Princess Sultana's Daughters

was linked to the safe
recovery of our daughter. Never did he know that my happiness was
linked to our son and the fact that Abdullah had turned his back
upon injustice, and his face to a free life for all people.
    Maha was a bit frightened by the intensity of
her father’s blazing eyes, and she mentioned some small task that
required her time.
    Sara gathered her children and went home to
Asad, whispering in my ear that I should call her as soon as
possible.
    I could hear Amani’s voice in the background,
rising and falling with the sounds of her deeply felt communication
with God.
    Finally, I was alone with my husband.
    I thought that Kareem’s face was hardened by
the oppressive weight of his discovery, and I was unprepared for
his ruthless accusations.
    He declared his feelings without questioning
his wife. “Sultana, your scent is on Fayza’s flight.”
    For a short moment, I was silenced by his
insinuation. As one whose anger runs to extremes, I appeared at my
worst when I struck out at Kareem’s arm with my fist.
    Well acquainted with my passions, Kareem was
prepared. He sidestepped, avoiding the blow.
    Over the years, Kareem had disciplined his
reactions so that he appeared moderate, always making me appear the
worse in our conflicts. Today was no exception. “Sultana. This is
no time to fight. Our son and Fayza have fled the kingdom.” My
husband grabbed me. “You must tell me their travel plans.”
    All my denials failed to convince Kareem that
while our son might have inherited my talent for brilliant
deception, I had no hand in his present action.
    Like the town thief who is not believed when
a loaf of bread is stolen, my past reached into the present, and a
frightening avalanche of accusations flamed out against an innocent
woman.
    I was paying a dear price for my militant
past.
    I thought Kareem’s conduct as a husband might
have been more loyal, and I told him so.
    Kareem asked how he could believe me. He said
he had married a woman who was half angel and half devil, and the
devil in me often ruled the angel, and when it came to issues that
concerned women’s lives, I could not speak without lying and could
not act without treachery!
    Angrier than I have ever been—for what human
endures false censure with grace—I spat at Kareem’s feet and left
the room, promising never again to enter a conversation with the
man to whom I was wed.
    Kareem thought it best to bury his doubts,
for he was concerned that without my assistance, he might not
succeed in finding his son or in returning Fouad’s daughter. Kareem
said that if he were in the wrong he was sorry, and that I must
save our son from committing an offense that would further entangle
him in another man’s personal affairs.
    Suspecting his true motives, I refused to
answer his request for forgiveness, squeezing my eyes shut so I did
not have to view his face, and motioning with my hand for him to go
away.
    As soon as the door slammed, my pleasure at
revenge faded.
    Where was my son? Was he safe?
    For five days there was no peace in our home,
for Kareem and I had no peaceful communication. Amani prayed and
wept, while Maha sang love songs and celebrated Fayza’s escape.
    *
    Is anything in life more sweet than
success?
    With a singleness of purpose, Fayza evaded
the snares that had been prepared for her and was reunited with the
man she loved.
    I could never have anticipated the reaction
of Fouad and Samia to Fayza’s desperate flight. Prepared for Kareem
to be forced to use his position as protection for our only son, I
was pleasantly surprised by Fouad’s meek acceptance of his
daughter’s behavior.
    On the fifth day after their disappearance,
Abdullah called usfrom Cyprus, the small island nation located
close to the shores of Lebanon. Abdullah had no fear of our
reaction and declared firmly, against our protests, that he had
administered justice, not vengeance, by bringing Jafer and Fayza
together.
    My breath left my body when Abdullah confided
that Fayza had telephoned her parents an hour before, and that
Fouad and Samia had left their anger behind them and wanted nothing
morethan a second opportunity to welcome Jafer as their son. Fouad
told his child that if she and Jafer would not turn their backs on
her family, he promised he would not “step in the same raging river
twice.”
    How true it is that humanity refuses
compromise during prosperity, and reaches out for arbitration when
weak. Swayed by the fear of never seeing their