Respected Sir, Wedding Song, the Search by Naguib Mahfouz
“The law is the law.”
Saber sighed deeply. “Maybe it would have been better if I denied that he’s my father.”
“That was my opinion. But I saw how eager you were to know anything about him.”
“And what did I learn? Nothing useful.”
The lawyer nodded.
“Everything is lost now; freedom, honor, peace of mind, Elham, Karima. Only the hangman’s rope remains,” he said with a deep sigh.
“We can still appeal,” said the lawyer. “There’s something else Mr. Borhan told me.”
“What?”
“One day, to his surprise, Reheimy came knocking on his door!”
“What! When?”
“Last October.”
“October!”
“Yes.”
“I was searching in Alexandria at the time.”
“He spent six days in Alexandria.”
“This is utter madness! I asked everywhere about him. I didn’t advertise in Alexandria; I was afraid that my enemies might make fun of me.”
“Surely finding him was more important than worrying about mockery.”
“Yes, yes! Oh, yes!” he wailed.
“Don’t upset yourself. Maybe he didn’t read the papers.”
“Oh! Don’t try to soften my despair.”
“I’m sorry I told you all this.” The lawyer watched Saber’s agonized face, then, trying to comfort him, said, “He was on his way to India. He gave my friend a book on how to stay young for a hundred years. Also a case of the finest whiskey.”
“Probably it was him in the car that night. Did he sign the book?”
“I think so.”
“Can I see it?”
“I’ll bring it.”
“May I keep it for a while?”
“I don’t think my friend would object.”
“Thank you. What else did your friend say?”
“Mr. Borhan said that Reheimy was still as young and virile as he was thirty years back. He told him how he moved around the world and that he could not consider himself among the living unless he had made love in the four corners of the globe.”
“Did he mention any of his offspring?”
“He might have. But he speaks only of love. They spent the evening drinking heavily, Reheimy telling his countless stories. He even sang a love song he had heard in the Congo.”
“Drinking and singing and not a question about his sons?”
“Maybe fatherhood changes when it is practiced to excess.”
“But sons remain sons, regardless of their number.”
“Often strange contradictions occur when a strong father believes his sons will follow his example.”
“What an excuse,” said Saber scornfully.
“We forgive perverts deviations we wouldn’t forgive others, so we would surely forgive someone like this incredible person.”
“Oh! My head! It’s spinning. I can’t believe all this.”
“I’m sorry I told you.”
“Maybe he’s still in Egypt.”
“No. He sent a postcard from abroad.”
“Maybe he’ll visit me before I hang.”
“Nothing is impossible.”
“You know, I used to visit Elham and your brother Ihsan every week and little did I know then that I would one day be close to you, you the neighbor of Borhan, the friend of Reheimy.”
“Sometimes life is like that.”
“What a unique opportunity that could have been.”
“There is still hope.”
“How…what hope?”
“We might get you a life sentence instead of death.”
“What hope!”
“You’ll still have another opportunity to appeal.”
“And if the appeal is quashed?”
The lawyer did not answer. He clenched and unclenched his fists nervously. Saber continued: “If the appeal is quashed, and I still have some time, please do me a favor and try to contact the man.”
“My son, the law is the law. My duty lies in studying your case, not going on a wild-goose chase.”
“But all you’ve heard of him, doesn’t that convince you how strange he is?”
“I am a lawyer. I know that it is only the law that will decide your fate.”
“There might be a chance. I might be foolish, but during the little time I’ve got, please do what I ask of you.”
“I have no means of finding him.”
“You are a man of experience. Your neighbor seems…”
“Contacting him is not impossible, but it requires a lot of time, one thing we haven’t got. We must contact all our embassies abroad. He might have moved in the meantime.”
The memory that is fading, dying away. So far and yet almost there, almost. The cloud formations in the sky, blown about carelessly in the wind. Pain tearing away at you behind prison bars. The blind questions leading to the oppressing answer. “It seems there’s no use relying on anyone.”
The lawyer smiled understandingly. “There is only use in what is reasonable.”
Saber shrugged his shoulders and sighed. “Oh! Let anything happen now.”
Translated from the Arabic by Mohamed Islam.
Edited by Magdi Wahba.
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Naguib Mahfouz, Respected Sir, Wedding Song, the Search