Princess: Stepping Out of the Shadows, стр. 24
‘And that is what I will do, Sultana,’ Kareem said, interrupting my unpleasant thoughts, as he took a last sip of tea before walking away.
I brushed aside all the grievances of my childhood to share a happy smile with my daughter, feeling as jubilant as perhaps people do when they suddenly win a large cash lottery prize. We walked arm in arm into my bedroom to admire Mother’s jewels before putting them away in the huge safe in my closet.
* * *
The following afternoon my sisters Sara, Haifa and Tahani, along with my two daughters, organized a visit to my palace for no reason other than to offer support after the turmoil of the attempted theft of Mother’s treasured picture. While Sara had been kept informed of every twist in the outlandish tale of the two clumsy thieves, Haifa, Tahani and Amani had missed the most exciting details of the night’s events after the family party ended.
Maha updated all while I listened in silence, quietly assessing the various expressions on the faces of those I love.
At the end of the tale, I filled in the final blank when Haifa said, ‘For sure, you are going to press charges, Sultana.’
I exhaled. ‘My darlings, Kareem and I have made a decision not to report Medina or the ninja girl, named Nawal, to the police.’
All were initially quiet, even Haifa, whose eyes had grown huge in surprise. I knew that all but Sara expected to hear how the two thieves would suffer, spending time in a dank prison cell or perhaps living the rest of their lives minus a hand. But that was not going to happen.
I explained why we would not press for punishment, wishing to persuade them that our decision was appropriate and had been based on a feeling of humanity for Nawal.
‘I will say that I find the meaning of her name ironic. For sure, she was no gift or favour to our family! But once Nawal was questioned, compassion replaced the anger both Kareem and I felt in our hearts. Kareem had the head of his security question the girl, and she could barely respond due to her fear. She was little more than a child – a child who easily volunteered all the information without much prompting. Indeed, Medina had convinced her that Maha had first stolen the photograph from Ali’s home and that it rightfully belonged to him, as the only son of our mother. Nawal honestly trusted Medina’s false words and believed she was taking something from thieves who were in possession of stolen property.
‘Once we understood that she was operating under false information, and truly believed that she was doing nothing more than returning stolen property, our hearts were touched. Then, after we further investigated her home life, there was no doubt that we would not press charges.’
Maha made a clucking sound with her tongue. I knew that it would take a lot to convince her that we were making the correct decision. My daughter had been on the front line with the thieves and had little sympathy for Medina or Nawal.
I continued my story. ‘Nawal’s story is one that will create sympathy in your hearts. So now I will share those details with you. Medina met this young girl when she went into a lingerie shop at the Riyadh Gallery Mall.’
‘Is that the mall located on King Fahd Road?’ Amani asked.
‘Yes, that is the one.’ I knew that Amani was unfamiliar with most of the big malls, as she rarely shopped at what she considered to be vulgar, flashy places, as are all the modern malls in Saudi Arabia. Over the past twenty years enormous glitzy malls have erupted in our major cities of Riyadh and Jeddah, but Amani makes a point of continuing to shop in the ancient souks, as she believes that all Saudis should remain modest. The huge malls with the glittering lights and ultra-modern shops should not represent the country where our Prophet was born and where Islam was founded, according to my daughter. We should remain simple people, she is known to say to all who will listen. For sure, Amani lives as she moralizes. No one can accuse my daughter of being hypocritical. Amani lives in a nice home, but one that could never be called a palace. She refuses to purchase frivolous items, including expensive jewellery, although she does not withstand her father’s passion for draping lovely jewels around her delicate neck and wrists.
I continued my explanation of our reason behind our compassion for this girl.
‘I have discovered that there are seven children in Nawal’s family. Nawal is the oldest. To help with family expenses, Nawal’s mother is employed as an assistant in a lingerie shop at the Riyadh Gallery Mall, as I mentioned. Medina had walked into the shop to browse the merchandise and met Nawal, who was there doing her schoolwork while her mother tended the counters. The two girls struck up a conversation and Medina took a liking to the girl, who was very quiet – and malleable. Nawal’s family is a modest one, and I believe Medina was most likely curious because it is so different to her own.’
‘Ali cannot claim to be modest in any manner and that is a certainty,’ Haifa muttered, leading us all to take a moment to consider our brother’s ostentatious lifestyle.
‘Opposites do attract,’ Maha said with authority.
‘Most likely the family felt that a friendship with a royal could do no harm,’ Amani remarked, ‘because such friendships are rare and generally those who are not royal bestow a mantle of instant approval on those of the royal family.’
Not wishing to encourage my daughter to start a sermon on all