The Caliph's House (28 page)

         

AS OUR FIRST YEAR
in Morocco drew to a close, I found myself thinking a great deal about the move. The learning curve had been severe. I concluded that a life not filled with severe learning curves was no life at all.

Live in a new country and you find yourself making compromises. Make them, and you are rewarded many times over. Morocco has an antique culture, one that's still intact, with the family at the core. For me, the greatest thing about living here has been that Ariane and Timur can play against an inspiring backdrop, teeming with a full spectrum of life. As a parent, I have escaped the sense of guilt that drowns all parents in Britain, where the Victorian conviction persists that children should be seen and not heard. I encourage Ariane and Timur to be loud, to shout, to dance in the streets, to be themselves.

Renovating Dar Khalifa has been a rich, vivid expedition. At times I have shouted, ranted, or fallen on the ground in defeat. But the secret was to get up and carry on, however harsh the situation. I have gained so much from escaping England, but most of all I feel proud to be myself again.

         

A FEW DAYS AFTER
the death of Hicham Harass, the guardians crept into my study while I was writing at the Spanish table. I had stressed again and again that when I was sitting there, no one was to disturb me. The only exceptions were if the children were in trouble or if the house was on fire. From the guardians' faces, I could see there was no emergency. I looked up and waited for their excuse.

“We need to speak to you, Monsieur Tahir,” said Hamza, pushing ahead of the others.

“Is it important?” I asked.

The three men nodded. “Yes,” they said together. “Yes, it is important.”

I put down my fountain pen. “What is it?”

“The Jinns have gone,” said Osman.

“It's good, isn't it?” I said. “Now we can live in peace.”

The guardians edged closer.

“We have better news for you,” said Hamza.

“What could be better than having a house without Jinns?”

The Bear stepped forward. He was holding a tatty dossier.

“The Jinns were hiding this,” Osman added.

“What is it?”

“The treasure,” he said.

Hamza took the dossier from the Bear and placed it on the table. I untied the ribbon and pulled the folder open. Inside there were a number of browned pages and a scale plan of our land.

I asked what it meant.

Osman pointed to the plan. “You own the gangster's house,” he said.

         

HICHAM HARASS WAS BURIED
on a hillside shaded by poplar trees on the southern edge of Casablanca. His grave was marked by a stick in a mound of freshly dug earth. All around there were other graves, a great rolling quilt of them, white stones glinting in the evening light. I would go there and sit at Hicham's mound and watch the shadow thrown by his stick inch to the east. There was a silence in the cemetery, the kind I had rarely encountered in Casablanca, the silence of peace.

The guardians begged me not to visit the old man's grave. They said there was no place in Morocco more perilous to be than a cemetery, especially at dusk.

“When the sun goes down,” said the Bear, “the Jinns rise up from the graves and search for fresh-faced men.”

         

ON THE FIRST DAY
of July, Kamal arrived from the port with the container full of my books. By some amazing sleight of hand, he had humored the censorship police and had sidestepped the charges. As ever, I had no idea what lies he had told, if he had told any at all.

That night Rachana and I moved upstairs into our new bedroom, and the children into theirs across the hall. We had spent almost an entire year squashed up in a small room downstairs. Living in the main house was like reaching adulthood—a little daunting, yet so full of possibility. Words couldn't describe the joy of lying in bed, knowing that the building work was over.

My head was heavy on the pillow that first night we spent upstairs. Rachana and I lay down on the bed and both burst into laughter. It seemed too good to be true, to be in our own bedroom. Rachana put her hands behind her head and stared up at the ceiling.

“We could sell this house and do it all again,” she said.

I didn't answer at first. I was in shock. I thought of all the trouble we had had with the architect, the workmen, and the Jinns.

“Are you absolutely out of your mind?”

“It's been hard,” she replied. “But we've lived.”

It seemed as if a great burden had been lifted from my shoulders. Of course there would be problems ahead. We were adrift on an ocean of problems. But there was a feeling of genuine achievement, that by embracing the challenge we were stronger, and in some way more complete. Most satisfying of all was the sense that we had at last been accepted by Morocco, by our guardians, and by the Caliph's House.

G
LOSSARY

Agaz:
a cactus found in Morocco, the fiber of which is used to make sabra silk cloth.

Aissawa:
a brotherhood of exorcists originally formed in the sixteenth century, hailing from Meknes, famed for their spiritual music.

Arabesque:
the style of intricate patterns of interlaced lines used in Arab art.

Arabian Nights:
a large collection of stories of unknown authorship originating in what is now Iraq and beyond. Famously translated by Sir Richard Burton in the nineteenth century; also known as
A Thousand and One Nights
. Used to refer to the style or atmosphere of the medieval Middle East.

Baba:
literally “father,” used as a term of endearment by children in place of “Daddy.” Also used as a term of respect for an old man.

Baksheesh:
money given as a bribe or as a reward.

Baraka:
literally “blessing” or “blessed.”

Barboush:
popular sharp-toed goatskin slippers worn by men and women in Morocco, in yellow or other colors.

Bejmat:
handmade terracotta tiles, glazed or unglazed, used for the floors of houses and verandahs.

Bendir:
traditional goatskin tambourines of Morocco.

Berber:
one of several original non-Arab tribes.

Bidonville:
French word for shantytown.

Bismillah:
Arabic, literally “in the name of God”; said by Muslims before starting or finishing many actions, such as eating, driving, and so on.

Bistiya:
Moroccan dish made with sweet pastry, beneath which lie wafer-thin layers of pigeon (or chicken), almonds, and egg.

B'saf:
Moroccan Arabic, literally “a lot” or “much.”

Café noir:
literally “black coffee” in French, referring to the extremely strong coffee served without milk in most Moroccan cafés.

Caftan:
a loose-fitting garment for women, often embroidered.

Caliph:
the successor of the Prophet Mohammed; used also to refer to a governor or man with considerable political power.

Couscous:
a dish of steamed semolina, extremely popular in Morocco, usually served with stewed vegetables, meat, or both.

Dar:
Moroccan Arabic word for house.

Dari:
one of the languages of Afghanistan.

Darj:
a shape of hand-cut zelij mosaic.

Datura:
a plant of the potato family with long, trumpetlike flowers, brought from the New World by the Spanish conquistadores, used as a hallucinogen by European medieval witches and others.

Dirham:
the currency of Morocco; there are about 8 dirhams to the U.S. dollar and 16 dirhams to the pound sterling.

Douane:
French word for customs.

Eid:
Eid al-Fitr, the “small” Eid, marks the end of Ramadan. Eid al-Kabeer arrives about a month later, and that larger one marks the sacrifice of Abraham, who killed a ram in place of his son Isaac.

Esperato:
a rough natural grass woven into floor matting and so on.

Fantasia:
a display of horsemanship popular in rural areas, in which participants charge and fire their antique weapons as they ride.

Fasi:
someone from Fès, or the style of that city.

F'lous:
Moroccan Arabic word for money.

Garagab:
large iron castanets, played by Moroccan musicians.

Genie:
see
Jinn
.

Ghaytah:
piercing woodwind pipes popular in the Atlas Mountains and other regions of Morocco.

Hajj:
the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca; one of the life duties of all Muslims.

Hammam:
literally “bath,” but often used to refer to a Turkish-style steam bath.

Harem:
a section of a traditional house, reserved for the womenfolk.

Hejab:
the act of covering the hair with a scarf or veil used traditionally by Moroccan women.

Imam:
the leader of prayers in a mosque, who also usually recites the call to prayer (see
Muezzin
).

Inshallah:
Arabic, literally “If God wills it.”

Jelaba:
long, flowing hooded robe worn by both men and women in Morocco.

Jinn:
a fraternity of spirits created by God from fire and mentioned in the Qur'an; Muslims believe they inhabit the world along with humans.

Jnun:
Moroccan Arabic term for a Jinn.

Kasbah:
a fortified castle or citadel, particularly one situated in rural desert areas.

Kelim:
a brightly colored woven carpet.

Khalifa:
Arabic word for Caliph.

Khobz:
literally “bread,” often referring to hard round loaves of home-baked bread.

Kif:
hashish resin.

Kura:
a shape of hand-cut zelij mosaic.

Magic square:
a mathematical arrangement of numbers, in which the lines add up to the same total in whatever direction they are read.

Manqash:
a heavy, sharp-edged hammer used for cutting zelij mosaics and for excising a pattern on glazed tiles.

Marrachi:
someone from Marrakech, or the style of that city.

Medina:
an older walled city, with narrow streets and tight mass of houses and markets.

Menzeh:
a pavilion for relaxation, typically set in the gardens of a palace or large house.

Merguez:
spiced mutton or lamb sausages.

Minaret:
the tower attached to a mosque from which the prayer is called.

Moualem:
literally “master,” referring to a craftsman in a traditional Moroccan form of art.

Muezzin:
the call to prayer or, more correctly, the person who calls the prayer.

Nafir:
a long brass trumpet or horn, up to seven feet in length.

Qermud:
the curved green or blue glazed titles used in roofing traditional Moroccan buildings.

Quandil:
a shape of hand-cut zelij mosaic.

Qur'an:
the holy book of Islam, revealed over a number of years to the Prophet Mohammed in Arabic.

Ramadan:
the holiest month in Islam, in which Muslims are required to fast between dawn and dusk.

Riad:
a traditional courtyard garden of Morocco; also used to describe a house with a central courtyard of this type.

Sabra:
form of natural silk, woven from the fibers of the agaz cactus.

Salon Moroccain:
a formal reception area common in Moroccan homes, reserved for the receiving of guests.

Sehura:
a sorceress.

Sharif:
literally “noble,” a title reserved for a descendant of the Prophet, but also used in Morocco as a term of respect.

Souq:
a market, often a particular specialty market within a medina.

Sufi:
an adherent of an Islamic mystical fraternity.

Tadelakt:
traditional Moroccan plasterwork, said to have originated in Marrakech, created with lime, marble dust, and egg white. Similar to Venetian plaster.

Tagine:
popular Moroccan stew, named after the round conical pot in which it is cooked.

Taliya:
a shape of hand-cut zelij mosaic.

Tarboosh:
the proper term for a round velvet-covered or felt hat, commonly known in the West as a fez.

Tbilat:
traditional Moroccan clay drums, often arranged in pairs, with a larger and smaller drum attached.

A Thousand and One Nights:
see
Arabian Nights.

Thuya:
a scented gnarled wood from the region near Essaouira.

Zelij:
traditional Moroccan crafts of geometrical mosaics, hand-cut from glazed tiles.

Zeliji:
a person skilled in cutting zelij mosaics.