Translated from the Arabic by Essam M. Al-Jassim
1
“Why won’t you hold my hand when we walk in the street?” she asked, her voice soft.
“I can’t,” he replied. “What if your relatives or one of your brother’s friends saw us? God willing, my love, soon we’ll be engaged, and I’ll hold your hand in front of the whole world.”
2
“Why won’t you hold my hand now that we’re engaged?” she asked.
“I don’t want people to think we’re being promiscuous just because we’re engaged. It’s not proper. Honestly, I’m uncomfortable with that. God willing, when we’re married, I’ll hold your hand. You’ll be my wife then, my love, before the eyes of the law.”
3
“Why won’t you hold my hand now that we’re married?” she asked.
“My dear, we’re not teenagers anymore,” he replied. “We must not hold hands in the street or publicly flaunt our affection. We’re respectable adults. We have a home in which we can be ourselves.”
4
“Why won’t you hold my hand when we walk with our daughter?” she asked.
“Should I hold your hand or hers? Or carry all these bags instead?”
5
“Why won’t you hold my hand when we walk in the street?” she asked, resignation in her voice.
“Why now? Do you want our son-in-law to think we’re old and losing our minds?”
6
“I just want you to hold my hand as we walk in the street. It’s normal to do so. There is no particular occasion or purpose. I don’t want you to hold my hand because I’m weak or because I can’t walk alone. Nor because it’s what you’re supposed to do when your wife is sick or out of fear that I’ll die if you leave me. No, hold my hand because you want to. Because you want my hand in yours. That’s all.”
About the Author
Rehab Bassam is an Egyptian short story writer, editor, translator, and blogger who gained fame in 2008 when Dar al Shorouk, one of Egypt’s most prominent publishing houses, released a collection of her blog posts in book form. Her book “Rice Pudding for Two” (2008) became an instant bestseller. She has been an active blogger since November 2004.
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’.
