Hajer was hiding herself somewhere. It seemed the event that had befallen her brother was not an auspicious sign for her.
Abbas’ sudden aging was interpreted most simply and persuasively by Ali Genav.
“I myself spoke to a dervish in front of Shazdeh’s caravanserai that somewhere in the Mount Shahjahan region the same thing happened to another boy, but that after a few days he’d returned to normal. These worries are just a stage; they will pass. You can’t get wrapped up in them. Eh, Uncle? What do you think about this?”
Molla Aman looked over at Karbalai Doshanbeh.
“Karbalai Doshanbeh is much more worldly than I!”
The response came, “Just wait a few days. A few days have to pass first.”
Molla Aman had agreed earlier, and then agreed again.
“Yes, well … What else can we do? It’s just the way of the world!”
But Mergan was on fire, burning like incense. It was as if smoke was pouring from her eyes.
“Auntie … Auntie …”
Ali Genav had begun calling Mergan “Auntie.” Mergan walked out of the room and joined him where he had drawn himself against the outside wall.
“Everything is ready now. I’ve cleaned the house as well. It’s ready.”
Mergan replied, “Very well. Come tonight and take your wife’s hand in yours and you can take her to your home. What else should I tell you?”
Ali Genav asked, “Is everything set with her clothes, bedding, shoes …?”
“They’ll be ready.”
“Fine, good. So I’ll go and make the rounds, now. And listen, I’ve made arrangements for dinner to be ready there tonight. You come and bring Uncle Molla Aman with yourself. Afterward, you can bring back a couple of bowls of meat for Abbas and Abrau as well. Okay?”
“Fine. Okay.”
Ali Genav left and Mergan returned to the house. Karbalai Doshanbeh and Molla Aman were still sitting against the wall. Mergan passed by the stove, under Karbalai Doshanbeh’s gaze, and entered the pantry.
“I need to have a word with Hajer. I need to tell her a few things!”
Karbalai Doshanbeh’s gaze followed Mergan and then crossed over to Molla Aman, whose head was lowered. Karbalai half-smiled as he said, “So go make Mergan a bride! Why don’t you marry her off?”
Molla Aman raised his head and was about to open his mouth when Karbalai Doshanbeh spoke again. “I wish I would die! I smashed my own wife like she was made of crystal! My neck could break from all of the gossip they told about me! I wish people’s tongues would fall out!”
Molla Aman said, “Don’t start all over, Karbalai. What’s happened, has happened.”
Karbalai Doshanbeh said, “The hurt is still there. She was like fine crystal, that woman. But the gossip! She gave birth in the seventh month, and the gossip began. Disrespectful mob! They kept saying, ‘That girl was pregnant before she entered her husband’s home’!”
“The innocent girl! After all, would I know better, or them? But I smashed my beautiful crystal with my own hands. I wish my neck would have been broken instead! After that, even water was too bitter for me to drink. I beat that girl like she was a beast, and kicked her out. In the cold of winter, with the babe in her arms. And I don’t know where she ended up! How could a seven-day-old baby survive the cold winter outside? The poor child! It’s all the fault of Abdullah’s mother, my first wife. She was the one who began all the gossip. Evil woman! She didn’t want to see a shepherd’s daughter on God’s Land. And if I’d kept her at home, she might have done her in herself. In any case, she wanted me to be without a second wife. Although I can say I also was able to make the life of Abdullah’s mother hell. From that day on, I ended any real marital relationship between us. Absolutely! And it’s been twenty years. That’s what she gets for her gossiping. But … but, now the old woman’s beginning to win the fight. She’s kicked me out of my own house and left me in the old storage shed. Well, her son’s now become a man for himself. Salar Abdullah! He provides for her. What does she need me for? She refuses to even wash my laundry. She won’t even offer me a glass of water to wet my bread in. If I were in the throes of death, she wouldn’t so much as open the door for me! It’s as if we’re not husband and wife, as if we never were! But I understand … She’s getting her revenge. But … but, I wish my own neck had been broken rather than my having made my beautiful crystal of a wife homeless as I did. I broke her myself.”
Molla Aman again said, “Don’t start all over, Karbalai. Don’t renew the pain!”
“But it’s still there, Molla Aman. Its pain doesn’t grow old. Unless … unless someone were able to fill her place … Molla Aman, you need to make her a bride. Mergan needs to remarry! Her husband’s dead. Soluch didn’t have the constitution to survive the difficulties of living far away from here. I’ve done it myself. I’ve seen how it is. I can tell you, he’s dead. No doubt, he is dead. I promise you, I’ve heard so myself. And there is a legal basis for it. You just need three reliable witnesses to say that Soluch is dead, and then Mergan can remarry. There is another way, too, in the law. If a man leaves home for some months without any word — I’m not sure how many — his wife gains custody of the household. You see what I’m saying? It’d be good for you and me to become family. We’ve traveled far together, as friends, companions. We can settle our accounts with each other as well. So, have a word with your sister. How long does she expect to go on without someone’s protection? And she’s still a young woman; she’s in good health. It’s just the bad luck that she’s had that has twisted the poor thing a bit. So do something so I can take her in hand and help her. And God will surely repay you for the good deed it is. I’m sure this is what the prophet would have wanted himself.”
Karbalai Doshanbeh rose and shook the dust from his pants.
“These children need a guardian as well. You can’t be keeping an eye on them all the time. But tonight I’ll come to Ali Genav’s for dinner.”
Molla Aman accompanied Karbalai Doshanbeh to the alley and returned.
Mergan was standing by the door with a look full of anger.
“What was he talking about now?”
“Nothing … Let’s go inside.”
They went back into the house together.
Hajer was sitting by her box and was sorting through her things. Abbas was still in the same place, silent against the wall, with his big eyes, his disheveled white hair, his hollow cheeks, his crooked teeth, his gaunt face. His white hair, white as white.
Mergan sat on the floor angrily. She hid her face in her hands and plaintively said, “What does that man want, coming to my house?!”
Molla Aman said, “He’s an acquaintance. What can I say?”
“What kind of acquaintance? The kind that can go to hell! Karbalai Doshanbeh is no acquaintance of mine! He just shows up out of the blue when you’re here for a day or two.”
“So you’re upset that he comes to see me?”
“Not that he comes to see you, but that he uses you as an excuse to come here. And you can’t stand up to him, since you owe him money!”
“So what do you want? Shouldn’t I come here to see you?”
“Not at all. Why’re you saying that? You’re my brother, my older brother, but you’re giving this bastard an excuse to come around here. And then others will start whispering about it. Ever since Soluch has gone, this man has been sniffing around this house, scratching at the door. And how he likes to put on airs! Even snakes hate pennyroyals like him and would rather coil up somewhere than deal with one.”