58 6 Sharif opened his eyes, rubbed them, and looked at his watch. “Are you up, dear?” His mother was standing at the door, holding a tray with his usual postnap cup of coffee. “Is Dina back?” “No, not yet.” She put his cup on the end table next to his bed and sat in the chair across from him, hoping he would tell her about his day, his work, his colleagues. Like every day, though, he sipped his coffee, silent and lost in thought. In the past, she had asked questions, to which he had only replied, “Fine,” so she had stopped asking. Just as she had stopped asking him about what happened between him and Huda. That day when she had opened the door, he had stood before her with his suitcase. “I’m going to be living with you, Mom,” was the only thing he said when he came in. When she asked him what happened and if it was worth it to leave his wife and deprive his daughter of his affection, he said, “If I’m a burden on you, I’ll just leave.” Of course he wasn’t a burden, but didn’t she have the right to know? “What about Dina?” “I’ll be seeing her. I’ll have her over so you can see her too.” Then she decided to get it out of Dina—“Take their secrets from their children,” as the proverb goes—but Dina just said, “Dad left the house.” “Why?” “I don’t know.” C a n c e l e d M e m o r i e s 59 “Didn’t you ask Mom?” “We were at Grandma and Grandpa’s. Then we went home, and Dad left.” Had they told Dina not to say anything? Or had they kept the truth from her? She was afraid of asking Sharif again and just hoped he’d read the questions in her eyes, in her sighs, every time she sat across from him at lunch and dinner. They were always silent and dejected. He didn’t understand or say anything. Yes, he did. He had started staying out during the evening as well as at noon, until she forced herself to exchange her depressing silence for a fake smile. Sharif put the empty cup on the tray and began to get dressed. He looked at his watch again. “Dina will be here in a few minutes, Mom.” She took the tray and left the room. He put his clothes on slowly. I left the room when I heard the doorbell. My blood was boiling, and my head was about to explode from the pain. I opened the door violently and froze when I saw Huda’s father. I was expecting her—both of them. “Can I come in, Sharif?” He entered before I answered and gently shut the door behind him. “Where’s Dina?” I asked. I was nervous and couldn’t control the trembling in my arms. He slowly walked to the couch and took off his coat. He put down his cane, took a seat, and looked at me calmly. “At our place. With Huda.” “Her home is here, not at your place. I want my daughter back.” “What about Huda, Sharif? You don’t want her back?” “Back? Why would I? What would I do with her?” I asked. “Watch her read and write instead of doing what she’s supposed to do at home? Listen to her complain about the increase in the cost of living and my small salary? Because of her—” “She’s trying to increase your income in a decent way.” “Decent?” I yelled. “Is it decent for her to cheat on me? And with who? Jawad? So much for friendship.” I could see he wasn’t pleased with what I said, but I kept going before he could object. “Don’t tell me it’s all in my head. I saw them myself. He was holding her in his arms, her head on his shoulders.” [52.90.142.26] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 08:05 GMT) 60 N a z i k S a b a Y a r e d “Sharif, calm down. Your friend was trying to console her, to make her feel better. That’s not cheating.” Of course he had to defend his daughter. “When is it considered cheating? When she sleeps with him?” “Sharif!” “Please don’t interrupt me. If she were really...