reach Queen Farida Square
Chapters 23-25 Chapters 23-25 Summary Hamida wants the stranger to return to the café, despite his worry about suspicions, and crouches by her window to watch for him. She feels victorious as he walks up the alley, eyes fixed on her shutters, smiling with resignation. Their eyes meet. Hamida assumes he wants the same thing as Abbas and Alwan. She sees nothing in the way of attaining her high goals. They stare at one another boldly and all of Hamida’s instincts sharpen. A battle approaches. The aimlessness with which she has wandered through life is gone. He is no penniless beggar. When he leaves for the night, her eyes follow him and her lips murmur, “Tomorrow.”
Next afternoon, Hamida sets out anticipating battle and delighting in life. She sees him at a corner, approaches boldly, and is about to walk past when he grabs her hand and calls her “Darling”. He refuses to release her and she is afraid of attracting attention, but cannot allow herself to be psychologically defeated. He urges her to be patient and not worry about people on the street. They care only about money. He has been waiting anxiously to walk with her. She will not promise to stay at his side if he releases her hand and warns him of her temper. He declares her stubborn and self-willed, accepts her return insult silently, and notes she does not move away. He apologizes for being rude, but says her stubbornness requires it. Lacking a response, she is happy to see her curious, giggling friends approaching. After they pass by, he remarks that she is not like them, and cannot see why her fate is to be less free and well dressed.
After comparing her beauty to the stars (and explains he means the cinema), the man asks her name, which she give without hesitation, and says he is Ibrahim Faraj. Hamida loses track of time until they reach Queen Farida Square. Regretfully starting to turn back, she is shocked when he suggests a taxi so they can spend more time together while getting her home before her mother worries. She has ridden in horse-drawn carriages before but never in an automobile, and certainly not with a strange man. Her desire for adventure is about to win out when she sees his infuriating smile. Only the hint that she might be afraid gets her into the vehicle, which heads for Sharif Pasha Street. Faraj thinks to himself he has saved two to three days of “groundwork” by this ride.
A dazzling new world appears to Hamida and she imagines flying in an airplane. Faraj points to fine ladies in superb clothes, and the realization of what she is wearing stings Hamida like a scorpion. She notices Faraj is snuggling closer and pushes him away harder than she intends. He holds her hand and draws close for a kiss. She feels an insane desire to bite his lips, but he withdraws. She wants to claw his neck, but he speaks calmly, pointing out the building where he lives. The entrance to the skyscraper is wider than Midaq Alley. Hamida is suspicious that the kiss may have led him on. She gathers strength for the coming battle, cannot decline his invitation, has no moral qualms, and is not shy. Faraj recognizes she is explosive and must be handled carefully.
