Day 3

Though not rich by any means, grandfather was richer than most in the neighborhood where Hasan grew up. Hasan loved his grandfater who was very strict and very loving.  He was a fountain of wisdom and showed Hasan how to see.  Hasan had a lazy streak in him. He hated physical labor. Sometimes he could get a respite from the hard work by asking his grandfather a question. Or, if he was desperate, he would make an absurd comment that would earn him a slap on the head or a switch across the back of his bare legs. Then the lecture would come. The switch was the price he paid for a breather. Both dad and granddad new all the tricks. Their trick on Hasan was to get him to accept instruction by thinking he was getting out of work.  They saw the lazy streak and worked to get it out, or at the minimum to raise his tolerance for hard work to a point that would make him competitive.

Before the age of 12, most of his chores were hard but almost mindless.  There wasn’t anything about turning 13 specifically that maid the difference. It wasn’t his age it was his body. He was suddenly able to lift 3 times what he could just the year before.  Mentally, he could handle more. As he grew the amount of work grew because his capacity grew. He still hated the hard work but he gained confidence in his ability to handle more.  Granddad and he went fishing the fourth weekend of every month. As a child, he took great pleasure in the ride to the fishing spot and the loved sea.  Granddad had a target in mind, and once they caught that many they would head for the dock where granddad would sell the fish. He gave a portion to Hasan.  As he grew into his teens they went further into the ocean. every so often they could catch a tuna. If they did they immediately headed to the fish monger. Tuna was valuable.  As a child money was “fun” because he could buy candy or comic books. Since he didn’t earn much and there was no place he could go, there was not much he could buy.

When he came home from granddad, his father would sit him down and ask how much money he made. Then he would pull out a cash box and make Hasan split his money 3 ways. 10 percent goes to Allah, 10 percent goes to your future and the rest is for your living expenses. He often thought that if God created the world why did he need 10% from him?  How did dad get the money to God? As for his future, he couldn’t see past the end of the month.  He hated this accounting process, he felt it was taxation without representation. One  day, he tried to reduce his tax by lying about his wage. His dad hit him so fast and so hard that he didn’t know what happened. He found himself rolling on kitchen floor with one cheek on fire. Mama came into the kitchen and started to yell at papa. Papa calmly said, “He lied about his wages.” At that she stopped, turned around, grabbed a wooden spoon and smacked him twice on the back of his bare legs.  “Don’t lie. And don’t bring evil into your soul by loving money.”

During his 17th summer, things turned magical.  They caught several tunas in a row which made his pay higher.  He no longer despised the accounting ritual at home. Instead, he announced his earnings. And quickly counted out the two sums. In fact, he rounded up and stopped dealing with the fractions.  However dad got the money to God, maybe God would smile on him for not being picky over pence.  He got bored with comic books and candy. With nothing to spend his money on his cash reserves grew. And finally he met Amina.  Amina was full of skill and fire. The first time he saw her, she was coming over a dune at the beach with a group of other boys and girls. She was in the lead and everyone followed her. Her other female friends were more like the girls most young men liked, more curvy. She was almost flat chested,  not skinny, but strong looking.  Obviously some of the boys were brothers or cousins but some were there to flirt with the girls. They tended to pursue Amina’s more buxom mates.  Yet, she didn’t seem to care. She ran, and frolicked and played in the see. She set lunch time and when they would return. The memory of her coming over the dune, the breeze blowing back her jet black hair and pressing her cotton dress tight against her body leaving no room for imagination, is why he called her “my desert flower.”  He never bothered to give her the back story to his term of endearment.

The other three weekends a month were not for pleasure. Oh no. They were for other forms of turning a profit. When he turned 15 he stopped looking at them as chores. They were cash opportunities.  His friends felt sorry for him because he never seemed to have money to spend.  They, had parents who had a trade or a small business, the money they got they spent; all of it.  And they bought some cool stuff. Skate boards, MP3 players, or bike. Little did they know that Hasan had the money but he chose not to spend it.  The other three weekends were opportunities.  He fixed cars, he made deliveries, he helped granddad in his leather business or dad in his furniture making business.  Every third month has a 5th weekend.  Both dad and granddad took that weekend off.  They sent him off to play with his friends. Honestly, he felt like he was being punished.  As he grew older some of his friends got scooters or cars. They would drive all over Casablanca. Sometimes stopping to shoot the breeze with friends or flirt with girls. It took him about two hours to stop moping about the lost of economic opportunity and just enjoy life.

It was on one of these joy rides around town that he finally got to meet Amina face to face. He was 18 and and she was 15, soon to be 16. She was still in charge of the group. Her friends had grown more womanly and depending on what part of Casablanca they were in or what the venue; they would or would not cross the boundary of Muslim modesty.  Amina did not. In his eyes, whatever she wore, she made look good. And she moved with the strong grace of a figure skater.

You seem to always be herding the flock.

What do you mean, always?

A year or so ago, I saw you and many of these same friends of yours by the water. You seemed to be in charge.

Friends and family, I love them to death, but half of them are rather melon headed.

She looked straight into his eyes like she could read his soul. Are you a pervert? Is that why you’re watching me?

He was a tiny bit shocked but he was mesmerized by her openness. And her eyes lit up his soul.

I wasn’t watching you.  I was watching  the whole group.  But it’s easy to see a leader.

She paused, searched his face and said ok.

I’m Amina.

I’m Hasan.

Their conversation was interrupted by the group. Somebody needed something and Amina had to take charge again.

Nice to meet you Hasna, she said before leaving.

He looked forward to seeing her again. He chastised himself for not getting her number or where she lived.  He now relished going fishing with granddad. Sometimes he would see her.  His moping time was cut down to an hour then to 30 minutes when they took their 5th weekend jaunts.  He got to see her a few more times and have longer conversations.  He scored really high in math and science and everyone expected him to become an engineer.  But he wanted to understand how money worked.  He wanted to make more of it.

One day, out on the boat, they caught a large fish in a most peculiar way. Usually the fish swallowed the bait and the hook set in his mouth.  Sometimes they would bight the bait and avoid the hook. And sometimes they would spit it back out. Today, the fish they caught had the hook firmly set in it’s side. It was medium sized fish. A good catch. Grandpa held the fish in both hands studying it as if it was an omen.  He looked up started talking. There are ways to make more money but I don’t understand them. Some of them are legal and ethical, some are legal but unethical, some are illegal and unethical. Even among the legal and ethical ones, are ways to make money that I do not understand. You are young and have time to learn these ways if you so desire. But let me warn you and give you a warning that may save your life. Money is a tool, not a gift nor a god. If you are not careful you can chase money and end up hooked and dead like this fish we just caught.  Yes, granddad but he thought, money is money the more I get the more I can get.  Granddad looked up as if he said it out loun and searched his face. Hasan, do not let money trick you into giving away something precious and putting a hook in your side that will take your life away.  He threw the fish back into the sea and steered the boat towards the docks.  He looked as if he had seen something sad. Not a word was spoken the whole way home.

A few years passed and he went of to university in Paris to study finance. He would graduate in one year.  One brisk morning he was coming around the corner and literally ran into a woman. He was reading Paris Match and she was reading a text book.  A few choice expletives were made. As each bent to pick up their material they bumped heads knocking each one on their ass.  More expletives were exchanged

Hasan, what are you doing here?

Amina, nice to see you. I go to school here. I assume you do to. Where is your brood?

Rubbing her head, she laughed and struggled to get up.  He sprang to his feet and helped her.

Oh some of them are married.

Some went to other schools.

Hasan stuck to his schedule of hard work. On the weekend he found various ways to earn money.  They  spent the 5th weekend together, enjoying Paris and each other. By the time graduation rolled around they were in love and planning marriage.  His example of hard work inspired Amina. She was able to accelerate school. Instead of graduating 2 years later than he, it would be only one year.

Hasan pondered those early years as a teen and young adult. He fondly remember their early years of marriage. How did they get from there to here? Did she not see that the sacrifices they made were for their mutual benefit? She must not, he concluded. She saw a mud hut. He saw a gold mine with tunnels yet to be dug.  Does she not appreciate that in less than 10 years they have significantly surpassed their peers. From that modest mud hut, they were able to invest and reinvest until now they lived in this small palace. She did not have to work.  The men she pleased, were mostly good looking and kind and brought great prosperity to her as well as him.  Except for that one animal, they were not abusive. He dealt with him very severely. He was even able to turn that to their advantage. She lived the life of a movie star.  What was she thinking? What was she up to?  Did she have anything to do with the death of two of his body guards?

When working hard, for granddad or for school, he would set his attitude and focus on the work at hand, throwing himself into it. It helped push the work-hatred and fatigue from his mind. He followed her into her bedroom and made love to her like when they were at university. Her responsiveness chased away any doubts of her love for him or that she was planning to leave him.

But Amina’s thoughts flowed in a different direction.