Life was bad. The next day it was worse. Samira’s father phoned. He wanted to speak to my father. I looked at my father while he took the call. After a minute or two he put his hand over the phone and turned to me. He asked me to leave the room. Ten minutes later he called me back and told me the bad news. I’m very sorry my son. When they arrested me ,I thought about your engagement. I was afraid of this. Samira’s father has just phoned. He said that his plans have changed. He said that he thinks Samira is too young. I’m so sorry. I’ve done nothing wrong and neither have you, but that’s not important now.
Samira’s father knows that you’re a good man. How can he do this to you, to our family? It’s not right, I said angrily. ‘We know that I’m not a thief and I think that he knows that, too. But he’s thinking about his daughter. How can he agree to this engagement now? Nobody wants to know a thief or the family of a thief. He doesn’t want his daughter to marry into a family that nobody wants to know. You’ll see He won’t be the only one to think that way.
My father was right . We usually had a lot of visitors: my mother’s family and friends, our friend, my father’s family ,friends and business colleagues. There was always someone in the house. Now the house was empty. Nobody came to visit. Nobody came for dinner or for coffee. I spoke to my friends on the phone, but, strangely, they were always busy. Amira and Ibrahim said the same. Luckily it was the summer. There was no school for my youngest brother. We were happy about that.
We didn’t want him to hear bad things about his father from the other children. But Mohammed wasn’t happy. He was bored. He didn’t have anyone to play with. He stayed in his bedroom and played on his computer. He only left his room to eat and to tell us that he was bored.
We didn’t see much of my father either. He lived in his own world. Day after day, he set in his office, seeing nobody, talking to nobody. He stopped eating with us, so my mother took food to him. He ate very little. My mother didn’t say anything to me, but I knew that she was very worried about him and the family. Sometimes at night, when she thought that we were all in bed, I could hear her downstairs, crying.
Not every stopped calling. The day after Samira’s father phoned, I had a phone call from Samira.
I’m so sorry, she said. She was crying. I don’t want to end our engagement, but my father won’t listen. I told my father that there has been a terrible mistake. I know that your father isn’t a thief and I’m sure that my father knows that too, but he says it’s not important what he or I think. He told me that he spoke to your father.
‘yes, he did, I said quietly.
‘One day the police will catch the real thief and everyone will be sorry, she said.
I’ll never forget your trust in my family, I said quietly Thank you.
‘Perhaps we can help my father change his plans again, she went on , and she wasn’t crying now. ‘We must fine the real thief. Your father didn’t take the jewellery, so we must find the person who did. She made it sound so easy.
‘But how are we going to do that?’ I asked.
‘Let’s think. Sheikh bin Salem says that he didn’t leave the parcel. He says that he didn’t ask his secretary to type it. Perhaps he didn’t ask him to type it but perhaps he left the parcel.
‘What do you mean? I asked.
‘Perhaps he typed the note himself. Perhaps he stole his wife’s jewellery.
I was shocked at her words. ‘I know you want to help my father, but Sheikh Bin Salem isn’t a thief,’ I said.
‘Why not? He can sell the jewelry and get money from the insurance company at the same time. Then he can buy his wife new jewellery and have the rest of the money for himself.’
‘He doesn’t need to do that. He’s a very rich man.’
‘Perhaps he is, perhaps he isn’t. How do we know? Perhaps he has money problems. Perhaps he just thinks it is exciting to be a thief. I don’t know why he did it, but we have to find out more about him – and everyone who went into your father’s office on that day,’ she said.
I didn’t think she was right about Sheikh Bin Salem, but I wanted to do something. So I agreed.
‘OK. Let’s try,’ I said. ‘The first thing I can do is to talk to Abu Malek. He makes the coffee and tea at the Eastern Trading Company. He sees everybody who goes in and out of the building. Perhaps he can remember who came in and out of the building that day.’
‘Good. When you get the information, phone me. I’m sure that we can find the real thief,’ she said
The next day I went early to the Eastern Trading Company to speak to Abu Malek. I waited outside the building. About ten minutes later I saw him, walking down the street. He was angry about what people were saying, he told me. He liked my father.
‘People say that he’s thief. They’re wrong. Your father’s a good man. When my wife was sick, he helped me He gave me money to buy her what she needed. He’s a kind man.’
‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘My father needs help now. He travelled to Dubai last Friday. I need to know what happened the day before he went. Who went to my father’s office? Can you remember?’ I asked.
‘Let me think for a while,’ he said. ‘ Last Thursday….’ He thought for a moment. ‘Yes, now I remember…I went into your father’s office four or five times to take him a cup of coffee. I do that every day. His colleague Mr Nasser came in while I was there. He doesn’t drink coffee in the morning. He prefers tea.’
‘What time was this?’ I asked.
‘I think it was about ten o’clock. He was in the office for about an hour I think. He left, and about five minutes later, Mr Moussa went in. I took them both coffee. He was in there for about half an hour. Your father left for lunch around two o’clock as usual. All the other employees left then too. Your father came back about four o’clock. Oh yes, he had two visitors in the afternoon. They arrived just after you father . I took them coffee. I don’t know who they were, but they were from Jordan. They stayed for about an hour.’
‘Were there any other visitors?’ I asked.
‘No, only Sheikh Bin Salem, but he’s not a visitor! He came to the office in the evening. He usually comes around six or seven o’clock. He spoke to your father’ but he didn’t go to your father’s office.
I was shocked at her words. ‘I know you want to help my father, but Sheikh Bin salem isn’t a thief,’ I said.
‘Why not? He can sell the jewelry and get money from the insurance company at the same time. Then he can buy his wife new jewellery and have the rest of the money for himself.’
‘He doesn’t need to do that. He’s a very rich man.’
‘Perhaps he is, perhaps he isn’t. How do we know? Perhaps he has money problems. Perhaps he just thinks it is exciting to be a thief. I don’t know why he did it, but we have to find out more about him – and everyone who went into your father’s office on that day,’ she said.
I didn’t think she was right about Sheikh Bin Salem, but I wanted to do something. So I agreed.
‘OK. Let’s try,’ I said. ‘The first thing I can do is to talk to Abu Malek. He makes the coffee and tea at the Eastern Trading Company. He sees everybody who goes in and out of the building. Perhaps he can remember who came in and out of the building that day.’
‘Good. When you get the information, phone me. I’m sure that we can find the real thief,’ she said
The next day I went early to the Eastern Trading Company to speak to Abu Malek. I waited outside the building. About ten minutes later I saw him, walking down the street. He was angry about what people were saying, he told me. He liked my father.
‘People say that he’s thief. They’re wrong. Your father’s a good man. When my wife was sick, he helped me He gave me money to buy her what she needed. He’s a kind man.’
‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘My father needs help now. He travelled to Dubai last Friday. I need to know what happened the day before he went. Who went to my father’s office? Can you remember?’ I asked.
‘Let me think for a while,’ he said. ‘ Last Thursday….’ He thought for a moment. ‘Yes, now I remember…I went into your father’s office four or five times to take him a cup of coffee. I do that every day. His colleague Mr Nasser came in while I was there. He doesn’t drink coffee in the morning. He prefers tea.’
‘What time was this?’ I asked.
‘I think it was about ten o’clock. He was in the office for about an hour I think. He left, and about five minutes later, Mr Moussa went in. I took them both coffee. He was in there for about half an hour. Your father left for lunch around two o’clock as usual. All the other employees left then too. Your father came back about four o’clock. Oh yes, he had two visitors in the afternoon. They arrived just after you father . I took them coffee. I don’t know who they were, but they were from Jordan. They stayed for about an hour.’
‘Were there any other visitors?’ I asked.
‘No, only Sheikh Bin Salem, but he’s not a visitor! He came to the office in the evening. He usually comes around six or seven o’clock. He spoke to your father’ but he didn’t go to your father’s office.
Your father always goes to Sheikh Bin Salem’s office. You father was carrying a lot of papers with him I took them coffee and then closed the door. It was a long meeting. About two hours later your father opened the door and asked me to bring two cups of coffee. They were laughing about something.
‘Who left the building first, Sheikh Bin Salem or my Father? I asked.
‘Sheikh Bin Salam. I think he left about half past eight. All the other employees lest between eight and nine o’clock. After nine. The only people in the building were your father and I ….oh yes, the cleaners were there, too, and the security guard was outside as usual.
‘What time did my father leave? I asked.
Life was bad. The next day it was worse. Samira’s father phoned. He wanted to speak to my father. I looked at my father while he took the call. After a minute or two he put his hand over the phone and turned to me. He asked me to leave the room. Ten minutes later he called me back and told me the bad news. I’m very sorry my son. When they arrested me ,I thought about your engagement. I was afraid of this. Samira’s father has just phoned. He said that his plans have changed. He said that he thinks Samira is too young. I’m so sorry. I’ve done nothing wrong and neither have you, but that’s not important now.
Samira’s father knows that you’re a good man. How can he do this to you, to our family? It’s not right, I said angrily. ‘We know that I’m not a thief and I think that he knows that, too. But he’s thinking about his daughter. How can he agree to this engagement now? Nobody wants to know a thief or the family of a thief. He doesn’t want his daughter to marry into a family that nobody wants to know. You’ll see He won’t be the only one to think that way.
My father was right . We usually had a lot of visitors: my mother’s family and friends, our friend, my father’s family ,friends and business colleagues. There was always someone in the house. Now the house was empty. Nobody came to visit. Nobody came for dinner or for coffee. I spoke to my friends on the phone, but, strangely, they were always busy. Amira and Ibrahim said the same. Luckily it was the summer. There was no school for my youngest brother. We were happy about that.
We didn’t want him to hear bad things about his father from the other children. But Mohammed wasn’t happy. He was bored. He didn’t have anyone to play with. He stayed in his bedroom and played on his computer. He only left his room to eat and to tell us that he was bored.
We didn’t see much of my father either. He lived in his own world. Day after day, he set in his office, seeing nobody, talking to nobody. He stopped eating with us, so my mother took food to him. He ate very little. My mother didn’t say anything to me, but I knew that she was very worried about him and the family. Sometimes at night, when she thought that we were all in bed, I could hear her downstairs, crying.
Not every stopped calling. The day after Samira’s father phoned, I had a phone call from Samira.
I’m so sorry, she said. She was crying. I don’t want to end our engagement, but my father won’t listen. I told my father that there has been a terrible mistake. I know that your father isn’t a thief and I’m sure that my father knows that too, but he says it’s not important what he or I think. He told me that he spoke to your father.
‘yes, he did, I said quietly.
‘One day the police will catch the real thief and everyone will be sorry, she said.
I’ll never forget your trust in my family, I said quietly Thank you.
‘Perhaps we can help my father change his plans again, she went on , and she wasn’t crying now. ‘We must fine the real thief. Your father didn’t take the jewellery, so we must find the person who did. She made it sound so easy.
‘But how are we going to do that?’ I asked.
‘Let’s think. Sheikh bin Salem says that he didn’t leave the parcel. He says that he didn’t ask his secretary to type it. Perhaps he didn’t ask him to type it but perhaps he left the parcel.
‘What do you mean? I asked.
‘Perhaps he typed the note himself. Perhaps he stole his wife’s jewellery.
I was shocked at her words. ‘I know you want to help my father, but Sheikh Bin Salem isn’t a thief,’ I said.
‘Why not? He can sell the jewelry and get money from the insurance company at the same time. Then he can buy his wife new jewellery and have the rest of the money for himself.’
‘He doesn’t need to do that. He’s a very rich man.’
‘Perhaps he is, perhaps he isn’t. How do we know? Perhaps he has money problems. Perhaps he just thinks it is exciting to be a thief. I don’t know why he did it, but we have to find out more about him – and everyone who went into your father’s office on that day,’ she said.
I didn’t think she was right about Sheikh Bin Salem, but I wanted to do something. So I agreed.
‘OK. Let’s try,’ I said. ‘The first thing I can do is to talk to Abu Malek. He makes the coffee and tea at the Eastern Trading Company. He sees everybody who goes in and out of the building. Perhaps he can remember who came in and out of the building that day.’
‘Good. When you get the information, phone me. I’m sure that we can find the real thief,’ she said
The next day I went early to the Eastern Trading Company to speak to Abu Malek. I waited outside the building. About ten minutes later I saw him, walking down the street. He was angry about what people were saying, he told me. He liked my father.
‘People say that he’s thief. They’re wrong. Your father’s a good man. When my wife was sick, he helped me He gave me money to buy her what she needed. He’s a kind man.’
‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘My father needs help now. He travelled to Dubai last Friday. I need to know what happened the day before he went. Who went to my father’s office? Can you remember?’ I asked.
‘Let me think for a while,’ he said. ‘ Last Thursday….’ He thought for a moment. ‘Yes, now I remember…I went into your father’s office four or five times to take him a cup of coffee. I do that every day. His colleague Mr Nasser came in while I was there. He doesn’t drink coffee in the morning. He prefers tea.’
‘What time was this?’ I asked.
‘I think it was about ten o’clock. He was in the office for about an hour I think. He left, and about five minutes later, Mr Moussa went in. I took them both coffee. He was in there for about half an hour. Your father left for lunch around two o’clock as usual. All the other employees left then too. Your father came back about four o’clock. Oh yes, he had two visitors in the afternoon. They arrived just after you father . I took them coffee. I don’t know who they were, but they were from Jordan. They stayed for about an hour.’
‘Were there any other visitors?’ I asked.
‘No, only Sheikh Bin Salem, but he’s not a visitor! He came to the office in the evening. He usually comes around six or seven o’clock. He spoke to your father’ but he didn’t go to your father’s office.
I was shocked at her words. ‘I know you want to help my father, but Sheikh Bin salem isn’t a thief,’ I said.
‘Why not? He can sell the jewelry and get money from the insurance company at the same time. Then he can buy his wife new jewellery and have the rest of the money for himself.’
‘He doesn’t need to do that. He’s a very rich man.’
‘Perhaps he is, perhaps he isn’t. How do we know? Perhaps he has money problems. Perhaps he just thinks it is exciting to be a thief. I don’t know why he did it, but we have to find out more about him – and everyone who went into your father’s office on that day,’ she said.
I didn’t think she was right about Sheikh Bin Salem, but I wanted to do something. So I agreed.
‘OK. Let’s try,’ I said. ‘The first thing I can do is to talk to Abu Malek. He makes the coffee and tea at the Eastern Trading Company. He sees everybody who goes in and out of the building. Perhaps he can remember who came in and out of the building that day.’
‘Good. When you get the information, phone me. I’m sure that we can find the real thief,’ she said
The next day I went early to the Eastern Trading Company to speak to Abu Malek. I waited outside the building. About ten minutes later I saw him, walking down the street. He was angry about what people were saying, he told me. He liked my father.
‘People say that he’s thief. They’re wrong. Your father’s a good man. When my wife was sick, he helped me He gave me money to buy her what she needed. He’s a kind man.’
‘Thank you,’ I said. ‘My father needs help now. He travelled to Dubai last Friday. I need to know what happened the day before he went. Who went to my father’s office? Can you remember?’ I asked.
‘Let me think for a while,’ he said. ‘ Last Thursday….’ He thought for a moment. ‘Yes, now I remember…I went into your father’s office four or five times to take him a cup of coffee. I do that every day. His colleague Mr Nasser came in while I was there. He doesn’t drink coffee in the morning. He prefers tea.’
‘What time was this?’ I asked.
‘I think it was about ten o’clock. He was in the office for about an hour I think. He left, and about five minutes later, Mr Moussa went in. I took them both coffee. He was in there for about half an hour. Your father left for lunch around two o’clock as usual. All the other employees left then too. Your father came back about four o’clock. Oh yes, he had two visitors in the afternoon. They arrived just after you father . I took them coffee. I don’t know who they were, but they were from Jordan. They stayed for about an hour.’
‘Were there any other visitors?’ I asked.
‘No, only Sheikh Bin Salem, but he’s not a visitor! He came to the office in the evening. He usually comes around six or seven o’clock. He spoke to your father’ but he didn’t go to your father’s office.
Your father always goes to Sheikh Bin Salem’s office. You father was carrying a lot of papers with him I took them coffee and then closed the door. It was a long meeting. About two hours later your father opened the door and asked me to bring two cups of coffee. They were laughing about something.
‘Who left the building first, Sheikh Bin Salem or my Father? I asked.
‘Sheikh Bin Salam. I think he left about half past eight. All the other employees lest between eight and nine o’clock. After nine. The only people in the building were your father and I ….oh yes, the cleaners were there, too, and the security guard was outside as usual.
‘What time did my father leave? I asked.
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