Translated from the Arabic by Essam M. Al-Jassim
The fourth time I knocked on the door to ask for my beloved’s hand in marriage, her father once again refused my request. Upon returning home, I cried my heart out and slipped into a deep sleep.
The next morning, I woke to hear of devastating news: my love had committed suicide. She had no longer been able to endure her father’s recurring rejections of my proposal. Even though I was alive, I felt dead.
For the next three months, I locked myself in the house, scarcely eating anything, subsisting mostly on water.
My heart and mind were cold, filled with thoughts of vengeance. Yes. I desired to seek revenge on her obstinate, arrogant father; and I wanted to do so in a way that would make him regret, for the rest of his life, his decision to deny our love.
I thought long and hard about all the ways I could make him pay for what he had done. Finally, I came up with the perfect plan.
The next morning, I bought a bouquet of beautiful flowers and went to her father’s house. I performed this task each morning. Today was the seventh day of this routine; I gently knocked on the door and, once more, her father opened it.
As always, he stared at the flowers, and I asked, “Won’t you accept me as a loyal husband for your dear daughter, sir? I’ve asked more than once for her hand in marriage.”
Again, tears streamed down his cheeks. I threw the flowers in his face and turned to go home, my cheeks equally wet with tears.
About the Author
Mahmood Jamool is an emerging short story author from Syria. He utilizes various literary websites, blogs, and social media platforms to share his narratives.
About The Translator
Essam M. Al-Jassim is a Saudi writer and translator based in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. His writings and translations have been featured nationally and internationally in various Arabic and English-language literary journals. He is the translator and editor of the recently published anthology of flash fiction, ‘Furtive Glimpses: Flash Fiction from The Arab World’.
