Princess Sultana's Daughters

hospital
who had suffered a serious head injury in an automobile accident
within the kingdom seven months before. She had been unconscious
for that length of time. Now, the hospital staff and the family of
the woman were in a crisis, for the medical staff at the hospital
had discovered that the woman was four months pregnant! There was
an ongoing inquiry at the hospital to find the guilty party.
    Amani’s horrifying story was true! Kareem
said that Ali must be told, and asked me to accompany him to my
brother’s home. For once in my life, I experienced no glee
regarding my brother’s misfortunes.
    My stomach churned as we entered the side
gate into the enormous compound that housed Ali’s four wives and
seve concubines. As our automobile entered the gate, I caught sight
of many women and numerous children gathered on the portion of the
lawn that was made partially private by green foliage. The children
were playing, while the women were gossiping, playing card games,
or knitting.
    How strange, I thought, that over the years
the women my brother had wed, along with the concubines he kept,
had developed close and loving relationships. It was rare for so
many women attached to one man to maintain such a successful and
friendly rapport.
    I could not imagine sharing Kareem with even
one woman, let alone ten. I thought that perhaps the lack of love
in my brother’s temperament had caused the women to seek friendship
and companionship with those of their own kind. Or perhaps my
brother inspired no love at all from his women, and each one
welcomed the intrusion of another to seduce Ali away from her
marriage bed.
    That thought brought a smile to my face.
    But when I remembered the tragic reason for
our visit, my smile vanished.
    Ali was in a jolly mood, and he extended a
friendly welcome to our unexpected and unexplained visit.
    After an exchange of amenities, and our third
cup of tea, Kareem broke the bad news. It was not an easy exchange,
and Ali became distressed as Kareem informed him of what we had
learned.
    Ali’s expression changed from that of a
contented man to that of one lost in sorrow. For the first time in
my life, I felt sympathy for my brother, recalling words I had
often heard spoken by those wiser than I. “ Those whose hands are
in the water should not expect happiness from those whose hands are
in the fire .”
    Ali was a man with his hand in the fire.
Majed was summoned, and the boy’s arrogant facade cracked when he
saw the furious look on his father’s face. I wanted to hate the
boy, but I remembered an incident that had occurred when I was a
child. After being corrected for some minor infraction, Ali once
called our mother an ignorant bedouin and moved to kick her.
When my sisters and I begged our mother to beat Ali with a big
stick, she sadly responded, “Why blame a young boy for resembling
his father?”
    Now, just as Ali had resembled our father in
character and behavior, Majed was the image of Ali.
    Kareem and I left my brother and his son when
Ali began to strike Majed with his bare hands.
    A week later Ali confided to Kareem that the
problem had been “handled.” He reported that he had located the
Pakistani orderly and had made the man very rich. The Pakistani had
invested his money in Canada, and with Ali’s assistance would soon
receive a passport to that country. Our family would hear no more
from that troublemaker, Ali declared.
    Shaking his head in bafflement, he told
Kareem, “All this disruption, for a woman.”
    Neither the hospital nor the family of the
woman raped by Majed was ever aware of the truth of the matter,
that the guilty party was a royal prince.
    Majed was sent away to school in the West.
Amani, convinced that no punishment could be worse than banishment
from the land of the Prophet, was pacified.
    Once again, wealth had absolved the family
responsibility for a crime committed.
    I suppose I should not have been angry or
surprised, for as my brother said, it was only a woman.
    It seemed that nothing disturbed the male
domination of my country, even when one of their own was guilty of
the most heinous crime.
     

 
Love Affair
    When love beckons to you, follow him, though
his ways are hard and steep.
    —KAHLIL GIBRAN
    Amani and her sister, Maha, woke me from a
pleasant afternoon nap. Through the heavy doors leading into my
private quarters, I could hear my daughters screaming at one
another.
    What had Amani done now? I thought to myself
as I quickly dressed.