The Coffeehouse by Naguib Mahfouz

Author:Naguib Mahfouz [Mahfouz, Naguib]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781617973154
Publisher: I.B.Tauris
Published: 2013-02-14T22:00:00+00:00

The earth’s atmosphere became clouded with gloom. The human drama stretched in its course from critical development to tension, until the German armies annihilated Poland, while England and France lost no time in declaring war on Germany.

“This is the Second World War,” pronounced Ismail Qadri.

“But Italy hasn’t declared war!” ventured Hamada, hoping to pluck reassurance from the air.

In any case, none of us doubted that it would be declared either today or tomorrow, and that Egypt would become a battleground between the Allies and the Axis. The government took action to face the unknown, broadcasting useful information about the air raids, and turned its attention to the obligatory advisories. It painted the street lights blue, enveloping our nights in an unfamiliar blackness. We even began to dig shelters in various districts.

The wheel of our lives did not stop turning, as the news excited and awakened us.

Hamada al-Halawani’s life continued between the palace, the houseboat, and Khan al-Khalili, while he added the Allies and the Axis to his vacillation between schools of thought. For a little while he’d be with the Axis, expounding on Nazism and its racist philosophy, tracing its roots back to the origins of the Aryan race. On another night he would be with the Allies, declaring his allegiance to democracy, infatuated with its historical riches and what it had given to humanity, with its principles of liberty, equality, and fraternity. He bought a Ford car of the latest model to protect himself against the oppressor and the Allied soldiers who swarmed in the streets.

“Whiskey’s getting scarce,” complained Hamada. “And hashish is more expensive. And, on the whole, women prefer soldiers to civilians. So what advantage do we still have as a non-combatant country?”

“War will break out in our territory,” answered Ismail. “Whenever death approaches, the pleasure of life explodes,” he added, laughing.

As he was invited a number of times to write songs for films, the material conditions of Tahir Ubayd’s life improved. Stricken with pneumonia, his mother-in-law passed into the mercy of God. He renovated the furnishings of his two apartments by making one of them a place for living and dining, and the other into a library.

“If you visited the villa at Among the Mansions Street and took Darya with you, she would break into the hearts that are closed against you.”

“I fear that Darya would not be welcomed as warmly as she should be,” said Tahir sympathetically, “and that would turn my heart against my parents, whom I still love.”

“But grandchildren have an irresistible magic. …”

“You don’t know my parents the way I do,” Tahir retorted with a laugh.

At this time, Raifa left her job, contenting herself with just being mistress of the house. Yet she remained skilled at, and insistent on, keeping her lithe figure. Motivated by her love for and pride in her husband, she strove to match the physique of the women seen in newspapers and magazines.

As for Sadiq Safwan, he had a story whose secrets did not emerge until its season had passed.

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