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
