Roses and Thorns…
(Translated from the Arabic short story of Muna al-Amad.)
Shoked… she was, when her husband informed her of his intentions. He was going to marry another woman.
“You are kidding, right? You want to tease me, that's all!” she said that pleadingly wanting him to agree with her but he shook his head and said calmly,
“I have never been more serious”
Her temper flared, “why?”
He knew she would ask. He knew she would want a reason. He tried to prepare an answer, to find an excuse. Why did he want to marry? What did she lack? did she lag in her responsibilities towards him? Did she neglect her duties? Then why?
She repeated, “why?... tell me why?”
He held her hand in his and said, “Sweetheart…”
She snatched her hand angrily yelling, “Sweetheart? Sweetheart?”
He interrupted her trying to regain his courage, “Did I say that you neglected your duties? Did I ever complain that you shirked your responsibilities, did I? No, I never had.”
She shrieked, “Then why do you want to marry another woman?”
He looked around trying to think of something to say. He had prepared a speech for this moment. He wanted to tell her that she was a wonderful wife and mother and that she has done very well looking after him and their children. But now nothing seemed appropriate to say. She was so angry… so desperate for a logical reason. He found none.
His silence flared her ire, “I am asking ‘why?’ answer me!”
He tried to calm her down and promised her that his marriage will never cause her any distress. To her, he will remain the devoted, passionate husband he always had been. He still cared about her. He still loved her. She shouldn’t be worried about their relationship; for nothing can spoil it. But she wasn’t listening. She was angry and she wanted to know, “why?”
He realized that whatever he said, she wouldn’t calm or soften. For nothing would calm her except his retreat and he was not intending to back down off his decision. Therefore, he firmly said, “look! I have thought about it very well already and now that I have decided, I am informing you so you don’t have to hear it from some one else. Ok?”
And he turned to leave. She followed him,
“Who is she?”
He was silent for a while but then said, “That’s none of your business.”
She didn’t budge, “Is she prettier than I? Is she younger? Is she…”
He interrupted her firmly, “and that is none of MY business…” he held her gaze and firmly said, “You know that, that is none of MY business.”
He left without turning back.
She wept all night recalling memories; happy ones, sweet ones, sad ones. They all made her weep. She sobbed and cried all night.
In the morning next day, she called her best friend Sahar and pleaded with her to come over.
Her voice on the phone shook, worrying her friend. And when she came, she couldn’t utter a single intelligible word. All she did was sob and weep miserably. Sahar tried to calm her asking what had happened.
“Is someone hurt?”
She shook her head.
“Your children ok?”
She nodded.
“Your husband then?”
She nodded and sobbing miserably said, “It is terrible! He wants to marry.”
Sahar gaped at her but then pulling herself together, pretending to sigh with relief. She said trying to make the matter sound like a trifle, “God bless you Rabab! You scared me. Oh dear! You send for me at this early hour to tell me this? Look at yourself. If you are not careful, you are going into a nervous breakdown. And all because of what? Because your husband has decided to marry? For God’s sake it is not the end of the world”
Rabab looked at her incredulously, “it is the end of my world at least, the end of my life, my dreams, my happiness… it is my end.” She whined with frustration.
Sahar swallowed feeling what her friend was going through but she knew she should be careful otherwise she is going to harm her friend by encouraging her to submit to self-pity. She therefore firmly said, “so what? What if he is marrying? He is the one who will bear a new responsibility. New house, new family, equity between the two wives. It is he who is to suffer. And here you will always remain the queen of this house and even better… your responsibilities are going to reduce. You will have more free time. You will be less busy.”
Her words flared up Rabab’s temper, “are you making fun of me? I thought you would understand. I tell you my husband is going to marry another woman and I shall loose literally everything and you say you will have more time!!! What queen are you talking about?!”
Sahar pretended to be more serious, “ok! Let me put this straight. This is your decision. Either you surrender and loose everything; your husband, children and dreams, or…”
Rabab wiped her tears and asked feebly, “or what?”
Sahar smiled, “or you would stand firm and with will-power carry on with your life as if nothing serious has happened. You will remain the queen of this house; your family would suffer nothing and what you think is a catastrophe now will turn out to be a blessing of God.”
Rabab asked impatiently, “How?”
“You are a successful teacher. Your English is fluent. Why don’t you complete higher studies? PhD. I mean? Have you ever thought about translating good books? So much can be done. I told you that before but always you said , “No time… so much to do… husband, children, house-chores…””
Rabab interrupted her, “was that wrong? Looking after my family?”
“No! Who said that?”
But then she thought for a moment, “or may be it was, relatively wrong that is”, She said slowly.
Rabab was more impatient, “For the love of God! Stop talking in riddle. Isn’t it the ultimate dream of every girl to have a husband and children?”
Sahar exclaimed finding it, finding the reason behind the misery of her friend, “exactly! That’s what’s wrong! It is natural to dream of that but it’s wrong to consider that as the ultimate and final dream. That’s what’s wrong about it because if ever we lose it or were threatened to lose it, we are in terrible agony and it seems to us as the end of us, the end of the world, a calamity. Dearest! Don’t you think it is wiser to think of it as a station in one’s life’s journey instead of thinking of it as a destination?”
“May be you are right”
Sahar held her friend’s hands firmly in hers before leaving and said, “Muster up your courage and will… you can do it…”
Sahar’s words had a soothing effect on Rabab. She got over her problem and made a fresh start with new hopes. She worked hard not allowing despair or sadness to seep into her life. She succeeded with excellence in her professional life and started the translation of her first book. Her friend was right. She had now more time for what she always yearned to do. Even her husband, at the day she published her first book, said playfully, “so it was my marriage that made you discover your talents!”
She said challenging him, “the credit goes to you?”
“Of course not! I am glad for your success. You deserve even more. And it delights me thoroughly to see you achieve what you dreamt of.”
After several years of his marriage, her husband returned one day home, happy with himself; thinking that the news he has, will make his wife dance with merriment. He held her hands in his and told her joyfully that his other wife was granted a scholarship and that she will leave with some of her family members to another country to complete her studies.
She stunned him with her indifference, “what has that to do with me?” she asked.
He said enthusiastically, “it has everything to do with you. Why? All my time would be yours. It will be like it used to be. The two of us… together all the time” he winked mischievously.
She interrupted him smiling, “well, you already know I have organized my time. A day for you and the next day for my job and books.”
He gaped at her bewildered, “so what do I do?”
She smiled at him with confidence and patted his cheeks,
“I have no idea… may be marry another woman.”
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