“In a minute,” he said without enthusiasm. “Thank you.”
“I… I ordered everything just as you like it.”
“Looks good - don’t wait for me.” He went over to the bureau and began to tie his tie.
“It really was wonderful of Azadeh to lend us the apartment while she’s away, wasn’t it? So much nicer than home.”
Lochart looked at her in the mirror. “You didn’t say that at the time.” “Oh, Tommy, of course you’re right but please don’t let’s quarrel.” “I’m not. I’ve said it all and so have you.” I’ve had that, he thought, anguished, knowing she was as miserable as he was but unable to do anything about it. When Meshang had challenged him in front of her and Zarah, two nights ago, the nightmare had begun that continued even now, tearing them apart, bringing him to the edge of madness. Two days and nights of broken tears and him saying over and over, “No need to worry, we’ll manage somehow, Sharazad,” and then discussing the future. What future? he asked his reflection, once more wanting to explode.
“Here’s your coffee, darling Tommy.”
Glumly he took it, sat on a chair facing her, not looking at her. The coffee was hot and excellent but it did not take away the foul taste in his mouth, so he left it almost untouched and got up and went for his flight jacket. Thank God I’ve today’s ferry to Kowiss, he thought. Goddamn everything! “When do I see you, darling, when do you come back?”
He watched himself shrug, hating himself, wanting to take her in his arms and tell her the depth of his love but he had been through that agony four times in the last two days and she was still as relentless and inflexible as her brother: “Leave Iran? Leave home forever?” she had cried out. “Oh, I can’t, I can’t!”
“But it won’t be forever, Sharazad. We’ll spend some time in Al Shargaz then go to England, you’ll love England and Scotland and Aberd - ” “But Meshang says th - ”
“Screw Meshang!” he had shouted and saw the fear in her and that only served to whip his anger into a frenzy. “Meshang’s not God Almighty, for Christ’s sake! What the goddamn hell does he know?” and she had sobbed like a terrified child, cowering away from him. “Oh, Sharazad, I’m so sorry…” Taking her into his arms, almost crooning his love to her, she safe in his arms.
“Tommy, listen, my darling, you were right and I was wrong, it was my fault, but I know what to do, tomorrow I’ll go and see Meshang, I’ll persuade him to give us an allowance and… what’s the matter?”
“You haven’t heard a goddamned word I’ve said.”
“Oh, but I have, yes, indeed, I listened very carefully, please don’t be angry again, you’re right of course to be angry but I list - ” Flaring back: “Didn’t you hear what Meshang said? We’ve no money - the money’s finished, the building’s finished, he has total control over the family money, total, and unless you obey him and not me you’ll get nothing more. But that’s not important, I can make enough for us! I can! The point is we have to leave Tehran. Leave for… for a little while.” - “But I haven’t any papers, I haven’t, Tommy, and can’t get any yet and Meshang’s right when he says if I leave without papers they’ll never let me back, never, never.”
More tears and more arguing, not being able to get through to her, more tears, then going to bed, trying to sleep, no sleep for either of them. “You can stay here, Tommy. Why can’t you stay here, Tommy?”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake, Sharazad, Meshang made that very clear. I’m not wanted and foreigners are out. We’ll go somewhere else. Nigeria, or Aberdeen, somewhere else. Pack a suitcase. You’ll get on the 125 and we’ll meet at Al Shargaz - you’ve a Canadian passport. You’re Canadian!” “But I can’t leave without papers,” she wailed and sobbed and the same arguments, over and over, and more tears.
Then, yesterday morning, hating himself, he had put aside his pride and had gone to the bazaar to reason with Meshang, to get him to relent - all that he was going to say painstakingly worked out. But he had come up against a wall as high as the sky. And worse.
“My father held a controlling interest in the IHC partnership, which of course I inherit.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful, that makes all the difference, Meshang.” “It makes no difference at all. The point is how do you intend to pay your debts, pay your ex-wife, and pay for my sister and her child without a very great infusion of charity?”
“A job’s not charity, Meshang, it’s not charity. It could be mightily profitable for both of us. I’m not suggesting a partnership, anything like that, I’d work for you. You don’t know the helicopter business, I do, inside out. I could run the new partnership for you, make it instantly profitable. I know pilots and how to operate. I know all of Iran, most of the fields. That would solve everything for both of us. I’d work like hell to protect the family interests, we’d stay in Tehran, Sharazad could have the baby here an - ”
“The Islamic state will require Iranian pilots only, Minister Kia assures me. One hundred percent.”
Sudden understanding. His universe abruptly ripped asunder. “Ah, now I get it, no exceptions, eh, particularly me?”
He had seen Meshang shrug disdainfully. “I’m very busy. To be blunt, you cannot stay in Iran. You’ve no future in Iran. Out of Iran Sharazad has no future of any value with you and she will never permanently exile herself - which will happen if she goes without my permission and without proper papers. Therefore you must divorce.”
“No.”
“Send Sharazad back from the Khan’s apartment this afternoon - more charity by the way - and leave Tehran immediately. Your marriage wasn’t Muslim so it’s unimportant - the Canadian civil ceremony will be annulled.” “Sharazad will never agree.”
“Oh? Be at my house at 6:00 P.M. and we will make final this matter. After you’ve left I’ll settle your Iranian debts - I cannot have bad debts hanging over our good name. 6:00 P.M. sharp. Good morning.”
Not remembering how he got back to the apartment but telling her and more tears and then to the Bakravan house that evening and Meshang repeating what he had said, infuriated with Sharazad’s abject begging: “Don’t be ridiculous, Sharazad! Stop howling, this is for your own good, your son’s good, and the family’s good. If you leave on a Canadian passport without proper Iranian papers you’ll never be allowed back. Live in Aberdeen? God protect you, you’d die of cold in a month and so would your son…. Nanny Jari won’t go with you, not that he could pay for her; she’s not mad, she won’t leave Iran and her family forever. You’ll never see us again, think of that… think of your son…” over and over until Sharazad was reduced to incoherence and Lochart to pulp.
“Tommy.”
This brought him out of his reverie. “Yes?” he asked, hearing the old tone to her voice.
“Thou, art thou leaving me forever?” she said in Farsi.
“I can’t stay in Iran,” he said, at peace now, the “thou” helping so very much. “When we’re closed down there’s no job for me here, I’ve no money, and even if the place hadn’t burned down… well, I was never one for handouts.” His eyes were without guile. “Meshang’s right about a lot of things: there wouldn’t be much of a life with me and you’re right to stay, certainly without papers it’d be dangerous to leave, and you’ve to think of the child, I know that. There’s also… no, let me finish,” he said kindly, stopping her. “There’s also HBC.” This reminded him about her cousin, Karim. Another horror yet to arrive. Poor Sharazad… “Thou, art thou leaving me forever?” “I’m leaving today for Kowiss. I’ll be there a few days then I’ll go to Al Shargaz. I’ll wait there, I’ll wait a month. This will give you time to think it through, what you want. A letter or telex care of Al Shargaz Airport will find me. If you want to join me, the Canadian embassy’ll arrange it at once, priority, I’ve already fixed that… and of course I’ll keep in touch.”