3
appeared like large lotus-shaped leaves. They were blown away into
our faces as soon as marked upon the earth. For hours, this is all I
could see before me except for the thin legs of the "vessels of the
desert" (the camels) which swayed along the path. When I could
see better, I noticed that the direction of the prevailing winds showed
like freshly ploughed waves in the sand.
I thought then that it was worth having endured the tortures of the
weather for the sight of this. At one point, nobody could really tell
the difference between the snakes' body prints and the sand's natural
architecture. In many instances, there were long gradual slopes like
swells with ripples, which incidentally were extremely hard. But the
dunes were not that many on this part of the desert, nor were they
high. A soon as we were back on the flat land, new dunes appeared.
Here and there stunted types of sorghum grew in the sand. They had
small heads and a stalk only three feet high. Aside of them, there
was not much vegetation, just some bushes carried by the wind.
From time to time, I looked around to make sure that Djaliil was
following. He often walked near the camels at the rear where the
woman's ride followed. The hawdaj still jerked to and fro in a slight
rolling movement. Its curtains were so thick and numerous, it was
impossible to even have a glimpse of what was inside. And when we
stopped, the camel was led so far from camp that it was impossible to
discern anything of its occupant. Each time I became conscious
again of its existence, I could not help thinking that it looked like a
mirage of color in all this dryness and the heat rising from the ground.
Nobody had cared to tell me who was the lady in the mysterious
palanquin. I guessed it was not the custom for men to talk about
women for fear they might feel desire for them. Even Djaliil who
was talkative in many subjects scrupulously avoided this one by
modesty. He once explained to me, reciting verses from the Noble
Book:
" "Women are the twin-half of men" (Haadith), "a garment to
them" (Qur'an 2: 187). Allah has created the wife so that her mate
"might find comfort in her" (Qur'an 7:189), "quiet of wind". "
And He put between [them] love and affection" (Qur'an 30:21).
So you see, brother, a woman is so precious for a man's peace that
he hates to separate from it. A woman is the man's pride and honor.
He asks her to hide her beauty behind veils and be pious, so that the
gaze of men might not bother her. She usually enjoys this privacy.
She is actually often the one who enforces this religious precept."
4
Djaliil had smiled a little, shyly, then he had abruptly changed the
subject. I did not bother him again with my curiosity. Soon, I forgot
about women. I did not have to think about them because the
opposite sexes did not mix much in Arabia, except in the secrecy of
their homes. And I could not inquire about these issues because, for
one thing, I was not part of the family, for another, it was considered
improper to talk about the family's privacy. So, I had been basically
living in a non-women's land, and had been for many weeks.
Women also had their own world where men were entirely banished.
There were rituals like the application of henna tattoos or the
beautifying of the hair. Those only men of the family enjoyed.
Women actually were little gardens of the desert as I could judge by
my readings, but who had the time to think much about gardens
grown inside the courtyards of houses?
Photo courtesy of Maha: http://www.almaha.net
The Bedouin camp emerged suddenly like a shining object.
It struck me as playing the role of a lighthouse among the dunes. Its
aura of light came from the green tuft trees growing in alleys next to
a cluster of habitations. The Bedouin's camp was not actually what I
expected. It was quite big with many olive trees flourishing in the
sand dunes. Some guesthouses had even been built for visitors, and
paths of stone led to vegetable patches. Some of its inhabitants had
decorated the outside walls of the dark tents with tassels. I thought
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