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Not far away in the men’s hamam, Radouan was hosting a bath for his male relatives and friends. Pero and Nick helped Rupert and Francesco strip down and tried to explain why men kept their shorts on while women went naked. ‘What’s hidden is Sacred, must not be seen...evil eye and all that.’ ‘Iss the size problem, I’m sure,’ Francesco observed, ‘Nobody wants to get into that!’ ‘The guiltless Greeks and Romans bathed naked,’ Nick smiled cheerfully. ‘How would you know?’ Pero laughed nervously. Lord Jim, who had come down from Paris for the occasion, joined them. Radouan pointed out the gleaming stainless steel lockers imported from Germany and the mosaic murals copied from the Palace of Minos in Crete by an artist from Asilah. They went on into the loula and the oustania, where they found Radouan’s father, his uncles and cousins, various army officers, and local police captains mingling with big city movers and shakers, and not a few, survivors of the boulevards of Marrakech. Presided over by Radouan’s avuncular friend J.W. rose colored glasses of tea laced with brandy were being passed around. Venturing into the s’khouna, Radouan helped his father sit down and began to bathe him. Various family members, notables and erstwhile friends came up, said hello and kissed his hands. Despite his frail condition, the old man seemed to be enjoying himself. Now all these people who had avoided him for years because of his wild ways, now they had to suck up! ‘L’hascapa,Intikam h'sifa!’. Indeed, it was a sweet moment of revenge; at last the ways of the world in which he had so carefully instructed his beautiful son, at last that training was bearing fruit. After bathing his father, Radouan moved back into the oustania, where he was to be installed in the Bridegroom’s niche, the beit laaris. A fight developed between the village boys for the honor of scrubbing and anointing him with oil. As everyone was in a good mood, however, the dispute was quickly settled and faithful Mokhtar stood by supervising, He was happy now, Mokhtar; not only because Radouan was marrying Hafida, of whom he highly approved, but because Radouan had not abandoned him, and had promised to create a job and find him a wife as well. While he was being scrubbed, Radouan had a long conversation with Rupert who congratulated him on his victory over the forces of evil and humiliation! ‘Hamdu’lla,’ Radouan smiled stoically, ‘Allah is Merciful.’ ‘God is Great!’ Rupert nodded. Radouan thanked him for assembling the legal team that saved him from the jaws of the law. Rupert, a stocky handsome man with long hair tied in a bun, mad grey eyes and a determined jaw - perhaps more horse than man - Rupert was anxious that his sudden arrival might have put Toni out of sorts. ‘You have all us men here to protect you,’ Radouan grinned. ‘Don’t worry, you are our brother, akhouia, nothing will happen to you.’ Nick came up with buckets of hot water and supervised the scrubbing of Rupert. Francesco took Radouan aside and commented on the excellent quality of the brandy. ‘What did you expect?’ Radouan gestured across the room through the steam and sighed. ‘Jus’ look at all these guys... all my life I’ve been keepin’ them in separate pockets, now they’re all here together... it’s embarrassing.’ ‘Everyone’s going to be drunk tonight, so don’t worry.’ Francesco stared at him meaningfully and whispered, ‘You remember our agreement don’t you? Any time... any place? Well, tonight I want to make it with you before you go to her... droit de seigneur avec toi... ius primae noctis... Tu connais? We have a solemn agreement... you must think of some place where we can be alone for a few tender moments.’ Radouan’s cheeks flushed: ‘Stop talkin’ like that,’ he hissed, ‘think where you are!’ Francesco snorted and moved away; engaged Radouan’s father and uncles in conversation, and soon had them roaring with laughter. Radouan eyed him implacably.
©Elwyn Chamberlain 2006 |