The Automobile Club of Egypt by Alaa Al Aswany

Author:Alaa Al Aswany
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Published: 2015-08-17T16:00:00+00:00

23

“Look, Umm Said,” said Aisha. “If you want Fayeqa to marry yourson, may the name of the Prophet protect him, I will go and fetch her for him myself.”

Umm Said muttered a few words of thanks, but Aisha carried on with gusto, “I know. By God Almighty, were we to search the whole world we would never find better than you. Marrying into your family brings us honor, so you can consider Said and Fayeqa as good as married!”

Umm Said still seemed a little anxious trying to make her point for the last time, “Let me repeat myself, Aisha. Without qualification, no happy ending. No ululations, no guests and no white dress.”

Aisha sighed. “Umm Said,” she said affectionately, “we’ll do whatever makes you happy. With God’s blessing.”

Umm Said had been trumped. She had not expected Aisha to agree to such austere conditions attached to the marriage. There was nothing to say. Umm Said got up to leave, and Aisha gave her a joyful hug and kiss as she walked with her to the door. Umm Said now felt that it had all been a clever trap laid by that wily Aisha and her coquettish daughter and that her son Said had fallen into it, dragging his mother along with him. Aisha had planned and executed the scheme with such cool calculation. She had stood by her so magnanimously after the death of Abd el-Aziz. Then she had sent over her useless daughter to seduce that fool of a boy, Said, and get her claws into him. And now, after all that, Aisha was agreeing to every last condition for the wedding. What a scheming cow she was.

The next Wednesday, the fatiha was read out, and the rings exchanged. The bride’s family had been as obliging as possible on the subject of the dowry, saying that financial matters were the furthest from their mind and that they were only interested in their daughter’s happiness. Aisha gave Umm Said no opportunity to disagree with her, except for one worrying thing that happened. Aisha was visiting Umm Said and let drop that Said had decided to open a savings account with her to set a little aside once he started his job in Tanta. Umm Said’s face turned ashen, but she made no comment.

When she was alone with Said in the apartment, however, she could not control herself and confronted him, “So you intend to start a savings account with Aisha…”

Said looked at her as if to say, “What of it?”

“Please God.” He nodded. “As soon as I have a job and get my first salary.”

His mother stomped over to him, and had he not been taller than her, she would have slapped him.

“You should be ashamed of yourself,” she shouted hoarsely. “You know we’re short of money. Instead of thinking to help us, you’re saving to help them?”

“It’s not a big thing,” Said said with a smile.

That was his way. He did whatever he wanted and then faced the reactions with complete sangfroid.

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