Warning
Anson knowing his daughters were to leave for Abdullah’s the next day saw Charmaine playing like she was royalty and became annoyed.
Anson: Charmaine!
Charmaine: Yes honored father, how may I please you?
Anson: You know I dislike when you play like this.
Charmaine: Honored father, I am sorry I displeased you, but I don’t see the harm in it.
Anson knowing Charmaine being timid and not knowing about her going to Abdullah’s tomorrow thought carefully what he should say. Should he tell her the truth or blunt it somehow?
Anson: Little one, it is time for you to put away childish things. You are a young lady now and will soon be assuming more ladylike pursuits.
Charmaine: I don’t want to stop playing. I like playing dress up and pretending I am a queen.
Anson getting annoyed again: You are not a queen. You are nothing but a lowly woman whose sole purpose is to please a man. I should not have to tell you this at your age. You should know this by now.
Anson: Charmaine!
Charmaine: Yes honored father, how may I please you?
Anson: You know I dislike when you play like this.
Charmaine: Honored father, I am sorry I displeased you, but I don’t see the harm in it.
Anson knowing Charmaine being timid and not knowing about her going to Abdullah’s tomorrow thought carefully what he should say. Should he tell her the truth or blunt it somehow?
Anson: Little one, it is time for you to put away childish things. You are a young lady now and will soon be assuming more ladylike pursuits.
Charmaine: I don’t want to stop playing. I like playing dress up and pretending I am a queen.
Anson getting annoyed again: You are not a queen. You are nothing but a lowly woman whose sole purpose is to please a man. I should not have to tell you this at your age. You should know this by now.
Charmaine stood there wondering why her playing dress up displeased her father. She didn’t understand what was wrong. She sighed. Her father always seemed unhappy with her. She wished that her playing wouldn’t upset him so, but she couldn’t stop. She enjoyed it too much. It was the one thing she had in life that she could say made her happy.
Anson looked away. Maybe he should let her be this last night. After all tomorrow her world would change and it was going to be hard on her poor thing. He swallowed the bile rising up in his throat at the thought of giving his two daughters to that man. It wasn’t going to be easy for Zoe either, but she was strong she would survive. She was always the hard headed one of the twins. She was worse than Gemma who had big dreams she refused to give up. Ridiculous he thought getting angry for Gemma to aspire to be an astronaut. He realized then that to be kind he had to be cruel for Charmaine’s sake.
Anson: Charmaine!
Charmaine perplexed at his tone wondered what she had done now. Just standing here quietly seemed to upset him. She just couldn’t seem to win.
Anson seeing Zoe come up decided they both needed to know the truth: Charmaine, it is time you and Zoe know the truth. Tomorrow you are to go live with a man named Abdullah. You will be there to help him run his house. When you are of age, you and Zoe will become his honored wives.
Charmaine looked upset like she couldn’t quite grasp what father was saying. Zoe stood there stoically having already known the truth.
Charmaine: Why father? Why? I don’t want to leave you, mother, Gemma, Betty, Alexie and my brothers. I love you. Please let me stay.
Anson upset himself with the situation lashed out: Charmaine, stop it! You are a grown up young lady and you have been well trained for this new life of you. It would be different if you had been born a man, but such was not your good fortune. You have been blessed indeed that I have found (the words sticking in his throat) such a fine future husband for you guys. There are a dozen women who would kill to be in your place. So do not upset me with your whining.
Anson walked away knowing there was nothing else to do.
The next morning:
Anson looked away. Maybe he should let her be this last night. After all tomorrow her world would change and it was going to be hard on her poor thing. He swallowed the bile rising up in his throat at the thought of giving his two daughters to that man. It wasn’t going to be easy for Zoe either, but she was strong she would survive. She was always the hard headed one of the twins. She was worse than Gemma who had big dreams she refused to give up. Ridiculous he thought getting angry for Gemma to aspire to be an astronaut. He realized then that to be kind he had to be cruel for Charmaine’s sake.
Anson: Charmaine!
Charmaine perplexed at his tone wondered what she had done now. Just standing here quietly seemed to upset him. She just couldn’t seem to win.
Anson seeing Zoe come up decided they both needed to know the truth: Charmaine, it is time you and Zoe know the truth. Tomorrow you are to go live with a man named Abdullah. You will be there to help him run his house. When you are of age, you and Zoe will become his honored wives.
Charmaine looked upset like she couldn’t quite grasp what father was saying. Zoe stood there stoically having already known the truth.
Charmaine: Why father? Why? I don’t want to leave you, mother, Gemma, Betty, Alexie and my brothers. I love you. Please let me stay.
Anson upset himself with the situation lashed out: Charmaine, stop it! You are a grown up young lady and you have been well trained for this new life of you. It would be different if you had been born a man, but such was not your good fortune. You have been blessed indeed that I have found (the words sticking in his throat) such a fine future husband for you guys. There are a dozen women who would kill to be in your place. So do not upset me with your whining.
Anson walked away knowing there was nothing else to do.
The next morning:
Anson saw Akbar, Abdullah’s son, at camp. He was dressed in his best, even sporting his formal fez (hat). He wondered why he was here. To wear formal attire this early in the morning was a sign that he was recognizing Anson as his better. Formal wear was only worn at night at formal parties or at meetings with people of higher rank than you. This was a great sign of respect Akbar was showing to him. An honor that he knew he didn’t deserve.
Anson at his most obsequious: Welcome Akbar. What brings you here this most auspicious day? Surely your father hasn’t sent you to retrieve my most lowly daughters?
Akbar urgently: I don’t have much time. Please listen. I have come here without my father’s knowledge to warn you not to let your daughters cross my father’s threshold. He is an evil man and will not do right by your lovely daughters.
Anson worried tried not to show it.
Anson at his most obsequious: Welcome Akbar. What brings you here this most auspicious day? Surely your father hasn’t sent you to retrieve my most lowly daughters?
Akbar urgently: I don’t have much time. Please listen. I have come here without my father’s knowledge to warn you not to let your daughters cross my father’s threshold. He is an evil man and will not do right by your lovely daughters.
Anson worried tried not to show it.
Anson with a false bravado he didn’t feel: Now Akbar, I am sure you are wrong. Your father is an honorable man who will bring my daughters great honor. Your father brings much favor on me taking my unworthy daughters.
Akbar: I mean you no disrespect, but you must run and keep running with your daughters. My father is not honorable, and has already alluded to not waiting until they are of the proper age. If he desires he will have your daughters without benefit of marriage. He has done so before with others. I think you should know Zoe and Charmaine will not be his first wives. I have had at least 10 “mothers” some who my father has used and then divorced them for the most trivial of reasons leaving them destitute and on the street and some were mistresses. He thinks he is above the law. Everybody fears him and that is why he has so much power. There is no guarantee that he will marry your daughters.
Anson shocked tried not to show it. He hadn’t known any of this. How dare Abdullah deceive him. Maybe Akbar was right. Yet to cross Abdullah was not an easy thing. He had little time. He needed to think. After promising Akbar that he would think things over and reassuring him that he never saw him come here today, Akbar turned and ran toward home.
Akbar: I mean you no disrespect, but you must run and keep running with your daughters. My father is not honorable, and has already alluded to not waiting until they are of the proper age. If he desires he will have your daughters without benefit of marriage. He has done so before with others. I think you should know Zoe and Charmaine will not be his first wives. I have had at least 10 “mothers” some who my father has used and then divorced them for the most trivial of reasons leaving them destitute and on the street and some were mistresses. He thinks he is above the law. Everybody fears him and that is why he has so much power. There is no guarantee that he will marry your daughters.
Anson shocked tried not to show it. He hadn’t known any of this. How dare Abdullah deceive him. Maybe Akbar was right. Yet to cross Abdullah was not an easy thing. He had little time. He needed to think. After promising Akbar that he would think things over and reassuring him that he never saw him come here today, Akbar turned and ran toward home.
Anson went to get his formal outfit on. He saw only one possible way and that was to go before the religious council and ask for their intervention. Abdullah would not dare cross the council. He had to go now before the girls were taken away. Once they entered Abdullah’s house the contract was binding and even the council couldn’t do anything. They would be considered Abdullah’s rightful property. Once you were a man’s property, you were his and considered used goods. If they were taken from his house Zoe and Charmaine would never be able to find husbands. No man wanted another man’s used property. He knew this was a huge risk and one you didn’t take lightly. The council only considered the most serious of cases, and contracts over wives was something they didn’t easily agree to interfere on. If they found against him they could punish him severely. If they found he besmirched Abdullah’s honor he would be forced to forfeit all he has to him. His honor would be irrevocably damaged. The only way out would be an honor killing of himself and his family. The shame would not be erased unless he did. Anson hesitated. He was rethinking this whole thing. If he went to the council and they agreed with him Abdullah would be his forever enemy and Abdullah was a formidable enemy to have. His main problem now was who he feared more – Abdullah or the council.