My father was standing near the window. My mother was sitting in a chair, looking at him. My father spoke to us first.
I’ll say this only once. I am not a thief. I don’t know who stole the jewellery, but it wasn’t me.’
‘Of course your father isn’t a thief, but people will talk. You must be strong and not listen to them, said my mother.
‘What happened father? Why do the police think that you stole the jewellery,’ asked Amira.
‘about two weeks ago, somebody stole a watch, a necklace, some earrings and two rings from Sheikh Bin Salem’s house. They were very expensive. The police asked Sheikh Bin Salem and his wife to give them the names of all their visitors. They have a lot of give them the names of all their visitors. They have a lot of visitors. I’ve been a visitor there many times. They have a lot of visitors. I’ve been a visitor there many times as you know. They gave my name but the police didn’t ask me any questions. Nobody thought that I was a thief.’
‘So why do they think that you are a thief now?’ I asked.
‘Because some of the jewellery was in the parcel I took to Dubai,’ he smiled at our surprised faces, but it wasn’t a happy smile.
‘Of course I didn’t know what was in the parcel. The parcel was on my desk at work the evening before I went to Dubai. There was a typed note from Sheikh Bin Salem’s secretary. Well, I thought that it was from his secretary. The note asked me to take the parcel to Dubai the next morning. I didn’t open the parcel. I never do. The note said that there were important papers for Sheikh Bin Salem’s family inside the parcel. I have taken important papers for him many times before. He trusts me more than anyone for him many times before. He trusts me more than anyone – or he did,’ he said sadly.
‘Did you show the note to the police?’ I asked.
‘Of course, but the secretary said that he didn’t type the note and Sheikh Bin Salem said that he didn’t ask that he didn’t ask the secretary to type it.’
‘Who do you think typed it, father?’ asked Mohammed, my twelve-year-old brother.
‘I don’t know. The police think that I typed it myself.’
‘Where did you take the parcel?’ asked Amira.
‘The note asked me to take it to an address in Dubai, to the brother of Sheikh Bin Salem’s wife in Dubai. When I got there, I went into the house. I met a tall man there. I thought that he was the brother. We drank coffee. We talked for a few minutes and I gave him the parcel. Then I left.’
‘Wasn’t he her brother?’ asked Ibrahim.
‘No. Later, much later, the police told me that he buys and sells stolen jewellery. They were already watching him. Then they saw me arrive, get out of the car with the parcel and go into his house. When I left, they arrested me, the driver, and the tall man.’
‘What did the tall man say?’ I asked.
‘He said that someone phoned him. A man told him that he was bringing some expensive jewellery to his house. He didn’t know the man’s name. Perhaps it was me or perhaps it was another man. He wasn’t sure.’
‘What happened at the police station?’ Ibrahim asked.
‘They put me in a room and left me. Nobody spoke to me. Nobody told me anything. Then, after about two hours, a policeman came into the room, an important policeman. I told him that there was a mistake, but he just laughed. I told him that there was mistake, but he just taking it to that address. He became angry. He stared shouting. He told me that I would stay at the police station until he heard the truth.’
‘Were you afraid?’ asked Mohammed.
My father smiled. ‘No, but I was worried about you. You were waiting for me to come home.’
‘What happened next, father?’ asked Amira.
‘Another policeman came into the room about two hours later. He took me to an office, the office of the important policeman. He asked me more question. E knew everything about me – my job, my address, your schools and university, he even knew about your engagement, Kareem!’
‘But there has been no announcement yet!’ I said.
‘I know. He had a lot of information.’ He looks at my mother and I. ‘Have you spoken to Samira and her family yet?’
‘Her mother phoned two days ago. She was worried about you. I told her that you would be home soon and that everything would be fine. I haven’t spoken to her since then,’ my mother said.
‘I spoke to Samira yesterday. She told me that it must be a mistake. She said that nobody would believe it,’ I said.
‘She’s a nice girl, but still young. She doesn’t know people very well,’ my father said.
‘Go on with the story, father,’ said Mohammed.
‘You know the rest of the story. Your uncle came to the police station and phoned Sheikh Bin Salem. The police wanted to send me to prison for taking the jewels but Sheikh Bin Salem was against it. I’ve worked for him for a long time. He said to the police that perhaps my story was true. In the end, the police said that I could leave.’
‘What are you going to do now?’ asked Ibrahim.
‘I want to forget these last few days. I want to go back to work. I want to do what I usually do, but I don’t think that I can. Sheikh Bin Salem told me to take a long holiday. He wants to give people time. He wants to give time to forget all this. I don’t think that will forget it, but Sheikh Bin Salem has been very good to me so I must agree to his plans.’
‘One day the police will catch the real thief and then we can forget all about this,’ said my mother
‘Now please children, leave me alone. I’m feeling very tired,’ said my father.
We all left the room. Catch the real thief! Were the police even looking? I turned around and opened the door again. My father was sitting on the chair. His head was in his hands.
My father was standing near the window. My mother was sitting in a chair, looking at him. My father spoke to us first.
I’ll say this only once. I am not a thief. I don’t know who stole the jewellery, but it wasn’t me.’
‘Of course your father isn’t a thief, but people will talk. You must be strong and not listen to them, said my mother.
‘What happened father? Why do the police think that you stole the jewellery,’ asked Amira.
‘about two weeks ago, somebody stole a watch, a necklace, some earrings and two rings from Sheikh Bin Salem’s house. They were very expensive. The police asked Sheikh Bin Salem and his wife to give them the names of all their visitors. They have a lot of give them the names of all their visitors. They have a lot of visitors. I’ve been a visitor there many times. They have a lot of visitors. I’ve been a visitor there many times as you know. They gave my name but the police didn’t ask me any questions. Nobody thought that I was a thief.’
‘So why do they think that you are a thief now?’ I asked.
‘Because some of the jewellery was in the parcel I took to Dubai,’ he smiled at our surprised faces, but it wasn’t a happy smile.
‘Of course I didn’t know what was in the parcel. The parcel was on my desk at work the evening before I went to Dubai. There was a typed note from Sheikh Bin Salem’s secretary. Well, I thought that it was from his secretary. The note asked me to take the parcel to Dubai the next morning. I didn’t open the parcel. I never do. The note said that there were important papers for Sheikh Bin Salem’s family inside the parcel. I have taken important papers for him many times before. He trusts me more than anyone for him many times before. He trusts me more than anyone – or he did,’ he said sadly.
‘Did you show the note to the police?’ I asked.
‘Of course, but the secretary said that he didn’t type the note and Sheikh Bin Salem said that he didn’t ask that he didn’t ask the secretary to type it.’
‘Who do you think typed it, father?’ asked Mohammed, my twelve-year-old brother.
‘I don’t know. The police think that I typed it myself.’
‘Where did you take the parcel?’ asked Amira.
‘The note asked me to take it to an address in Dubai, to the brother of Sheikh Bin Salem’s wife in Dubai. When I got there, I went into the house. I met a tall man there. I thought that he was the brother. We drank coffee. We talked for a few minutes and I gave him the parcel. Then I left.’
‘Wasn’t he her brother?’ asked Ibrahim.
‘No. Later, much later, the police told me that he buys and sells stolen jewellery. They were already watching him. Then they saw me arrive, get out of the car with the parcel and go into his house. When I left, they arrested me, the driver, and the tall man.’
‘What did the tall man say?’ I asked.
‘He said that someone phoned him. A man told him that he was bringing some expensive jewellery to his house. He didn’t know the man’s name. Perhaps it was me or perhaps it was another man. He wasn’t sure.’
‘What happened at the police station?’ Ibrahim asked.
‘They put me in a room and left me. Nobody spoke to me. Nobody told me anything. Then, after about two hours, a policeman came into the room, an important policeman. I told him that there was a mistake, but he just laughed. I told him that there was mistake, but he just taking it to that address. He became angry. He stared shouting. He told me that I would stay at the police station until he heard the truth.’
‘Were you afraid?’ asked Mohammed.
My father smiled. ‘No, but I was worried about you. You were waiting for me to come home.’
‘What happened next, father?’ asked Amira.
‘Another policeman came into the room about two hours later. He took me to an office, the office of the important policeman. He asked me more question. E knew everything about me – my job, my address, your schools and university, he even knew about your engagement, Kareem!’
‘But there has been no announcement yet!’ I said.
‘I know. He had a lot of information.’ He looks at my mother and I. ‘Have you spoken to Samira and her family yet?’
‘Her mother phoned two days ago. She was worried about you. I told her that you would be home soon and that everything would be fine. I haven’t spoken to her since then,’ my mother said.
‘I spoke to Samira yesterday. She told me that it must be a mistake. She said that nobody would believe it,’ I said.
‘She’s a nice girl, but still young. She doesn’t know people very well,’ my father said.
‘Go on with the story, father,’ said Mohammed.
‘You know the rest of the story. Your uncle came to the police station and phoned Sheikh Bin Salem. The police wanted to send me to prison for taking the jewels but Sheikh Bin Salem was against it. I’ve worked for him for a long time. He said to the police that perhaps my story was true. In the end, the police said that I could leave.’
‘What are you going to do now?’ asked Ibrahim.
‘I want to forget these last few days. I want to go back to work. I want to do what I usually do, but I don’t think that I can. Sheikh Bin Salem told me to take a long holiday. He wants to give people time. He wants to give time to forget all this. I don’t think that will forget it, but Sheikh Bin Salem has been very good to me so I must agree to his plans.’
‘One day the police will catch the real thief and then we can forget all about this,’ said my mother
‘Now please children, leave me alone. I’m feeling very tired,’ said my father.
We all left the room. Catch the real thief! Were the police even looking? I turned around and opened the door again. My father was sitting on the chair. His head was in his hands.
การแปล กรุณารอสักครู่..