My Uncle Napoleon by Pezeshkzad Iraj

Author:Pezeshkzad, Iraj [Pezeshkzad, Iraj]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mage Publishers
Published: 2012-07-11T00:00:00+00:00

Supper at uncle colonel’s house was not a very elaborate affair. In addition to my father and mother and Dear Uncle Napoleon and the children, Asadollah Mirza and Shamsali Mirza were there.

A little later Dustali Khan came and said that Aziz al-Saltaneh wouldn’t be coming because Qamar felt unwell. At first the conversation revolved around Shapur, aka Puri, uncle colonel’s son. Shamsali Mirza said, “Now that Mr. Puri’s coming home safe and sound, the colonel should roll his sleeves up as soon as possible and get preparations for the wedding underway.”

Uncle colonel said, “Thank God a thousand times over, you don’t know what a state I’ve been in these days what with all this trouble and confusion, what I’ve been through till the right papers came. If the Master agrees, God willing we can fix the engagement date for the Qorban holiday.”

Dear Uncle Napoleon was silent and withdrawn. I peeked at Layli who was looking down, and then gave Asadollah Mirza a helpless, imploring glance.

Asadollah pretended he’d no idea what was going on.

“Very nice, too, have you got someone in mind for him?”

Uncle colonel said, “You mean you don’t know, Asadollah?”

“Moment, how am I supposed to know? And then I wouldn’t have thought you could find a girl willing to take on someone who’s just got through with his military service and hasn’t a proper job to his name.”

“What nonsense you’re talking! With the education Puri’s had, any office would take him sight unseen. It’s no joke, the boy’s had fifteen years of education and got his degree, all my friends in government offices are begging to have Puri work with them . . . the boy’s a real genius.”

Asadollah laughed and said, “That’s clear from his face. But who have you got in mind for him?”

Uncle colonel gave Layli a fatherly look and said, “The marriages of first cousins are made in heaven.”

Asadollah Mirza wrinkled his brow and said, “Moment, moment, I’m very against this. Little Layli isn’t any more than fourteen or fifteen and she has to finish her schooling.”

Before uncle colonel had the opportunity to answer, Dustali Khan said, “I’d like to know if when his lordship got married his bride had finished her schooling. And anyway this kind of talk doesn’t mean anything when it comes to girls.”

Asadollah Mirza immediately bristled and said, “Now, Dustali . . .”

But it seemed that a thought suddenly occurred to him and he stopped talking. After a moment he said, “By the way, did you read in the paper how the Germans have sunk some more Allied ships?”

Dustali Khan never had the least idea of what was going on in the world, but in order to annoy Asadollah Mirza he started to make provocative remarks, “Even if they sink a thousand of their ships, in the end the English will smash them to bits. In the first World War didn’t the Germans almost get to Paris, and then they were made mincemeat of?”

In a loud voice Asadollah Mirza said, “I don’t know why you back the English up so much.

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