Princess: Stepping Out of the Shadows, стр. 42

I had thyroid cancer.

While it is rare for a patient to have both hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer, it does occur. This was my fate.

I was so grateful that my husband, who had been so alarmed by my fainting, had insisted upon me receiving serious medical attention without delay. Kareem, my doctors told me, had most likely saved my life; medical intervention had led to the discovery of early stage cancer, curable if detected and treated without delay.

Although my husband suffered every moment with me, leaving my side only when it was absolutely necessary for him to do so, I saw a spark of genuine joy cross his face when the doctors credited him with saving my life.

Never once did I doubt that my husband was as devoted to me as a man can be to the woman he loves. ‘Thank you for coming back. I really cannot live without you, Sultana,’ Kareem had whispered to me as I had slowly revived after the anaesthesia. Although most husbands would not be allowed in a recovery room, being a prince in Saudi Arabia has benefits. I was startled when my eyes met my husband’s loving gaze so soon during recovery. Despite the fact he was wearing a surgical gown and a mask, I instantly recognized him. I could barely return his smile, as my drowsy brain was not yet fully functioning.

I smiled, reliving that moment, still drinking my tea when the door burst open and my happy husband bounded into my room.

‘The prince is here to collect his princess,’ Kareem said with laughter. ‘Here, let us have proof that you are my true princess.’ With those words, Kareem raised a beautiful jewelled shoe that was clasped in his right hand, a shoe that appeared to be glass.

Behind him my son laughed loudly and reached out with his hand. ‘Really, Father, is that a glass shoe? I must see it.’

‘No, my son. Only the true princess can touch this shoe.’

Then I watched in wonder as Kareem knelt at my feet and slipped the shoe upon my foot. It was a perfect fit, although it was made of acrylic material rather than glass.

‘Ah! There is no doubt. This woman is my princess,’ he said, looking up at Abdullah. Then my husband surprised me with a kiss upon my lips, in full view of our son, who blushed, for he had never seen his father kiss his mother on the lips. In Saudi Arabia, we keep our most intimate moments private. Never will anyone see Saudi Arabian couples displaying affection in public, or for that matter even in front of their own families.

Kareem then looked at his son and confirmed the words he had spoken to me earlier. ‘Son, I cannot live without your mother. When I was young and first married, I was a fool and thought of little other than enjoying what it means to be a man in this country. But over time I came to see that I am the most fortunate man in the world to have married your mother. Yes, my wife is very beautiful, but that is not the most important aspect of her appeal. Your mother is intelligent, interesting, caring, and she is a woman who has changed the world we live in.’

‘Kareem, stop!’ I demanded. ‘You are embarrassing me.’

‘No, Sultana, I want my son, and the rest of our family, to know that you are more than a wonderful mother and wife, you are a woman who is truly unique. You, my wife, are one of the few royals not spoiled by idle wealth. You have used your wealth to save many people from poverty, from ignorance, even from death. You have raised children who think of others more than they think of themselves. I repeat: you are unique in this world, Sultana, and truly, a most inspiring person.’ Kareem continued, ‘How bored I would be with any other woman. Your mother, Abdullah, has been for me a prolonged feast.’

‘Well, Mother is definitely not boring,’ Abdullah said, his face still red with discomfort at seeing his father carry on.

Kareem totally lifted my spirits. ‘I do love my glass shoes, husband. But I want to go home, and it is not possible for me to walk out of the hospital in these heels!’

‘I will carry you in my arms!’

‘You will not!’ I was suddenly fearful that my husband would create an embarrassing scene in front of the entire hospital staff. Other Saudi Arabians in the hospital would be mortified on his behalf. ‘You, Abdullah!’ I nodded at my son. ‘You go and ask the nurse to bring the wheelchair. This woman, unique or not, is going home!’

Kareem laughed and looked relieved at my sudden awakening! Perhaps he recognized once again the ‘true Sultana’ – the determined, strong woman he married.

When Abdullah rushed from the room, eager to remove himself from his newly emotionally energized father, Kareem laughed at his retreat, then looked at me with renewed affection. ‘Honestly, Sultana, this was too much of a fright. Thanks be to God that we found the cancer in time. The doctor just told me once again that he does not believe you will have further problems. He says a stage one in this particular cancer is almost always curable.’

‘I, too, am relieved, Kareem. I could not bear the thought of leaving you or our children and grandchildren. All are so precious to me.’

And then my husband gave me a gentle kiss on my lips, one that would have been improper for our son to witness.

And so home we went, where I was greeted by Maha and Amani. My girls gave me the welcome news that they had made a pact that never again would they argue in front of me, despite their enormous differences of opinion. From this moment on, I would never again find the need to separate them in a verbal or physical altercation.

‘Now, this news means that