The Liberated Bride (66 page)
Read The Liberated Bride Online
Authors: A. B. Yehoshua
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www.hmhco.com
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A. B. Y
EHOSHUA
is one of Israel's preeminent writers. His novels include
Journey to the End of the Millenium, The Liberated Bride,
and
A Woman in Jerusalem,
which was awarded the
Los Angeles Times
Book Prize in 2007. He lives in Haifa.
* It can't be, my friend.
â Why not? It can definitely be.
â¡ Don't distress me like that. We're all very fond of you.
§ What can I do? It's God's will.
⥠What God? What does it have to do with God? Don't mock me.
* Just her. Secretly.
â Trust me.
* But what's the matter with her now? What's troubling her?
â What's wrong with her now?
â¡ What is she ill with?
*Â Perhaps, Professor Rivlin, you could give her a postponement.
â Â The best thing would be to waive it entirely.
â¡Â The poor child worked so hard for so many years.
§ What is this here, a marketplace?
* He's afraid she'll do something foolish.
â Â Like what?
â¡Â I don't know. He's afraid of foolishness.
*Â God save you.
â Welcome, Teacher.
â¡ The man's a saint.
§§ Had I known it was Ramadan, I would never have agreed to come here today.
*Â Believe me.
â Â In good health or illness.
â¡Â You've done a great deed.
§ God bless you.
*Â No, thank you.
â Â Have you forgotten it's Ramadan?
â¡Â What Ramadan? What do you have to do with Ramadan?
§ The rice is cooked, and the lamb is already on the grill.
* Our Train.
* The pill Samaher gave you is friendly to people.
*Â If you're hungry, my dear, there's food. For a Jew, you've fasted enough for all your own and your family's sins. But if you don't want to stop now, you should know that the SLA cannon shot [ending the fast] will be in less than an hour.
â Â The SLA cannon shot? What's that?
* But why leave? We won't let you.
*Â You spoil me more than my wife does.
â Â How can that poor woman spoil you if she never has any time?
* The poor things.
* Who had fasted, for no good reason, like a believer.
* Is there a third one, then?
* I'm an old man tied every night to his own bed.
* What the hell!
â Where are you, you little black bastard?
â¡ Who is it?
§ But whom have you brought us?
⥠Be careful! Don't move or touch anything.
* The little bastard's broken my heart.
* That's enough, Ra'uda. We didn't come here for your tears. I've brought you a very important guest. If you don't stop crying, he'll run away. I've come to eat with you. And I'm good and hungry. If you don't get a move on, the Abuna will feed our guest himself. Why cry, my sister? It's a holiday. Even this Jew fasted today in its honor.
â Enough, enough! Don't start all over from the beginning.
* And so, gentlemen, the Muslims eat by night, the Jews eat by day, and you Christians eat by both.
â Â But my job is to know, not to help.
*Â But why?
â Perhaps if we learn these signs here, in Palestine, we can warn the president [Arafat].
â¡ Whom? Are you out of your mind? It's best to say nothing. No warnings and no Algeria! Let's not go giving the Devil ideas, God forbid.
* The church is filling up, my sister. They've come from Kabatiyeh and Tubas, and there are even Circassians from Dir el-Balad. They've all given up their sleep for you and are expecting a night of delights.
* God willing.
*Â You see, Madam, even a Jew wants to know what you'll sing tonight in Paradise.
â Paradise . . . Paradise . . . Everyone in Palestine gets carried away, they're all a bit crazy. Who told you anyone sings in Paradise at all?
â¡ Â Very good. I can already feel, Madam, the pleasure in store for me.
§ But aren't you terribly tired, Monsieur?
* Faint, my dear soul! Faint, O holy virgin!
* Only with the children. Not without them.
* Never! Just listen to yourself, you madwoman! People will talk about you!
* My dear sir, it is never too late to embrace the true faith.
* Where's Issam?
* The Little Mosque.
*Â Cut it out, Rashid! What are you doing? I'm not taking a penny back. That trip across the border was wonderful, unforgettable. That nun is still singing inside me.
â Â The Crazy Shepherd.
*Â Never mind.
â Is there an inexpensive room for me?
â¡ A room? Tonight? Here?
§ A small side room, anything.
*Â But don't tell anyone.
â Â We've become her slaves.
â¡Â She knew everything.
§ And giddy-up, she was already on the horse!
⥠A pure, fine soul.
*Â You put it so well.
â Â At least give me something to eat, Fu'ad.
*Â You would have liked lamb better, Professor.
â Â Next time I'll have to be more careful.
* I just remembered, Professor, that the pillow here isn't fresh.
* How could I not have, since it was me who talked you into sleeping here? It's a lucky thing that Mr. Hendel will never know we stuck you down here, because he always warned us not to shortchange a guest, even a nonpaying one.
*Â Arab-style or European?
â Why not go with the Arabs?
â¡ That's as should be.
§ So? Do you think I'm crazy?
⥠Why crazy, Professor?
#Â Are you feeling better these days, Professor?
** Yes, better.
* And that's what I told your son, Professor, when he came crying to me.
*Â The truth is.
â Well, it was a little bit of rhymed prose.
â¡ Rhymed Arabic prose, you know what that is.
* The toothed one you long for is at the root of the palm,
 As fetchingly golden as the sleep that you crave.
 Your desire is not in the wind or the grave.
 In the Carmel's halls of justice, there it shall find calm.
*Â Yes, my friend.
â In any case, look for that old elegy.
â¡ For you, I'd go to the ends of the earth.
§ I've also found that Jew.
*Â Is that how you come here, my friends, like thieves, without even saying hello?
â What can I do?
â¡ You suddenly thought there was an earthquake.
* She's depressed from imagining and crazy from being depressed.
* Am I disturbing you?
â You never could, my friend.
* Fuck you.
â When will I be old enough for you to believe that I'm really ill?
* Absolutely not, Madam!
â In any case, we never pay the bill to the Israelis.
* Yes, madam, ignorance is not only the basis of Arabic poetry, it is the basis of all existence.
* There's the Lebanese nun.
* Because you, Fu'ad, are everywhere.
*Â But the real truthâyou're a coward.
â You see, Madam, I'm very persistent. I've come to hear once again what they sing in Paradise. But this time I've brought my wife too.
â¡ You're welcome.
*Â Please God.
â Â Where's Rashid? Where's Samaher?
* I just have to say, Professor.
* Because I was worried about the way she threw herself into that play about a haunt in Ramallah. Not that it wasn't wonderful. Samaher as a Jewish rabbiâfantastic! . . . I remember thinking, She deserves a grade just for that.
â Â Easy does it. Everything in good time. Meanwhile, wait for me here. I'll soon be finished with the meeting, and we'll have a look at the story.
*Â What is this? The man has one foot in the grave already, why can't he be left alone?
â What's the story?
â¡ Is the pregnancy over, or hasn't it begun yet?
§ It's good to have something to believe in.
* My favorite jinni.
*Â He's not one to talk. He's a bashful, old-fashioned type of Arab.
â What is he bashful about?
â¡ Offending the Jews.
§ But sometimes we say that the Jews are offended by the truth that they themselves go looking for.
*Â Didn't your car skid?
â Â We took a jeep with four-wheel drive. It was like driving on butter.
â¡ I mean, the air isn't right for it.
*Â How the air?
â Â The atmosphere.
â¡Â I swear, Professor, don't disappoint her.
*Â Should I wake him, Professor?
â He's going crazy from all he has to do.
â¡Â It's like in that play.
§ He has a dybbuk in him.
*Â All right, forward march!
â Â Let's warm up a bit in the basement.
* What is this, Professor? Don't tell me you've already finished sleeping?
*Â What's up with her?
â Â And where is Rashid now?
â¡Â Is he still hanging around you?