Bitter Almonds (10 page)

‘I will graduate with a respectable diploma, a promising career ahead of me. I plan to make a good name for myself. Marry a girl who gave herself to me?' Shareef shook his head. ‘No way.' He wiggled a finger in Omar's face. ‘Don't look at me like that. You're no better than me.'

‘No, I am not.' Omar's voice rumbled deep inside his chest like a wave bringing forth the first tide. ‘I'm not going to have a
diploma
, or a father to boast about my success, but I never dishonored an innocent girl, Shareef. I warned you before I left. Told you to pay attention. You made a mistake, no one is perfect. I'm trying to help you here.'

‘I don't want your help.'

He needed to change tactics, find another way to inflict pain, open Shareef's eyes to the reality of his situation. He adjusted his tone. ‘How would you feel if someone did the same thing to Nadia?'

‘I would kill him.' Shareef's answer came quick, like a knee jerk.

Omar raised his eyebrows. ‘You don't think Sameera's brothers would do the same?' He saw genuine fear in Shareef's eyes. He pressed on. ‘They wouldn't touch their brother-in-law, though. They would help him along to secure their sister's future.'

‘Even if they knew the truth?' Shareef's voice lost its edge, sounding skeptical.

‘Right. By then you would be family. But if you don't marry her, and they don't kill you, they will ruin your future any way they can, I guess.' He rubbed his chin. ‘Personally, I would take that route if, God forbid, I was in their shoes. I would not kill the bastard, but I would make it my business to hunt him down, spread vicious rumors about him. No honorable family would give him their daughter. No respectable establishment would hire him.' Omar returned to his spot, leaning back. ‘Just think what kind of damage her three brothers could do to your future.'

Shareef's eyes roamed around, the wheels in his head turning. ‘I guess I can marry her,' he started, then returned his eyes to Omar. ‘And divorce her after a couple of months. That will take care of the problem, right?'

Omar jumped forward, clenching his hands into fists. Hearing his blood roar in his ears, he cursed under his breath, took several deep breaths and forced his legs to stay put. One step at a time. ‘That's one solution.'

‘What about my father? He will never agree to this.'

‘Leave Uncle Mustafa to me. I will talk to him.' Checking the time, he started walking. ‘The last bus will be here in a couple of minutes. Better not get stranded.'

‘What about money? Where will we live? I can't support a wife. What about her dowry?' Shareef fired his questions, making his way to the bus stop.

Omar walked along, somewhat pleased with the outcome, no answers to Shareef's questions ready in his head. There were other matters he needed to take care of before he returned to the academy the following day. Two major conversations. One he could put to rest in a matter of minutes. The other, he had no idea how to start.

 

14

Sitting at the center of the sofa in the living room, Huda faced the front door. Omar saw her silhouette in the dark the instant he came in. He whispered to Shareef that he needed a moment alone before turning in for the night, ushering him into the bedroom. Omar took off his shoes and went into the living room.

Huda sat at full attention, framed by the moonlit window behind her, dressed in the simple silver dress she had worn at the wedding. She had her back straight, knees bent at a right angle, feet touching, hands in her lap. Her face, expressionless. With her short hair and lack of feminine softness, she could replace one of his stern sergeants at the academy.

‘I've been waiting for you,' she whispered.

‘I can see that.'

Huda got to her feet and motioned for him to follow her to the balcony. ‘I know what you and Shareef talked about.'

‘His stupidity?' Omar tried to cover his nervousness. He wasn't ready for a confrontation with Huda yet.

She took one of the small wooden chairs. ‘So? What's he going to do?'

‘The right thing, of course.'

Huda nodded. ‘Good. I thought he might try to deny his involvement.' She crossed her legs. ‘My opinion of the girl is not favorable, of course. But Shareef's carelessness should cost him.'

Omar eyed Huda under the big moon, looming close, curious about their secret talk. Her attitude surprised him. He didn't expect her to be on board against Shareef, her beloved brother.

‘What?' Huda glared at him. ‘You expected me to fight you over this?'

Omar straddled the other chair. ‘I had my doubts. We never saw eye to eye, you and I.'

‘Families confide in me, Omar. They let me into their homes and trust me with their most delicate matters. You think I would take something like this lightly? The girl should not suffer the consequences alone.'

‘We are talking about the same girl?' He better be sure there weren't others. ‘Sa—'

‘Don't say her name,' Huda silenced him. She glanced over the railing. ‘In case someone overhears us.' Turning back to him, she leaned forward and whispered, ‘The girl who came to study here.'

Fine. He would play along. ‘What do you have in mind?' Omar whispered back.

‘You have a way with Shareef.' She straightened. ‘How did you get him to own up to it?'

Omar draped his arms over the back of the chair and clasped his hands together. ‘Like you said, I have a way with him.' No need to tell her of his threats. Like walking on a tightrope, he didn't want to say anything that might cause him to fall out of her grace. He needed her.

‘I assume you have a plan?' Huda tapped her shoe. ‘Getting Shareef to do the right thing by the girl is half the battle. There are Mother and Father to break the news to. I'm not sure how they will take it.' She looked Omar in the eye. ‘We are talking about their
son.
'

There it was. The dagger mouth Huda had always sported in his face. She had it hidden under that cooperative attitude from the start. He
took a deep breath. Let it pass, he told himself. Get back on the rope.

‘I'm willing to talk to Uncle Mustafa in the morning. Try to convince him to at least write their marriage contract until Shareef graduates.' Omar paused, raised his eyebrows. ‘Unless you want to take on that task?'

Huda shook her head. ‘I can't talk about . . . such matters with my father.'

‘That's what I thought. Your role is with Sa . . . the girl's family. Her father and brothers are in the dark so far.'

‘How do you know that?'

Omar flipped his palms open. ‘Shareef is still alive, isn't he? And the girl is not harmed?'

‘Only the oldest sister-in-law knows. She confided in Marwan's sister, Rihab, asking her to talk to me.' Huda narrowed her eyes. ‘Marwan is the one who told you, right?'

Omar nodded.

‘I thought so when I saw you two talking at the wedding.'

‘You're good friends with his sister? Can you ask her for a big favor?'

Huda turned her head to the side, hiding her face from Omar's view. ‘I can arrange for everything through the women. The girl's mother will do whatever she can to get her husband to accept Shareef when he proposes.' She faced Omar again. ‘I don't have to ask for favors. Once my name is mentioned, the mother will know the truth and she will comply.'

Power. The word jumped into Omar's head. Huda's occupation as a midwife gave her power over families. It wasn't just her dry personality that kept people at a distance. It was the secrets she held. Did she know his secret? A chill went through his body.

‘I can discreetly sell a few of my things and take up new clients in other neighborhoods,' she continued. ‘Make sure you let Father know
a modest dowry can be secured. If things work out right, the girl's mother will help from her end.' Huda smoothed her dress over her knees. ‘No matter what you think of Shareef, he has good qualities going for him.' She held up one hand and started ticking off one finger at a time. ‘A promising future once he gets his diploma, an easy-going nature, a good family behind him, a teacher for a brother-in-law.' She stopped at the last finger.

Omar touched it. ‘And a sensible older sister.'

Huda stared back, lowering her hand. ‘Do you think you can pull it off before you have to leave tomorrow?'

‘Not enough time. I'll talk to Uncle Mustafa, set the wheels in motion. Shareef has to arrange for the formal visit as soon as possible.'

‘Eid is next week. Maybe Shareef can work something out right after the holiday.'

‘You'll let Mama Subhia know?'

Huda took a deep breath. ‘Yes, but after Eid is over. Let her enjoy it.'

Relieved by the somewhat amicable encounter, Omar relaxed his shoulders. ‘Better to leave the others out of it.'

‘You mean Nadia?' Huda's voice again took on a sharp edge, adding more of a questioning tone underneath.

Tension returned to Omar's muscles. He clenched his jaw. Was she testing the waters?

‘I don't want Fatimah to be compromised with her husband if word reaches them,' he explained. ‘I don't want Waleed to think less of Shareef.'

‘And Nadia?' Huda repeated.

‘Is too young and innocent to face this about her friend, soon to be her sister-in-law.'

‘Sixteen is not too young.' Huda rose to her feet. ‘Your concern about us is very touching.' On the threshold, she turned to look down at him. ‘For someone who is not our actual brother.'

Huda's words were meant as a slap to his face, Omar was sure of it. Did she know they had the opposite effect? That they stoked the simmering cinders in his chest, igniting a raging fire? What more validation did his tortured soul need? He was
not
Nadia's brother.

 

15

Marwan left the busy market mosque and stopped at a bakery to pick up lunch. He carried steaming hot
sfeeha
into his store and called his employees over to take their break. The smell of onions and pomegranate syrup wafted as soon as he spread stacks of the flat meat pies on a table in the storage room along with a pail of yogurt. He closed the door behind him and took his place at the front to man the store.

Normally he would give his workers a two-hour break, but it was the last day before they closed for Eid and Souk Elhamedieh was overcrowded with people looking for good deals to purchase last-minute gifts. The day's sales would top the entire month's revenue. Marwan welcomed eager shoppers and prepared to deal with bargaining women who tried his patience with their stubbornness. His merchandise of men and women's clothing stood out among his competitors because of its superior quality, and he knew women's eyes caught the distinction. They haggled anyway.

Needing a break mid-afternoon, he left his main assistant in charge and leaned onto the front doors to catch a breath of air. Schools had let out and the streets were filled with young girls in uniforms of gray skirts and white blouses. Young men trailed not far behind, throwing compliments to gain attention—a dance he witnessed every day around this time. The guys' efforts went unnoticed most days, however on rare occasions a girl would cast a quick look back, duck into one of the narrow side alleys, and a young man would break away from his herd to follow her. Sometimes, when traffic slowed into his store, Marwan
would watch from a distance and challenge himself to spot the girl who would make that move. His success at guessing improved from year to year. Certain types of girls threw crumbs, and guys picked them up with painful predictability. Almost every young man he knew played that silly game. Never him, no matter how carefree he yearned to be.

A group of four girls coming down the alley caught his eye. Three girls flirted with their followers using not so subtle gestures, raising their voices with encouraging laughs, taking turns to whisper to each other, and lingering for too long by store fronts without going inside. The fourth girl walked a step ahead, clearly trying to separate herself from her friends. She clutched books to her chest and kept her eyes to the ground. Hair pulled tight into a ponytail exposed healthy natural beauty and her unsmiling face stood in contrast to her companions' painted lips and color-smudged eyes.

Nadia stood out, not just because of her raw, untainted beauty, but because of her modest and reserved behavior. Vibrant young energy simmered under the surface of that controlled posture. She turned the heads of older men, knowledgeable men who recognized a jewel when they saw one. And she paid no one the slightest attention, not the fools trailing her flashy friends, nor the admiring men she passed. Watching out for her from a distance during Omar's absence, Marwan doubted she knew he existed.

One of the girls caught up with Nadia and brought her lips to her ear. Nadia shook her head and picked up her pace. Marwan pulled himself to full height. Nadia approached. She seemed unaware of him standing a couple of steps before her. The other girl grabbed her elbow and forced her to stop.

‘One last thing,' the girl said and dashed into his shop. ‘I need a sweater.'

Marwan stepped back so she wouldn't brush against him. The others hurried after their friend. Nadia remained on the sidewalk. She met his gaze and her cheeks flamed.

‘Salam, Nadia. Do you remember me?'

She brought her books down and nodded. ‘Omar's friend.'

He threw a threatening look at the bunch of guys several steps behind and waved his hand toward the store. ‘Will you come in?'

‘Only for a few minutes.' She went inside and addressed her friends. ‘It's getting late. You promised you were done shopping.'

The girls kept Marwan's assistant hopping between racks to bring clothing down from high shelves and spread them on the counters. They made so much noise and commotion that other women left the store mumbling. Marwan gritted his teeth.