The Slave Yards by Najwa Bin Shatwan

Author:Najwa Bin Shatwan
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780815655091
Publisher: Syracuse University Press
Published: 2020-05-06T00:00:00+00:00

1. Usban al-shams is a Libyan dish made from sheep’s stomach stuffed with salted, dried sheep’s lung, heart, and muscle meat finely chopped and seasoned with salt, hot pepper, dried mint, caraway, and coriander. The stuffed tripe is held together with strings made from strips of the sheep’s intestines, dried in the sun, and fried.

2. A locally made alcoholic beverage known for its refreshing fragrance.

Good Evening, Good Morning

IT WAS LUNCHTIME in Master Imuhammad’s household, and the slaves had set two tables side by side, one for the women and one for the men. Two slave girls were serving the food, busily going back and forth attending to the people having their meal.

Noticing his interest in one of the two girls, Muhammad’s mother gestured to her husband with a wink to look over at his son. He wasn’t taking part in the conversation, as if his only concern was the girl in question. He would stare at her when she wasn’t looking, but avert his gaze if she looked his way. Similarly, he would lower his gaze as she passed, then pursue her with his eyes as she walked away.

Then, as everyone was eating and the two servant girls were standing nearby ready to receive orders, he spilled some soup on his farmala and jumped to his feet. Tawida ran up to him with a napkin, preparing to treat the spot. As he took it off and handed it to her, she saw him direct his eyes meaningfully to a certain part of the garment. She rushed to the kitchen with the farmala and her speculations and filled a tub with water to remove the spots. When Aida brought Tawida the salt, she leaned over and, with an impish grin, whispered, “Smell it first.”

As she brought the garment gingerly to her nose, she remembered the fragrance she’d taken in throughout the long night he’d spent in her room. She remembered how enraptured she’d been by the scent, which she’d never smelled on a man before. So, then, her suspicions had been correct: the master who had once poured hot soup on her in a fit of rage now wanted her in a state of tranquility. The master who had touched her in a state of drunkenness wanted her now in a state of full awareness, to enjoy her and be enjoyed.

As she was about to immerse the farmala in the water, she felt something in its pocket. She took it out and what should she find but a small bundle containing a chunk of musk, some frankincense, a miswak, and a piece of hard candy as well as one other thing that she didn’t recognize.

Realizing instinctively what was to come, she hurriedly concealed it in her bosom, then tied the neck opening to her dress securely closed. She was so excited she nearly floated off the ground.

What’s happening, Oh merciful God? Could a man that handsome really want a simple servant girl like her?

After lunch he wanted to go to the kitchen, where the servants spent most of their day.

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