Golda Slept Here by Suad Amiry

Author:Suad Amiry
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing
Published: 2014-10-02T04:30:00+00:00

That same afternoon.

Huda could have easily parked her navy blue Golf right next to her family house, but she does not.

Neither Nahil nor I notice that she has purposely parked it around the corner, further up the road from her house at 18 Uzia Street, as it is now called. ‘I have no clue who Uzia is, or what Uzia means,’ Huda replies dismissively when Nahil enquires.

Cunning Huda does not want to reveal the risks she is taking by visiting her family house. Her rooster-like walk and utter confidence make me feel relaxed and reassured. The normality of the situation leads me to believe that we are going to have a drink under the trees in their lush green garden, followed by dinner on their big terrace, exactly like the Jewish family we have just left sitting on Bayan’s balcony.

‘Here we are in the Greek Colony, see how charming and peaceful it all is,’ Huda says as she locks her car. ‘Come, let me show you around . . . You see that splendid villa? It belongs to the Greek family that sold Baba the land on which we built our house.’

I take note of the ‘we’ bit; Huda had not yet been born then. I do not want to dishearten her by pointing out that it is getting late and all that interests me, at this point, is to see the much-talked about villa of the Imam family. Needless to say, I am already emotionally drained from all we have experienced that afternoon. By now I know perfectly well why I rarely venture outside the safety of my home in Ramallah.

‘Here it is,’ Huda announces, pointing to a three-floor villa across the street from where we are standing. She has cleverly chosen the very best angle from which to appreciate the splendour of her family house.

‘Wow,’ I say, ‘now I understand why you have been so fixated on your home. It’s truly beautiful. Here, let me take a photo of you and your famous family house.’

‘Yalla Suad, go ahead and do it quickly; Nahil, come closer.’ Huda puts her arm around Nahil, acting like the older cousin and then adds, smiling at the thought, ‘I’m sure the family will love to see the two cousins posing in front of the house.’

I am taking my time, trying to position them in the lower corner of the frame. I must admit I am more interested in the architecture of the house than in the two cousins and family nostalgia. Unlike Nahil’s house, Huda’s is in immaculate condition.

‘Now I see what you mean by the biggest real estate theft.’

‘Yalla Suad, khalsina, get it over with, take the bloody photo before we get into trouble.’

‘Trouble!?!’ I put down the camera.

‘Why get into trouble?’ Nahil asks, moving away from Huda.

‘Oh well, I didn’t want to alarm you, but now that Suad has seen the house and can write about it, I can tell you that I’ve been given a warning and threatened with deportation if I’m ever caught or seen in the vicinity of our house again.

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