The Moon of Masarrah Read online

  Through the archway at the back of the great hall, the Alkurdis were ushered down a long passageway. After washing off the dust and grime of travel in a bathroom, they sat down at a table in the dining room loaded with refreshments. They soon made short work of a large meat pie, a selection of sandwiches and a semolina cake, served with both hot and cold beverages. Afterwards, they moved across to the living room, which was furnished with several comfortable sofas and a television set. As Mr. Horani conversed with Professor and Mrs. Alkurdi, the teenagers smiled tentatively at each other.

  “My dad told us a lot about your dad,” Adam said.

  “We’ve heard a lot about your dad too,” Zaid replied.

  “Is this your first visit to Midan?” Zahra asked.

  “Yes, it is,” Layla nodded.

  “How do you like it?” Zaid asked.

  “We’ve only been here for five days but it seems like a nice place,” Adam said. “I was kind of surprised.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Zaid replied. “What were you expecting?”

  “I guess more chaos and confusion,” Adam grinned. “From what you hear in the news, you’d think that everyone in this part of the world is uncivilized and crazy.”

  “Well, from what I see in the news, I used to think that all Americans are obnoxious and rude,” Zaid shot back and they all laughed.

  “I guess we have to get to know each other,” Layla said. “Then we wouldn’t think so bad of the other.”

  “You both speak Arabic very well,” Zahra spoke in English with a distinct British accent.

  “Oh, Mom and Dad made sure we learned it right along with English,” Layla replied in English too. “I supposed you learned Arabic while you were living in England as well.”

  “We did,” Zaid replied. “I guess we can speak to each other in English while we’re here.”

  “Both Grandpa and Aunt Hafza speak excellent English too,” Adam said. “With everyone else, I guess we’ll stick to Arabic.”

  “Who’s Aunt Hafza?” Zaid asked.

  “She’s Grandpa’s twin sister,” Adam replied. “Our great-aunt, actually. It’s too much of a mouthful to say great-aunt, so we simply say aunt. She’s resting now. You’ll meet her at dinner later.”

  Shortly after, Professor and Mrs. Alkurdi took their leave. Zaid and Zahra hugged their parents in the courtyard and stood watching until the Mitsubishi went out the gates. When they re-entered the house, Mr. Horani said, “Adam and Layla will take you up to your rooms now. You can rest there until dinner.”

  Zaid and Zahra followed their new friends up the grand staircase to the floor above. At the top of the staircase, was a hallway which dissected that floor into two wings.

  “Your room’s this way,” Layla said, steering Zahra towards the right wing.

  Adam turned into the left wing and pointed to two doors which stood on opposite sides. “Those are Grandpa and Aunt Hafza’s rooms. This wing is smaller than the other one but the two rooms here are larger, with their own bathrooms. Your room is next to mine in the eastern turret.”

  At the end of the hallway, Adam showed Zaid the bathroom the two of them would share. Opposite it was a flight of stairs that led to the turret. At the top was a narrow passageway with a room on each side.

  “That’s my room,” Adam pointed to the door on the right. “And this is yours,” he opened the door on the left. They entered a small but cozy room with a double bed, a dresser with a mirror, and a small closet. To the left was a single casement window, with a built-in window seat. It stood open to let in sunlight and air.

  “The view from your window is spectacular,” Adam said, beckoning Zaid over. “That’s Bayan Bay, the watery version out there,” he indicated the wide expanse of blue water surrounding the bluffs upon which the house sat. “And that’s Bayan Cove down there,” he pointed left towards an almost circular body of water secluded by towering cliffs that rose protectively on each side. It had a narrow opening leading out into the bay and verged a small, curving strip of rocky beach almost at the foot of the bluffs. “When the tide is in, the beach is covered with water. It’s a beautiful spot, isn’t it?”

  “It is,” Zaid agreed. “Have you swum in the cove yet?”

  “Oh, no,” Adam said emphatically. “Grandpa doesn’t want us to go there. He said the bluffs are too risky to climb down and the cove is filled with dangerous undercurrents. Well, I’ll leave you to settle in,” he headed to the door. “Dinner is at seven so I’ll see you later.”

  Zaid sat on the window seat, admiring the breathtaking view. From his vantage point, he looked down upon the craggy bluffs, which were jagged and steep and would certainly be a difficult climb down, though not impossible. He listened to the peculiar mewling calls of the seagulls and watched the white-tipped waves breaking against the cliffs, sending spray shooting upwards. It was like being in a whole different world. After unpacking his luggage and taking a trip to the bathroom to perform ablution, Zaid offered the mid-afternoon prayer before sprawling on his bed and taking a nap.

  When Zaid and Zahra went down to dinner later, they found the family gathered in the living room along with several unfamiliar faces. They were introduced to Aunt Hafza, who was dressed in allover black and was frail-looking with vague black eyes. Other than the same nose and mouth, she did not look at all like her twin brother. Abbas, who was the gardener, had been specially invited to dinner to meet them. He was a short, stocky man in his late fifties with bushy eyebrows and a thick, well-kept beard. He greeted and welcomed them with a deep, resonant voice.

  Last of all, they were introduced to the Ahmeds, who were friends as well as neighbors. Mrs. Ahmed was a tiny woman with soft brown eyes and a warm smile. She was wearing a peacock-blue gown with a fringed black scarf. Her husband was a stout, balding man wearing a tan robe. Their son Basim, was the same age as Adam and Zaid. He was a rather chubby youth with his mother’s eyes and his father’s large frame.

  “Nice to meet you,” Mrs. Ahmed smiled.

  “How do you do,” Mr. Ahmed squeezed Zaid’s hand, showing rather large teeth as he smiled.

  “Hello,” Basim gave a friendly nod.

  Shortly after, they all trooped into the dining room for dinner. The first course was cucumber soup, which Zaid enjoyed immensely. Next was the musakhan – tender roasted chicken garnished with pine nuts and served with bread. The boys, who were seated next to each other, conversed as they ate.

  “You have to come visit us at Ma’ab Manor,” Basim said, crunching on his pine nuts. “You’ll enjoy the tennis court and swimming pool.”

  Lowering his voice, Adam said, “I wouldn’t mind trying out the swimming pool since Grandpa wouldn’t let us swim in the cove. Honestly, he thinks we’re still babies.”

  “Well, the bay is known for its dangerous undertow,” Basim said seriously. “Lots of people have drowned in it.”

  “But I’m a good swimmer,” Adam protested.

  “So were many of the people who drowned,” Basim said. “Believe me, it can be very risky.”

  As Zaid was eating his custard, his attention was caught by Aunt Hafza, who seemed to have spilled her tea. Mr. Horani came to her aid and swiftly wiped up the spill.

  “Poor Aunt Hafza,” Adam continued in a low voice. “She’s deaf in one ear and very absent-minded. The other day, she misplaced her dentures and Grandpa had us looking everywhere for it. We finally found it stuck to an apple which had rolled under her bed.”

  Basim snickered and Zaid could not help grinning at the image of dentures sticking out of an apple. “Your grandpa seems to take very good care of her,” he observed as Mr. Horani poured a fresh mug of tea for his sister. “They’re not identical twins like Hassan and Hakeem though.”

  “No, they’re fraternal twins,” Adam said. “Aunt Hafza is older by a few minutes. She’s been living here ever since she became a widow
ten years ago. She has just one daughter and two grandkids who live in Canada, but she prefers to remain here rather than go live there.”

  After dinner, they gathered for the sunset prayer in the prayer room, which was located down the passageway on the left side of the great hall. It was a spacious carpeted room with several shelves of religious texts and a row of windows overlooking the courtyard. A cool evening breeze drifted in through the open windows as Zaid took his place in the row. After the prayer ended, Abbas and the Ahmeds left and everyone went their separate ways.

  Zaid had stayed back to help Adam close the windows. After they were done, he peered with interest at the books on the shelves, recognizing some of the titles that his father had at home.

  “Do you like to read?” Adam asked.

  “Oh yes. I like science fiction and mysteries.”

  “Then you must check out the library in the next room. Grandpa has tons of books there. There is religious literature, Arabic poetry, some old English classics and lots of young adult fiction which belonged to Dad. There are even some old editions of Tintin. Have you ever read them?”

  “Oh yes, I read a few when we were living in England.”

  “Aren’t the characters hilarious?” Adam chuckled. “Professor Calculus reminds me of Aunt Hafza when she’s not wearing her hearing aid, and Abbas definitely looks like Captain Haddock.”

  “Speaking of captains, my dad told us that your great-grandfather was a famous sea captain.”

  “Yes, he was,” Adam said proudly. “He was Captain Rafiq Horani. Everyone called him Red Rafiq because of his red hair and beard. He had all kinds of adventures traveling to different lands.”

  “Your grandpa must have heard some great stories from him.”

  Adam nodded. “Oh, yes. Grandpa too, has his own stories from his days as a sailor. In fact, he’s been working on his memoirs ever since he retired. There is one story that Layla and I are very interested in.” Lowering his voice, he said, “How would you like to help us look for a hidden diamond?”

  Chapter Two:

  Hidden Diamond

  After the dawn prayer the next morning, Zaid recited some verses from Qur’an before seating himself at the window and watching the sun rising slowly over the bay. Never having such an unencumbered view of the sunrise before, he was transfixed by the brilliant orange and purple hues that streaked across the horizon, spreading over the waters in a dazzling kaleidoscope of colors. It is truly a wonder of creation, he thought, as little by little the great orb crested over the horizon and the entire bay was engulfed in the fiery aftermath.

  As he listened to the early morning clamor of the gulls and stared at the white-crested waves breaking against the cliffs, he recalled what Adam had whispered to him the night before. A hidden diamond? At Bayan House? It sounded quite exciting. He glanced at his bedside clock and saw that it was still too early for breakfast. Adam had told him that Maymun began serving the meal at eight. Since it was over an hour away, he pulled out a book from his backpack and settled down to read.

  Zaid must have dozed off, for he woke up at the sound of feet shuffling by. It must be Adam going down to breakfast, he thought. His stomach rumbled, reminding him that it was time he too went in search of sustenance. After changing out of his pajamas, he donned a sky-blue cotton shirt and navy pants. He dragged a brush through his thick mane of black hair and dabbed a bit of jasmine attar on his neck before heading downstairs.

  Zaid knew that the kitchen was located at the back of the house, beyond the great hall. Following the fragrant aroma of coffee and the enticing smell of food, he walked down the long passageway, past the living and dining rooms, and several other utility rooms, which included the bathroom, laundry room and a storeroom. The kitchen was the last door on the left, while up ahead was an archway leading to a spacious vestibule at the very back of the house. He paused in the doorway of the kitchen, taking in the room at a quick glance. It was quite large with surprisingly modern appliances and lots of cupboards and countertop space. In the middle was a large island, while in the right corner was a square table and four chairs. Alongside the table was a door in the wall which Zaid guessed must be a storage closet. A thick wooden door stood slightly ajar at the back.

  Adam was standing by the island and had just picked up a mug with one hand and a plate of food with the other. Maymun was busy washing dishes in the sink. They both looked up as Zaid greeted them.

  “There you are,” Adam said. “Did you sleep well?”

  “Like a log,” Zaid replied. “I could hear the waves from my room. The sound was very soothing.”

  “Well, help yourself,” Maymun gestured to the covered dishes on the island. “There’s hot water in the kettle for tea and coffee. You can use the microwave if you need to warm anything up.”

  As Zaid began to load scrambled eggs, stewed sardines and toast onto his plate, the girls and twins soon made an appearance, and they all went into the dining room to eat.

  After breakfast, Adam and Layla showed Zaid and Zahra around. They went out the back door of the kitchen and onto a tiled patio in the shape of a semicircle. On the patio stood a white wicker table with eight matching chairs. Beyond it were a profusion of almond trees, with a path leading into the grounds at the back of the house.

  “We’ll show you a bit of the grounds this afternoon,” Adam promised.

  They re-entered the house through the vestibule and Layla pointed to a closed door. “Beyond that door is Maymun and Luqman’s suite,” she told them. “That little wing was added about eight years ago.”

  As they crossed the vestibule into the central hallway and made for the great hall, Adam said, “We’re going up to the western turret now. We’ll come back down and end the tour in the library.”

  On the second floor, they veered right into the western wing, passing by Layla’s room which looked out into the grounds at the back of the house, and Zahra and the twins’ room which faced the courtyard. Their bathroom was also at the end of the hallway, opposite the stairway that led up to the turret. Unlike its eastern counterpart, the western turret had no rooms. It was just a large circular area, filled with old and broken furniture and an assortment of boxes and trunks. Natural light poured in from large casement windows on both sides. Layla turned on the light switch and the area became even brighter.

  “There’s a lot of old stuff here as you can see,” Adam told them. He pointed to a dilapidated rocking horse sitting in a corner. “That horse was Grandpa’s when he was a child. Dad used to ride it too until it got broken.”

  Zahra reached into a box and pulled out a doll with black hair, a light olive complexion and glassy black eyes, which was missing an arm and a leg. “Look at this pretty doll,” she exclaimed, holding it up.

  “It must have belonged to Aunt Hanifa or Hafza,” Layla remarked. “They were the only girls living here.”

  “Is Aunt Hanifa your grandpa’s sister too?” Zahra asked.

  “Yes, she was the eldest child,” Adam replied. “She died ages ago. We never knew her.”

  “Are there any other twins in the family?” Zaid asked.

  “Great-Grandma Saffiyah had twin brothers who died in infancy,” Adam said. “She grew up as an only child.”

  “Does your grandfather and Aunt Hafza have any other family here?” Zahra asked.

  “Oh, yes, they have several second cousins,” Layla replied. “They have a few English ones as well in England.”

  Easing through the clutter, Adam made for the window on the right and said, “Come look here.”

  Zaid and Zahra followed him and peered out the window with interest. A dense wooded area stretched out for miles beyond the fence around the house.

  “That’s Bayan Woods,” Adam said. “According to local folklore, the woods are filled with jinn, vampire bats and other scary creatures.”

  “Really?” Zaid said, intrigue
d. “It does look very mysterious.”

  Layla was looking out of the window on the left. “You can see the bay from here,” she called out. “Come take a look.”

  Zaid and Zahra stood next to Layla and stared out the window. From this angle, they saw the blue curve of the bay, framed under a clear, sunny sky.

  “Can you see the bay from your rooms?” Zaid asked the girls

  “You can see a little bit of it from all the windows on that floor,” Layla answered.

  “Yes, I can catch a glimpse of it from my room,” Zahra said.

  Looking across at the eastern turret, Zaid realized that the window in Adam’s room faced away from the bay. Touched by the other boy’s consideration, he said, “Thanks for giving me the room with such a great view, Adam. That was very generous of you.”

  “It’s no big deal,” Adam said modestly. “I see the San Francisco Bay all the time back home, so you’re welcome to this one.”

  “I’m really glad that we’re finally in Midan,” Layla remarked. “We’ve always wanted to see Dad’s childhood home.”

  “Why didn’t you come before?” Zahra asked.

  Layla replied, “Dad was busy building his medical practice and Grandpa was always sailing away on one voyage after another. We never seemed to find the right time until now.”

  “Is this the first time you’re meeting your grandfather?” Zaid asked.

  “Oh, no,” Adam shook his head. “Grandpa visited us several times in San Francisco. When he retired last year, Layla and I decided that it’s high time we paid a visit here.”

  “I didn’t realize that Midan was such a large island,” Layla remarked. “It seems like a tiny dot when you look at the map.”

  “Out of the thirty-three islands of the archipelago in the Arabian Gulf, Midan, Ghassan and Wijdan are the largest,” Zaid explained. “Although each has its own government, they run certain agencies together. That’s why they’re called the Tri-Country States.”

  “You live in Crescent City, don’t you?” Adam asked.