In this world, nothing irritates him but to be told
that his jacket is not buttoned up or that he looks unrespectable. The one and
only example he lives up to is respect. For all his life, he has pursued
one goal; respect.
He joined the faculty of commerce to be reputed as
a respectable university graduate. He got a steady job to be attributed as a
respectable employee. He married at an early age to be credited as a
respectable husband. He chose his friend from amongst senior officials to be
characterized as a respectable person. He wore the tie and the fizz on the dog
days of August to be recognized as a respectable man.
Before speaking, he thinks, for a while, not of
what to say but of what respectable people normally say in one situation or
another. Then, he utters it rubbing his hands together and looking around in
the eyes of people in an attempt to gather the looks of respect just like a
peasant gathering cotton almond-like seeds from his farm.
He does not love his wife; on the other hand, she
does not bear him. However, he maintains the form of relation between them to
keep his respect.
One can not exactly understand who he is, for most
of the time he lacks the he characterizing free men. He is what you want
him to be, not what he wants to be. He gave up his character for people's
respect and satisfaction, without stopping for a while to consider, argue or
even suspect the significance of that respect. To him, respect is a sublime
value, for which all realities diminish even his own reality.
I have just met Mr. Mohamed Basiony today, he
seemed nauseated. I asked him what's up? He answered in disgust:
-What a cursed generation! Can you imagine that
today I have found out that our youngster servant who hasn't reached her
sixteen years of age is pregnant?! She has told me that she is pregnant by my
son. A liar…this bit…Is it possible; my son did so, my well-bred son who is
raised by a respectable family!
I answered calmly:
-It always happens in respectable families. Such
families are infected by chronic constipation. Thus, naturally one day they may
suffer bowel explosion.
-This sounds nonsense!
-I'm saying the truth. What have you done with that
servant?
-I kicked her out. It is impossible to live with
this plague.
It seemed that he did not want to listen to any
further comments from me. He considered me as another kind of the plague that
must be avoided.
Any way everyone of us went on in his way, but I
have kept thinking of him. He went home to sleep with a woman; neither he nor
she loves the other. He does that only in return for my respect. She does it in
return for three meals, a pocket money and my respect as well.
After twenty years, the son has had it with
respect. Respect has reached saturation point and thus it is given up all in
all for a moment with the servant.
Perhaps, the servant is the victim of all. She has
lost her job, chastity and may be her life as whole thanks to the unpredictable
destiny of her pregnancy. She has lost everything for nothing. Even respect,
she has lost forever. For her, remembrance is but an offensive sin.
As far as I am concerned, she is the most miserable
of all, since she stands for the tax to be paid in return for our sins. She
represents the minor adultery that veils the chief one prevailing in our homes
under the title of marriage and that covers the major hypocrisy predominant in
our societies under the title of respect.
Mr. Mohammed Basiony a leading hypocrite whose
masks of respect always slip. His son is more sinful than that miserable
servant who bears the err of all.
Transalted by me from Mostafa Mahmoud's Articles
https://www.facebook.com/dr.mostafa.mahmoud/posts/10150985986748813
