Princess Sultana's Circle

never been our friends, so I
do not understand why you chose to visit them in the first place.
But, please, for the benefit of all, from now on, stay away from
that family.”
    I tried to keep my emotions
from showing in my face. I desperately wanted to tell Kareem about
Maha’s shocking claim about a harem with girls kept against their
will, and if true, my urgent need to help them. But, I could not
speak, for this was not the time. I knew that my husband would
consider the fate of the captive women outside the realm of our
influence. He was certain to forbid my interference.
    So when Kareem took my arm,
looked deeply in my eyes, and said, “Stay away from Faddel and
Khalidah. Do you understand, Sultana?”, I just nodded and muttered,
“Wala yoldaghul moumenu min juhren marratayn,” which means: “The
believer never gets a second snake bite from the same snake
hole.”
    Satisfied that he had made
his point, Kareem stood up and put on his most serious face. “We
must be wise when choosing our acquaintances, Sultana. Any
association with such people as Faddel can only lead to unpleasant
consequences.”
    He paused, then said, “I am
thinking of visiting Hanan and Mohammed. Would you like to
come?”
    “ Thank you, but no. It’s
best that I remain with our daughters this day. But, please,
darling, will you take along the Eid gifts that I purchased for
them?”
    I cared deeply for Hanan,
who was Kareem’s youngest sister, and her husband Mohammed.
Actually, apart from Kareem’s mother, Noorah, I liked every member
of my husband’s family, and I looked forward to our visits together
with delight. As the years passed, I came to realize that I was
fortunate indeed to be married into a family like
Kareem’s.
    Kareem left our palace, and
after a bath, I went to inform Amani of her father’s good news. The
poor girl was still in bed and in a deep sleep. The previous day
had been so trying for her! Looking at Amani’s sleeping form, I was
overcome with love for her, despite her sharp tongue. I kissed her
lightly on the cheek before I left to find Maha.
    With Amani’s crisis behind
me, I now knew that I must pay attention to Maha’s story to
maintain my daughter’s respect, and my own self-respect as a
champion of women’s rights.
    Maha was up and getting
dressed. To my surprise, she was not listening to music. Her eyes
met mine in the reflection of her vanity mirror. I could see that
she was still angry about the previous day’s incident.
    “ What happened to those
birds?” she asked in a surly tone.
    Cautiously, I said, “Your
father handled the problem. The birds now belong to
Amani.”
    Maha made an exasperated
face. “How did Father manage that?”
    “ Your father made Faddel a
rather generous offer,” I admitted.
    Maha’s lip curled. “Well, I
refuse to attend a bird funeral! I mean it, Mother!”
    I gently placed my hand on
Maha’s shoulder and spoke to her image in the mirror. “If that is
your wish, Maha.”
    She jerked her shoulder
away from my touch.
    I knew that an apology was
in order. I sighed as I said, “Darling, I am sorry about yesterday.
Truly, I am, but to hear you say such cruel and unfeeling things
about your sister drove me mad. Believe me, should real harm come
to Amani, the last thing you would do is to feast and dance.” I
paused for a moment before adding, “If a tragedy should really
strike Amani, your heart would be forever burdened by your
thoughtless words.”
    After considering my words,
Maha’s fury seemed to vanish. She smiled. “You are right, Mother.”
She swiveled around on her vanity stool, and stared intently into
my face. “Now, can we go and save those young women at Cousin
Faddel’s palace?”
    I sighed deeply. I, too,
had once been aflame with the overwhelming desire to help every
woman in need. Life had taught me that such desires often met with
failure. I patted Maha’s cheek lovingly before sitting down on her
bed.
    “ Darling, tell me about the
young women. How did you learn about them?”
    Maha laid aside her powder
brush and she turned to look at me. Her voice started to race and
she stumbled over words. “All right, Mother, I will tell you.
Yesterday, after I came out of the bathroom at that evil palace,
Layla was nowhere to be found. Since I did not know where the
garden was located, I begin to walk around the grounds, looking for
you. I searched everywhere, and soon became lost in that maze of
pavilions! I found myself on the path