Palace Walk

Al-Sayyid Ahmad is horrified after the scene at the mosque and blames Yasin for yet another humiliation. Later that night, Fahmy is summoned to talk to his father, who wants to know about his son’s involvement with the protestors. When al-Sayyid Ahmad demands that Fahmy swear on a copy of the Qur’an that he will not continue his involvement in the protests, Fahmy disobeys, saying that making such a promise would be like “abandoning his brothers” (426) in the independence movement.

Yasin learns that his mother is dying from malaria. He goes to visit her and feels “genuinely sympathetic” (429) for her plight. He tells her about his divorce and adds that Zaynab is pregnant with his first child. When his mother falls asleep, he leaves and promises to return the next day. He goes out drinking, and when he returns home, he finds a message telling him that his mother is dead.

Kamal forms an unlikely friendship with the British soldiers stationed in the street outside the family home, singing for them in exchange for chocolate. His closest acquaintance is a soldier named Julian. One day, Kamal catches Maryam smiling at Julian and tells his family members, who are scandalized by their neighbor’s behavior. Fahmy is particularly disgusted that the girl he once loved could be interested in a British soldier. Privately, Yasin is intrigued to realize that a compromised woman lives so close to him.

One night, al-Sayyid Ahmad is returning home from a romantic encounter with Umm Maryam, Maryam’s mother. He is stopped by a British soldier, who leads him to a nearby square where many Egyptian men have been rounded up. At first, al-Sayyid Ahmad worries that he will be killed, but instead, he and the other men are put to hard manual labor and are made to fill up a large hole that the protestors have dug in the street. The following day, al-Sayyid Ahmad recounts his story with many comical flourishes. The sudden interest in his story means that Aisha and Khadija visit the house with their husbands. The family is reunited for the traditional coffee hour, and Kamal asks his sisters many questions. They are both pregnant, and Kamal wants to know what this means. They also talk about Maryam, whose encounter with Julian scandalizes them all.

Al-Sayyid Ahmad reflects on the bloody nature of the independence movement, in which many people are being killed, and laments the disobedience of Fahmy. Shaykh Mutawali Abd al-Samad visits him and offers religious guidance. They talk about the British soldiers’ recent massacre of the inhabitants of two small towns. At dawn, the family receives word that Aisha has gone into labor. Kamal wants to go with the rest of the family to be with her, but he must attend school. When he arrives, he discovers a tense scene that he does not understand. Aisha’s husband Khalil decides to call a doctor because Aisha’s labor is difficult. While worrying for the lives of his daughter and her baby, al-Sayyid Ahmad is privately critical of Khalil for allowing a male doctor to be so close to his wife. Eventually, the doctor reveals his prognosis: Aisha will survive, but the baby will likely die soon. Khalil seeks help to keep this information from Aisha.

News quickly spreads around the community that Sa’d Pasha had been freed. In the street, many people are celebrating in the belief that Sa’d Pasha’s freedom signals success for the independence movement. As he observes the celebrations, al-Sayyid Ahmad is relieved that this success likely means that his disobedient son Fahmy will not be in any danger. During the celebrations, the apolitical Yasin is swept up by a crowd and finds himself at the heart of a demonstration. He tells the story to the family afterward. Fahmy reveals to his mother that he has been involved in the protests and demonstrations, but he assures her that he was always safe and asserts that “the danger has passed and peace has returned” (482).

The next day, Fahmy is determined to repair his relationship with his father and apologizes for his disobedience. Though he is critical of his son, al-Sayyid Ahmad is privately pleased that his son has admitted that he “can’t live without [al-Sayyid Ahmad’s] approval” (486). Fahmy is pleased with the outcome of the meeting. That day, however, he reflects on his role in the seemingly successful independence movement and begins to wish that he had done more and risked more. He helps to organize a peaceful demonstration in which thousands of people gather to celebrate the release of Sa’d Pasha. The demonstration supposedly has the approval of the British. As the procession begins to move, Fahmy assists with crowd control. When they reach a large public square, however, chaos takes over. Gunfire is heard in the distance, and the crowd panics. Fahmy is killed by British soldiers.

Three young men appear at al-Sayyid Ahmad’s store and tell him that Fahmy “fell a martyr in the demonstration” (495). Al-Sayyid Ahmad is distraught. He tries to make funeral arrangements, but the men tell him that Fahmy will be given a martyr’s funeral. The prospect of telling Amina about Fahmy’s death preoccupies al-Sayyid Ahmad as he walks home. When he enters his house, he can hear Kamal singing a song. The lyrics are: “Visit me once a year / for it’s wrong to abandon people forever” (498).