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A Conversation from the
Third Floor 2
'Louder, woman.'
'You've got 'em, I sent them to you.'
'When?'
'Just now.'
'Just now? Here, hang on-don't move.'
He disappeared suddenly. Two faces remained at the win- dow. One of them stretched out his arm; he made an obscene
movement in the air with his hand. She lowered her eyes, then
went back to the pile of stones.
'Aziza!'
Though she did not recognise the voice, she looked up at the
window. She saw the man was smiling, his arm still moving
about. The second man was kneeling, having raised his djellaba above his thighs. She heard him call out:
'Aziza, look!'
She smiled. The policeman was still sitting on his horse
as though asleep. From the side window of the tower she had
a partial view of the soldier's head. He had taken off his
helmet.
She heard several voices calling her. She listened
attentively, concentrating her gaze on the soldier's head as he moved
within the opening of the window. The calls were repeated,
interspersed with abuse. The soldier put on his helmet, but
remained inside the tower.
Suddenly the voices were silent and some moments later
there came to her the breathless voice of her husband:
'Aziza?
I said five -- didn't I tell you five packets?' She stared
up towards him in silence.
'Woman, what's the use of three packets?' She gestured to
him with her hand.
'What are you saying?'
'Five -- I sent five.'
'Five?'
he shouted fiercely. 'The bastards!'
He disappeared suddenly, then leant out again shouting:
'Wait! Don't go!'
She turned her face towards the window of the tower. He
was away for a while, then he returned.
'It's all right, Aziza. Never mind. Five-yes, there were five.
Never mind, a couple got taken, it doesn't matter. Listen -- what was I going to say?' Silence. She saw him staring out in silence from the window. She shook out her black djellaba
and walked forward towards the wall. He smiled.
'Aziza, I was thinking of saying something to you.'
Again there was silence. She turned away her head so that
part of her face was against the sun. She shifted her head-veil
slightly from her head.
'They took a couple of packets. Never mind, Aziza. Never
mind.'
He laughed. His voice had become calm. The other faces
disappeared from above him, only a single face remaining
alongside his.
'Did you build the wall?'
'Not yet.'
'Why not?'
'When Uncle Ahmed lights the furnace, I'll get some bricks
from him.'
'All right. Be careful on the tram. Look after the boy.'
She remained standing.
'Anything you want?'
'No.'
She gazed at his face, his large nose, his bare arms. She
smiled. The face next to his smiled back.
Suddenly he shouted. 'Did you get the letter? I'm being
transferred.'
'Where to?'
'I don't know.'
'When?'
'You see, they're pulling down the prison.'
'Where will you go?'
'God knows -- anywhere. No one knows.'
'When?'
'In two or three days. Don't come here again. I'll let you
know when I'm transferred. Has the boy gone to sleep?'
'No, he's awake.'
He stared back for a while in silence.
'Aziza!'
Again there was silence. The face alongside his smiled,
then slowly slid back inside and disappeared. Her husband remained silent, his arms around the bars.
Suddenly he glanced behind him and quickly drew in his arms. He signaled to her to move away, then disappeared
from the window.
She stepped back, though she remained standing looking
up at the window.
After a while she seated herself on the stones and stretched
out her leg. Taking out her breasts, she suckled her child.
The shadow advanced halfway across the street. She saw
that its fringe was touching her foot. She drew her foot back a
little. The place was quiet and the washing that had been hung
out gently swayed in the breeze.
When she looked at her foot again, she saw that the shadow
clothed the tips of her toes. She stood up.
The soldier was still inside the tower; the toe of his boot
could be seen at the edge of the wooden platform. Before
reaching where the horse stood she glanced behind her, but
the window was empty.
She looked quietly at the policeman: his eyes were closed,
his hands on the pommel of the saddle. The horse stood
motionless.
She walked down the narrow passageway towards the main
street.
End |
