see who had knocked, then cried out in

amazement: 'Gebel ! ' He stepped aside and Gebel entered,

carryi ng a big bu ndle and a sack. His wife followed, carryi ng

another bundle. The two men embraced, and Hamdaan

glanced at the woman and saw she was pregnant.

- Your wife? ! Welcome to you both! Follow me, and no

need to hurry!

They filed along the long covered passage to the wide

courtyard, wh ich was open to the sky, then crossed to the

narrow stairs and climbed to Hamdaan's lodgings. Shafeeqa

was shown into the women's quarters, and Hamdaan took

Gebel to a big room wi th a balcony overlooking the courtyard.

The news of Gebel's return spread in no time, and many of the

men of Hamdaan came along, led by Digger and Mu lehead,

Dumpling and Lampligh ter, Radwaan the bard and Abdoon.

They shook hands warm ly with Gebel and sat down on the

cushions, gazing up at the home-comer with curiosity. The

questions came pouring out, and Gebel told them something

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Gebel

of his recent life. They looked at one another sadly. Gebel saw

that their spirit had weakened i n their wasted bodies, and that

they were pining away. They told him of the humiliations they

had suffered, and Digger said:

- I told you all this when we met a month ago. I wonder

what can have brought you here. Perhaps you've come to i nvite

us to move to your new place !

Gebel said sharply:

- Our only place is here.

A certain note of authority in his voice forced their attention. Curiosity shone in Hamdaan 's eyes and he said:

- If they were snakes, i t could not be harder for you to

control them.

Henna came in with cups of tea and greeted Gebel warm ly.

She praised his wife and announced that he wou ld have a son,

but added:

- Still, there's no longer any difference between our men

and our women.

Hamdaan cursed her as she left the room, but the men's

eyes reflected a feeble acquiescence in what she said. The

cloud of gloom over the gathering thickened, and no one even

tasted the tea. Radwaan the bard asked:

- Why have you come back, Gebel, when you 're not used

to bei ng pushed around?

1-Iamdaan said triumphantly:

- I've told you so many Limes that i t's better to bear our

troubles than to wander among strangers who wou ld hate us.

Gebel said forcefully:

- Things are not as you think they are.

Hamdaan shook his head but said nothing, and a heavy

silence fell. Then Digger said:

- Let's all leave him to rest.

But he made a sign for them to stay and said:

-I didn't come to rest but to talk to you about an important

matter, more important than you imagine.

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They looked at him i n surprise, and Radwaan muttered that

he hoped he was about to hear something good. Gebel moved

his steady eyes from face to face for a while, then said:

- I cou ld have stayed my whole life with my new family and

never thought of comi ng back here. (Then, after a pause: ) But

some days ago I felt the urge to go walking alone, in spite of the

cold and the dark. I went out into the desert and found my

steps leading me to the place that overlooks our Alley. I hadn't

been near it since I fled.

Their eyes shone with interest. He continued:

- I went on wandering in the pitch darkness. Even the stars

were hidden. Before I knew what was happening, I had almost

bumped into a huge figure. At first I thought it was one of the

strongmen, but he didn't seem like anybody from our Alley or any human being at all - tall and broad like a jebel. I was terrified and tried to retreat, but a strange voice said 'Stop,

Gebel. ' I stood rooted to the spot and broke out in a cold sweat

and asked: 'Who .. . who are you?'

Gebel paused in his story, and they leaned forward, fasci-

nated. Dumpling said:

- From our Alley?

But Mulehead quickly corrected him:

- He said nobody in our Alley was like him, nor any human

being.

But Gebel said:

- Yes, he was from our Alley.

They all demanded to know who it was, and Gebel said:

- He told me in his strange voice: 'Don't be afraid; I am

your Ancestor, Gebelaawi. '

They all exclaimed and looked a t him in disbelief. Hamdaan

said:

- You 'rc joki ng of course.

- No, I'm telling you the tru th, no more, no less.

Lamplighter asked:

- Weren't you high on some stuff?

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Gebel

Gebel protested:

- Being high never took away my reason.

Mu lehead sai d:

- I t someti mes has more effect than you realize, especially

the best stuff.

Anger clouded Gebel's face, and he bellowed:

- I heard him with my own ears saying 'Don't be afraid; I

am your Ancestor Gebelaawi ' .

Hamdaan said soothingly:

- But he hasn't left his house for many years, and nobody

has seen him.

- Perhaps he goes out every night without anybody know-

ing.

Hamdaan wen t on cautiously:

- But nobody else has ever met him.

- I mel him.

- Don't be angry, Gebel; I don't mean to doubt your

tru thfulness. Bu t imagination plays tricks. Tell me, by God, if

the man is capable of going out, why ever did he hand over the

Trusteeship to others? And why does he let them play with the

rights of his chi ldren?

Gebel frowned.

- That's his secret; he knows best.

- It's easier lo believe what's said about him retiri ng

because of his age and feebleness.

Digger said:

- We're gelli ng lost in words. Let's hear the rest of the

story, if it goes on.

Gebel said:

- I said lo him: 'I never dreamt of meeting you in this life,'

and he said: ' Here you are meeting me.' I peered up i nto the

darkness to sec his face, but he said to me: 'You will not be able

to see me as long as the darkness lasts. ' I was amazed that he

had seen me tryi ng to look at him and I said: 'But you can see

me in the dark. ' He said: ' I 've been able to see in the dark since

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Children of Gebelaawi

it became my custom to walk in i t before the Alley existed. ' I

said in admiration: 'Thank God i n Heaven you still enjoy good

health.' He said: 'You, Gebel, are a man who can be relied on,

as shown by the way you've left your comfortable life in protest

over your oppressed people. But your people are my people.

They have rights in my Trust that they must obtain. They have

honor that must be defended, and a life that must be improved. ' My enthusiasm seemed to light up the darkness, and I asked: 'What is the way to do this?' He said: 'By force you will

destroy i njustice, reclaim your rights and live a good life. ' I let

out a great cry: 'We shall be forcefu l ! ' And he said: 'Success will

go with you.'.

Gebel's voice gave way to a dreamy stillness, in which they all

seemed to be under a spell. They pondered and exchanged

glances, then looked at Hamdaan till he broke his silence,

saymg:

- Let us turn this story over i n our minds and our hearts.

Digger said:

- It doesn 't sound like a hallucination, and everything i n

it is right.

Dumpling said with conviction:

- It would only be a hallucination if our rights were one.

Hamdaan asked hesitantly:

- Didn 'tyou ask him why he hasn't restoredjustice himself,

or why he gave the trusteeship to men who don 't respect

peop le's rights?

Gebel was annoyed:

- I didn't ask him. I couldn't have asked him. You haven' t

met h i m i n the desert i n the dark o r felt the fear of his

presence. If you did, it wouldn't cross your mind to question

his judgement or doubt his authority.

Hamdaan nodded, seeming to give in.

- These words were certainly worthy ofGebelaawi, but how

much more worthy of him to see to the matter himself!

Digger shou ted:

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Gebel

- Wait till you die i n your degradation !

Radwaan cleared h is throat, studyi ng their faces carefully.

- Fine words ! But think what it will lead to. Hamdaan said

sadly:

- We went to ask for our rights and look what happened.

Abdoon the serving boy exclaimed:

- What are we afraid of? Nothing could be worse than the

state we're in now.

Hamdaan tried to make excuses:

- I ' m not afraid for myself but for you.

Gebel said contemptuously:

- I'll go to the Trustee alone.

Digger moved over to him to say:

-We'll gowithyou. Don'tforget, you people, that Gebelaawi

promised him success.

Gebel said:

- I'll go alone when I decide to go; but I'll want to be sure

that you are behind me, united, solid and ready to face

hardship and withstand it.

Abdoon jumped up enthusiastically exclaiming:

- Behind you to the death !

The boy's enthusiasm spread to Digger, Mulehead, Dumpling and Lamplighter. Radwaan the bard asked rather cunn ingly whether Gebel's wife knew why he had come. Gebel told them how he had told his secret to Balqeeti and how Balqeeti

had advised him to weigh the consequences, and how he had

decided to return to the Alley, and how his wife had chosen to

go with him to the end. At this Hamdaan said in a voice that

showed he was with the others:

- And when will you go to the Trustee?

- When my plans are ready.

Hamdaan stood up.

- I'll get a room ready for you at my place. You 're the

dearest of sons, and tonight is the beginning of great things;

the rebec will perhaps tell of it tomorrow, along with the story

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Children of Gebelaawi

of Adham. Come, let's swear a covenant for better, for worse.

At that moment the voice of Hamooda reached them,

singing in a shaky, drunken voice:

Drink, sweet lad, and let us gaily

Stagger home along the alley!

Show how over me you fawn,

Taste with me the saucy prawn !

They were distracted by his voice for only a moment, then

stretched out their hands to swear the covenant with ferven t

hope.

3 8 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Alley learnt ofGebel's return. They saw him setting out

with his bag, and his wife going off to Gemalia to do her

shopping. They talked about his new job, which no one in the

Alley had ever taken up before, though he put on his conjuring

show only in the neighboring alleys and not in his own. He did

not use the snakes in his performances, and nobody guessed

that he knew how to handle them. He passed Trustee's House