Naeem's joy turned into reticence and he found himself at a loss for words. After a few moments he said, "Love her for awhile, and then love someone else." What Naeem was saying was totally in tune with what Saad was thinking. What would Abu Jaafar say if he knew? Would he say, "I entrusted Saad with the safety of my family, and now he has betrayed my trust." Would he accept if Saad asked for her hand in marriage? Wouldn't he say that he has no money nor family, and he only wants to marry his granddaughter to secure wealth and position for himself.
Naeem repeated, "Love her for now, a week or two, but then look for someone else to fall in love with. I was worried about you, brother. I said to myself, Saad's locked himself away from women, but now the lock has been opened."
After several moments of silence, Naeem asked, "How is it that you came to fall in love with her?"
"I don't know."
"I'm concerned about you. I want to compare your love for women with mine. Tell me everything, all the details of how it came about, this love of yours for her."
Hasan and Saleema received the usual pampering of being raised in a grandfather's house, if not more, especially since they were the children of their dearly beloved father whose life was cut short before his time. Abu Jaafar not only provided them with everything they wanted, but he also pinned all his hopes and dreams on them. He brought Saleema a private tutor to give her lessons in reading and writing, and when Hasan turned seven, he enrolled him in the class of the most prestigious faqeeh in town. He would say to Hasan, "Granada has fallen, Hasan, but who knows, some day it may return to you, even by way of your own sword, or perhaps you will write its story and record its glories for all time. It's not my intention that you become a paper maker like myself, my boy. I see you rather as a great writer, like Ibn al-Khateeb, 2 and your name will be synonymous with Granada and memorialized along with it in every book."
Saleema was only nine years old the day Saad looked into her eyes and turned away in shame. She definitely noticed it, and it caused her to wonder. What she saw confused her since Saad's presence in the household was as familiar and natural as that of Hasan, Naeem, her grandfather, and even her tutor. But his look that day and her feelings about it were both strange and new to her, and she didn't know how to deal with them. The matter preyed on her mind for several days, and she pretended to forget it, until eventually she did. Saleema was not conscious of her femininity the way other girls her age were, girls whose families were already making arrangements for their betrothals. Abu Jaafar, who never revealed his innermost thoughts to anyone, harbored a fervent hope that Saleema would become like Aysha bint Ahmad, the pride and joy of Cordovan ladies and gentlemen alike, who surpassed them all in intellect, erudition, and culture. He was not concerned about her marriage, nor did he ever raise the subject with her. Her mother felt the same way, but for entirely selfish reasons. Her intense attachment to her daughter made her shiver even at the thought of being separated from her, living far away with a strange man in a strange house.
Friends and acquaintances of Abu Jaafar warned him about what it would cost to educate both his grandchildren, calling it a senseless waste of money. These are not times for Islamic scholars and judges, nor for Arabic manuscripts, for that matter. Spanish is the language of the future, and there will be no financial rewards for knowing Arabic, they would say. Abu Jaafar would listen to them and not say a word. But he never gave a thought to depriving the two little ones of an education, not only because he was adamant about realizing his dreams, but because he was resolutely convinced that refusing to educate them was tantamount to surrendering to a defeat that Almighty God may not decree in the end. His dreams had not abandoned him,
Naeem repeated, "Love her for now, a week or two, but then look for someone else to fall in love with. I was worried about you, brother. I said to myself, Saad's locked himself away from women, but now the lock has been opened."
After several moments of silence, Naeem asked, "How is it that you came to fall in love with her?"
"I don't know."
"I'm concerned about you. I want to compare your love for women with mine. Tell me everything, all the details of how it came about, this love of yours for her."
Hasan and Saleema received the usual pampering of being raised in a grandfather's house, if not more, especially since they were the children of their dearly beloved father whose life was cut short before his time. Abu Jaafar not only provided them with everything they wanted, but he also pinned all his hopes and dreams on them. He brought Saleema a private tutor to give her lessons in reading and writing, and when Hasan turned seven, he enrolled him in the class of the most prestigious faqeeh in town. He would say to Hasan, "Granada has fallen, Hasan, but who knows, some day it may return to you, even by way of your own sword, or perhaps you will write its story and record its glories for all time. It's not my intention that you become a paper maker like myself, my boy. I see you rather as a great writer, like Ibn al-Khateeb, 2 and your name will be synonymous with Granada and memorialized along with it in every book."
Saleema was only nine years old the day Saad looked into her eyes and turned away in shame. She definitely noticed it, and it caused her to wonder. What she saw confused her since Saad's presence in the household was as familiar and natural as that of Hasan, Naeem, her grandfather, and even her tutor. But his look that day and her feelings about it were both strange and new to her, and she didn't know how to deal with them. The matter preyed on her mind for several days, and she pretended to forget it, until eventually she did. Saleema was not conscious of her femininity the way other girls her age were, girls whose families were already making arrangements for their betrothals. Abu Jaafar, who never revealed his innermost thoughts to anyone, harbored a fervent hope that Saleema would become like Aysha bint Ahmad, the pride and joy of Cordovan ladies and gentlemen alike, who surpassed them all in intellect, erudition, and culture. He was not concerned about her marriage, nor did he ever raise the subject with her. Her mother felt the same way, but for entirely selfish reasons. Her intense attachment to her daughter made her shiver even at the thought of being separated from her, living far away with a strange man in a strange house.
Friends and acquaintances of Abu Jaafar warned him about what it would cost to educate both his grandchildren, calling it a senseless waste of money. These are not times for Islamic scholars and judges, nor for Arabic manuscripts, for that matter. Spanish is the language of the future, and there will be no financial rewards for knowing Arabic, they would say. Abu Jaafar would listen to them and not say a word. But he never gave a thought to depriving the two little ones of an education, not only because he was adamant about realizing his dreams, but because he was resolutely convinced that refusing to educate them was tantamount to surrendering to a defeat that Almighty God may not decree in the end. His dreams had not abandoned him,
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