The World Through the Eyes of Angels

Part Three: Miss Khadija and the Carrot

24 P A R T T H R E E Miss Khadija and the Carrot The first day at school was the most important day of my life because that was the day I began to uncover the secrets of great pictures. On that day I was able to compound my pleasure by learning the names of all the great historical figures immortalized in the pictures. This one is Antara, and that one is Abu Zayd Al-Hilali, that one is King Farouq, and this one is George the Sixth, and that one the Shah of Iran, and here is the Conqueror Mohammad, and on and on. Before that day I used to enjoy just looking at the pictures and colors, but now I learned the name of each individual in the pictures. From that day on I was a man in full. The butcher gave me a piece of liver, just for me. And that summer my father assigned me a disagreeable task, but one that had its enjoyable aspects: he asked me to sell hats and fans in the restaurants and markets. I had accompanied some of my cousins in this chore during holidays. But now I had become an unwanted competitor. They were a couple of years older and were good salesmen. They used to earn one fils for each item they sold. I, however, was not paid, because the merchandise was my father’s—and that was the disagreeable part. The enjoyment came from having the door opened to the delight of reading the enchanting calligraphy that filled the cafés and shops and markets. It was the beginning of Miss Khadija and the Carrot 25 my learning about all these great people and families, a pleasure that money itself could not buy. It was, however, a hard-earned pleasure. When I was six years old, the Al-Ahdath school refused to register me. It was a mixed school for boys and girls only a couple of hundred paces from my home. I went with my mother to register. I was barefoot and wearing a dishdasha. I returned home distressed at being refused and very anxious to go to school. I didn’t know why I had been rejected. My registration was delayed for a few days until my father bought me a pair of gray trousers, a white shirt, and some shoes. I was very happy to have my first pair of shoes. In the summer I used to go barefoot; in winter or when the temperature dropped to the freezing point, my father would buy me a pair of cheap and simple galoshes made of leather covered with a layer of cloth. The galoshes were enough because I never had to walk too far. My daily trips were to the nearby Sheikh Mohammad Mosque for the Koranic sessions, and then to the market at noon to allow my father to perform his prayers. Later on I had to buy things for breakfast from Bab Al-Jadid, and deliver Sabika’s dinner tray. The shoes had a strange and repulsive smell, but to me—at the time—they smelled not only natural but pleasant. When I went to bed at night, I placed them next to my pillow and felt great pleasure at seeing them there in the morning. I got dressed and was very anxious to put them on. When my sister Shafaq saw what I had done, she started to laugh and called everyone to come and see. I had put the shoes on the wrong feet. Shafaq, while laughing , helped me put them on the right feet and tied the laces, leaving several holes unstrung, which again made everyone laugh. 26 The World Through the Eyes of Angels I was very anxious to get to school. On the way, I kept pulling on my mother’s cloak, trying to make her go faster. She pulled back, fearing that her head would be uncovered, and yelled at me to leave it alone. She insisted that I let go of her cloak and shouted at me, “Leave me alone! Walk ahead of me.” I began to run and almost fell. It was the first time I had ever worn anything heavy on my feet. The shoes made me feel as if there was a smooth, slippery separation between me and the ground. I slowed down in fear of falling or getting my...