Three Stories One Middle East
Nader Habibi
(Story Three)
Part Two
Prince Jassem's Wish
The Wednesday evening
reception began with a formal meeting at five o’clock, which was primarily a
photo opportunity for the media in the large reception room of the Al-Qudaibiya
Palace. Prince Jassem and Prince Hamed were sitting immediately to the right of
their father while the American Ambassador and the three American Senators were
sitting to the left of the King. Bahrain’s Prime Minister, who was the King’s
younger brother, and the Foreign Minister, one of the King’s cousins, were also
present. The highly stylish chairs were
placed in a U-formation in the center of the large gallery with no table in the
center. Instead, the open floor surface was covered by a large hand-woven
Persian carpet.
After a few minutes, the
photographers and support staff left the gallery and, when the doors were
closed, only a couple of trusted butlers remained inside to serve the guests.
Overall, fifteen officials and diplomats were present – four Americans and
eleven Bahrainis.
“Your Majesty, the progress
of Bahrain since my last visit is very impressive. There are so many new roads
and construction projects. Congratulations!” commented Senator David Hull, a
Republican member of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee who visited Arab
capitals frequently.
“Thank you Senator Hull. I
should say part of the credit goes to the American construction firms who have
been active partners in several of these projects,” responded Sheikh Hadi. “If
I’m not mistaken, your last visit to Bahrain was in 1998. Am I correct?”
“It was early 1999, Your Majesty,
only a few weeks before King Mansour passed away,” replied Senator Hull. Sheikh
Hadi replaced his father, Sheikh Mansour al-Kowsar, in September 1999 after he
died of cancer. Senator Hull was a supporter of arms sales to Bahrain in the
1990s and had several meetings with Sheikh Hadi, who was actively involved in
U.S.-Bahrain relations when his father ruled the country. He had a lengthy
conversation with Senator Hull during his April 2000 official visit to
Washington. Now that George Bush was in the White House, good relations with
this powerful Republican senator were even more valuable to Sheikh Hadi.
Conversation about Bahrain’s
recent economic developments and the progress of trade negotiations between the
two countries continued throughout the evening. While on the American side, the
Ambassador and the visiting senators all participated in the conversation, the
Bahraini diplomats were quiet except for the King who occasionally asked them
to offer figures or explanations on specific issues. Even then, they responded
in brief and factual sentences and allowed the King to continue the
conversation. It was approximately fifteen minutes into the conversation when
the Mitchell Commission report was finally mentioned.
“Your Majesty, as you are
aware, the Mitchell commission has completed its report and come up with a set
of recommendations for ending the current round of hostilities between the
Palestinians and the Israelis. Senator Hull, Senator Morrison and I met with
Senator Mitchell at length last month when his report was near completion. We
believe that the recommendations of this report offer a viable path to ending
the current suffering and hostilities. But we need the support of our Arab
allies in order to convince both sides to accept a ceasefire and implement
these recommendations. We undertook this regional tour at the request of
President Bush to answer any questions that you and our other allies might have
about the report and to ask for your support,” said Senator Zimmerman, the
oldest member of the visiting team and an influential member of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee.
“Senator Zimmerman, as you
know, the Palestinian Authority has already endorsed the Mitchell
recommendations. What more do you expect of the Palestinian side? It is Israel
that must be pressured to accept these recommendations, and the only country
that can put serious pressure on Israel is the United States,” said Sheikh
Hadi.
This was a familiar sentiment
that American diplomats regularly heard from friendly Arab leaders, who often
used their meetings with American diplomats to lobby on behalf of the
Palestinians.
The response to the King’s
comment came from Senator Hull: “Your Majesty, I assure you that President Bush
and Secretary Powell are fully committed to implementing these recommendations.
They both have been in touch with the Israeli government over the past few days
and are trying to obtain a formal commitment from them.”
This answer was also a
familiar response that Arab diplomats had frequently heard from their American
counterparts.
“Forgive me for being a bit
skeptical,” interjected Jassem unexpectedly while everyone was waiting for
Sheikh Hadi’s response, “but if President Bush is committed to ending the
violence, why has he not reacted to Israel’s use of F-16 jet fighters that
killed 12 Palestinian policemen with a single bomb last week?”
It was not difficult for the
American guests and the others in the room to detect the anger in Prince
Jassem’s voice. Sheikh Hadi was shocked by this unexpected comment but
maintained a calm posture. He just stared at his son. The senators and
Ambassador Huffman were also surprised. They certainly did not want to engage
in an argument with Bahrain’s Crown Prince.
“Your Highness,” said Senator
Hull, “Vice President Cheney already condemned the use of F-16s. The
administration is in communication with the Israeli government on this issue.”
“What good will your
condemnation do, Senator?” interrupted Jassem. There was even more anger in his
voice this time. “Every year your government condemns the expansion of Israeli
settlements and Israelis respond by accelerating their constructions. Why not
order them to stop using American jets to slaughter the Palestinians and back
up your order with tough actions instead of a verbal condemnation? Why don’t
you take back your jet fighters?”
The room was silent for a few
seconds as everyone tried to absorb the shock of this surprising outburst.
Senator Hull’s emotions quickly shifted from shock to anger, but he was mature
enough to keep his rage under control. He looked at the King before saying
anything, and he could see that Sheikh Hadi was also surprised. The King was
staring at his son with stiff lips but gradually moved his gaze to the other
Bahraini dignitaries. They were all looking at him as if they were expecting
him to say something. Prince Jassem avoided eye contact with his father as he
looked directly at Senator Hull.
Jassem’s comment put Senator
Hull and the other three American diplomats in a difficult position. On the one
hand, such an unfriendly and out-of-context remark from a high-ranking official
of a small client state warranted a sharp response from the United States.
What’s more, Senator Hull felt personally insulted by the tone of Jassem’s voice
and the way he addressed him. On the other hand, they didn’t want to cause any
damage to their cordial relations with Sheikh Hadi who had been far more
cooperative with American demands than his father. While the Saudis had
demanded the removal of U.S. forces from their country, Bahrain had welcomed
the expansion of the U.S. base near Manama into the headquarters of the U.S.
Navy’s Fifth Fleet.
It was Senator Zimmerman who
finally broke the silence with a diplomatic response. “Your Highness, the United
States is committed to finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict, and we
are working hard to end the violence on both sides.”
Prince Jassem was looking
down and shaking his head in disapproval. He raised his head and started to say
something when Sheikh Hadi took advantage of the brief moment of silence and
began to speak.
“We should all try our best
to find a dignified and just solution to this conflict. I sincerely hope that
President Bush understands how much anger and disappointment the Arab people
feel toward America because of your support for Israel. I highly value the warm
relations between Bahrain and the United States and hope that we can strengthen
this relationship in the coming years.”
While Sheikh Hadi was
uttering these words, Prince Hamed gently touched his brother to get his
attention. When Jassem looked at him, Hamed shook his head gently to tell him
that he should keep silent. Jassem was still angry but didn’t say anything.
Sheik Hadi shifted the conversation to the details of the Mitchell report and
eventually to the less contentious issue of mutual relations between his
country and the United States. The participation of American companies in
several large projects were discussed but Sheikh Hadi deliberately left out the
Dorr al-Bahrain project of the Bahrain Tourism authority to make sure Jassem
did not have an excuse to speak.
The meeting with the American
delegation continued for almost one hour. When the Americans left, Sheikh Hadi
avoided eye contact with Jassem but his demeanor clearly revealed his anger. He
asked Prince Hamed and the Prime Minister to follow him into his private
office. By naming these two individuals, he wanted to make sure Jassem did not
accompany him. This was a highly unusual gesture on Sheikh Hadi’s side and
Jassem felt humiliated.
Jassem anticipated that he
would soon face the wrath of his father and a barrage of criticism from his
mother. These thoughts made him anxious but, at the same time, he felt proud
and courageous. In so many meetings with American diplomats and businessmen, he
had dreamt of speaking up about the atrocities that they were committing
against the Arabs, but he never dared to say anything and instead simply played
his role as the courteous Crown Prince. Now he had finally done it – a small
expression of defiance but a courageous act nevertheless. Americans will
know who they will be dealing with once I rule Bahrain, he said to himself
as he walked toward his car.
Nidal was waiting for him.
They went for a drive and Jassem explained what had happened.
“I would not have said those
things if I were you,” said Nidal.
“Someone should have – if not
me, then who?” responded Jassem.
On their way back to the
American Embassy, the three Senators and Ambassador Huffman talked about Jassem.
While Jassem’s remarks came as a total surprise to the Senators, his behavior
did not shock the Ambassador. He had received several intelligence reports
about the radicalization of Prince Jassem in recent months. The next morning,
Ambassador Huffman sent a report about Prince Jassem to the State Department.
He suggested a comprehensive profile analysis on Jassem to determine if this
was just a passing phase or if he could grow into a radical, anti-American Arab
King.
The next day Jassem was
expecting to be summoned to his father’s office but nothing happened. Instead,
he got a phone call from his mother.
“Jassem, what did you do in
the meeting with the Americans?” she asked.
“Did father say anything to
you?”
“No, Hamed called me. He said
you insulted the Americans. Is this true?”
“I didn’t insult them. I just
spoke the truth. If they felt insulted, that’s their problem.”
“Did your father ask you to
speak?” asked Sheikha Lubna.
Jassem was quiet for a
second. “No. I don’t think I need his permission to speak.”
“Of course you do and you
know this better than anyone else,” said Sheikha Lubna, growing increasingly
angrier.
“I just could not stand the
garbage that they were saying about the Palestinians and some nonsense peace
plan.”
“Jassem, my dear, listen to
me,” said Sheikha Lubna as she tried to control her anger. “I have told you
many times that you should always obey and respect your father. What you said
to the Americans embarrassed and angered him. Jassem, you are making a big mistake.
You are risking your future with this foolish behavior.”
“Mother, I did not mean to
make him angry or to disrespect him. I just wanted to expose the hypocrisy of
the Americans. Father himself should have done this, and I’m not sorry for what
I said,” responded Jassem.
“My dear, you don’t seem to
understand what I told you. Your father is the King and you should obey him.
Listen, you can say what you want once you are the King, but until then you
must obey your father and do as he wishes. I want you to apologize to him and
promise to follow his orders on all issues.”
“But Mother, I haven’t done
anything wrong.”
“My dear, I’m afraid of what
he might do if you don’t apologize soon…” Sheikha Lubna stopped short of saying
that Sheikh Hadi might take away his title as Crown Prince.
****
Jassem’s first opportunity to
apologize was at the usual family lunch gathering, but he had no intention of
doing so. When the family gathered for lunch, Jassem greeted his father
courteously and pretended as if nothing had happened. Sheikh Hadi also
pretended as if everything was normal but kept himself busy conversing with
other members of the family. Now that Hamed was back, he was also attending the
Friday lunches. Sheikh Hadi asked Hamed about his activities at the Sports
Department but did not converse with Jassem about the Tourism Authority.
A couple of times Sheikha
Lubna looked at Jassem and used subtle hand gestures to remind him about the
apology, but Jassem ignored these gestures. As usual, Sheikh Hadi left the
dining room before others. As soon as the King left the room and the door was
closed, Sheikha Lubna, Hamed and Sara stared at Jassem. Jassem looked at them
quietly for a few seconds and then turned his attention to Mohammad who was
sitting comfortably on Princess Sara’s lap.
“Ya habibi, don’t you
want to lecture daddy about apologizing for his bad manners? Ha? Don’t you?”
said Jassem as he gently touched his son’s head.
No one was amused by his
sarcasm and they began to lecture him – Mother with an angry and commanding
voice, Hamed and Sara with softer tones. Jassem listened but justified his
behavior and stood his ground. In his private office, Sheikh Hadi was listening
to their conversation. So was an intelligence officer from the British Embassy
in Manama.
No one was more worried about
the growing tensions between Sheikh Hadi and Jassem than Sheikha Lubna. She was
not only trying to modify Jassem’s behavior but was also pleading with her
husband not to take any drastic actions. On the other hand, the King’s brothers
and close confidants were warning him about the risks that Jassem’s behavior
could pose to his authority and to Bahrain’s foreign relations. Sheikh Hadi
kept silent regarding what he was going to do about the situation. Not even
Sheikh Lubna knew how he would punish Jassem.
Jassem attended the next
weekly cabinet meeting on Wednesday, but the King barely spoke to him and did
not give him a chance to comment on any policy issues either. The ministers and
government officials that were present were cordial to Jassem, but he could
tell that they were distant and some even avoided eye contact with him. He
quietly listened to the discussions for a few minutes but gradually sank into a
world of random daydreams and political thoughts. He remembered his latest
discussion with Professor Ubaid and imagined having a conversation with him
instead.
After the meeting was over,
Jassem walked to a quiet corner of the hallway and made a phone call.
“Hello Professor, this is
Jassem.”
“Hello Your Highness, what a
nice surprise!”
Jassem had not had any
contact with Professor Ubaid after their lunch in the Tourism Development
Office.
“How are you Professor?”
“Al-Hamdolellah, I’m
good – busy with classes and students as always. Your Highness, thank you again
for lunch. It was truly an honor.”
“It was my pleasure,
Professor. Actually, I’m calling to see if we could meet. I have benefited so
much from your knowledge and insights.”
Professor Ubaid returned the
compliment and agreed to meet with Jassem the next day at the Tourism
Development Office. The next morning, Professor Ubaid arrived at eleven
o’clock. Prince Jassem had sent a driver to pick him up from the university
campus. After everything that had happened over the past few days, Prince
Jassem was truly happy to see the professor. A picture of Prince Mohammad
caught the attention of the professor, and they spoke about Jassem’s son for a
few minutes followed by the usual discussion of regional issues and the latest
developments in occupied Palestine.
“The Americans are trying to
launch another round of peace negotiations under the so-called Mitchel Plan,
but it’s just another trick to co-opt the Palestinians,” said Jassem.
“I agree. It’s just another
trick, and it won’t go anywhere. I’m sure the resistance will continue,” said
the Professor.
“The Americans are sending
diplomatic delegations to Arab capitals to sell this plan. Three American
Senators were in Bahrain last week and met with us. They think we are stupid.”
Professor Ubaid was glad that
their conversation had finally turned to this issue. He immediately seized the
moment. “Your Highness, please forgive me for saying this, but there is a rumor
going around about this meeting.”
“What rumor?” asked Jassem.
“There is a rumor that you
had an argument with the Americans about their Middle East policy. Everybody is
talking about you.”
“I hope they are saying good
things about me,” said Jassem with a smile.
The Professor was quiet for a
few seconds as he took a sip of his tea. “What I heard is that you were very
courageous and called them hypocrites.”
“I just spoke my mind and
told them not to take us for fools. As usual they were lecturing us about the
need to stop the Palestinian violence and support another half-baked American
peace initiative,” said Jassem.
The Professor was nodding his
head as he listened to Jassem. He then looked at his tea cup and took another
sip. There was another moment of silence. Jassem was expecting to hear praise
from his mentor.
“Forgive me Your Highness,
but there is also a rumor that Sheikh Hadi was angered by what you did,” he
replied instead.
“He did not say anything to
me, but I have been told that he was very upset. He is too conservative and
thinks that we need the Americans to protect us,” said Jassem.
Professor Ubaid was trying to
choose his words carefully. He knew that Jassem looked up to him as an
intellectual, but he was not sure if he would have welcomed being questioned or
lectured about this issue.
“Please forgive me for
talking about this issue. I just wanted to let you know what I had heard.”
“I don’t mind Professor. I’m
glad you brought it up. Are there any other rumors going around about me?”
asked Jassem.
The professor was pleased
with the direction of their conversation. Now he could raise the issue that had
been on his mind for the past few days without seeming to be too nosy.
“No, Your Highness. But I’m
worried,” said the Professor.
“About what?”
“About you and your relation
with Sheikh Hadi.”
“Professor, have you been
talking to my mother and brother?” asked Jassem in a joking manner.
“No Your Highness. Why?”
“Well, they also keep telling
me that they are worried about me. My mother insists that I must apologize to
Sheikh Hadi. I don’t want to apologize because I don’t think what I did was
wrong. I don’t want to be a passive and obedient Crown Prince that just carries
out the orders of the King. I’d like to be able to speak my mind and Sheikh
Hadi must accept that.”
Professor Ubaid listened
quietly and looked down at the coffee table after Jassem finished talking. It
was Jassem who broke the silence.
“Professor, what is it that
you are worried about?” he asked.
“Your Highness, your title as
Crown Prince and your position as Director of the Tourism Board are both at the
mercy of the King. If you go against the wishes of your father, he can take
back both of them.”
“I know that what I said to
the Americans was out of line and my father was not pleased, but I don’t think
he would take such drastic measures. I think these rumors are exaggerated.”
“I hope you are right, but
I’m still worried. I realize that people tend to exaggerate political rumors
but what I have heard is that Sheikh Hadi was outraged by your comments,” the
Professor replied.
“He hasn’t said anything to
me so far. If it was so serious, I’m sure he would have said something by now.
Besides Professor, if I hide my beliefs just to please my father I have
compromised my dignity,” said Jassem with an expectation of approval and praise
from the Professor.
Professor Ubaid looked at
Jassem for a few seconds. It was as if he was debating with himself about what
he wanted to say.
“Your Highness” said the
Professor and then paused again. “Your Highness, what I have heard is not a
baseless rumor. Please believe me when I say that Sheikh Hadi is very upset
with you. I admire your sympathy for the Palestinians but you should be
pragmatic. Upsetting the King and putting your future at risk will not serve
the Palestinian cause.”
Jassem was surprised by this
comment and was not sure exactly what the Professor was trying to say.
“But Professor, as I said
earlier, if my father was as angry as you think he is, he would have talked to
me about it.”
“Your Highness, he is upset
and he is waiting to see if you apologize. I urge you to apologize to him
before it is too late,” said the Professor. \
Jassem was looking at him in
disbelief. He did not know what to say. As a member of the royal family, he was
not used to being lectured by ordinary people, but he had too much respect for
the Professor to say anything. For a moment, he thought that someone had asked
the Professor to intervene. But who? And for what purpose? No one in his family
was aware of his contact with Professor Ubaid.
“I don’t owe an apology to my
father,” said Jassem, trying very hard to control his temper.
The Professor immediately
realized that continuing to argue with Prince Jassem would erode their trusting
relationship.
“Your Highness, I never said
you owe an apology to Sheikh Hadi. You certainly don’t. What you said to the
Americans was one hundred percent justified and people who have heard about it
admire your courage,” he said, and then paused for a second. His comments
helped calm Jassem.
“Nevertheless,” continued the
Professor. “I know for a fact that your father is very angry, and I’m asking
you to apologize so that you can earn his trust and support.”
“I’m sorry Professor, but as
much as I’d like to become King one day, I’m not willing to compromise my
dignity and act like a hypocrite. I cannot pay such a price.”
“Your Highness, being patient
and being a hypocrite are not the same. I’m asking you to be pragmatic and
patient so that one day you can lead Bahrain in the direction that you think is
right. How can you help the Palestinians if you lose your opportunity to lead
Bahrain? Good intentions and high moral values are not enough. Having the power
to act upon good intentions is what matters. Your Highness, if you’d like to
help Bahrain, if you’d like to help Palestine, you must never jeopardize your
future as the King of Bahrain. This is why I’m asking you to please apologize
to Sheikh Hadi and gain his trust. I don’t want to wake up one morning and hear
that Sheikh Hadi has chosen a new Crown Prince.”
Jassem had never considered
this perspective before. His mother and other relatives that wanted him to
apologize were asking him to abandon his ideals for the sake of becoming the
King, but the Professor wanted him to apologize so that he could implement
those ideals one day as the King.
“I had never thought about it
this way,” said Jassem and then paused for a few seconds as he looked at
Professor Ubaid.
“I think I understand what
you are saying.” His voice became more emotional. He looked down and then
looked at the Professor again. “You are right! I’ll do it. I will talk to my
father and apologize.”
Professor Ubaid was
pleasantly surprised by Jassem’s reaction. He praised Jassem for this decision
and their conversation shifted to other issues.
****
The next morning, Jassem did
not follow his routine Friday schedule. While he usually went for a long drive
and occasionally visited one of the Tourism Board’s construction projects,
today he decided to stay in the palace. Princess Sara was pleased. She also
noticed that Jassem was in a better mood than he had been in recent days. He
was more attentive when talking to her or when playing with Mohammad. And for a
change, they walked together to Sheikh Hadi’s palace through the underground
tunnel for the family lunch.
When they arrived, Sheikha
Lubna greeted them. “What a surprise Jassem! You are not one hour late.”
Jassem smiled as he kissed
his mother’s hand. As usual, Sheikh Hadi was in his private office. Prince
Hamed joined them after a few minutes. Although Sheikha Lubna and Hamed did not
bring up the issue of apology as they chatted, Jassem could sense that they
were both trying to hide their concern.
Princess Hessa, along with
her husband and two children, arrived after a few minutes. It was a pleasant
surprise for Jassem to see his sister and nephews after several weeks. They did
not come to the Friday lunches regularly since they lived outside the palace
compound. Hessa was aware of the tensions between her brother and her father and
was looking for an opportunity to talk to Jassem. But before she got a chance
to do so, Sheikh Hadi arrived and they all sat at the dining table. Similar to the past few weeks, the King
minimized his interaction with Jassem but he was in a good mood in general. He
laughed frequently as he talked to other members of his family, especially to
his grandchildren. As usual, Sheikh Hadi was sitting at the head of the table.
Sheikha Lubna sat to his left along with Hamed and Hessa and her husband.
Jassem, Sara and Hessa’s son and daughter were sitting on the opposite side.
Jassem occasionally joined the conversation by talking to everyone other than
his father, but he was looking for an opportunity to start a conversation.
“Father, have you and mother
decided where to go for summer vacation this year?” asked Jassem.
Everyone remained silent as
they waited for Sheikh Hadi to reply. Sheikh Hadi took a drink of water first.
He briefly glanced at Jassem and looked at his plate again.
“It’s up to your mother, wherever
she’d like to go.”
“We might go to Switzerland.
Do you have any suggestions?” said Sheikha Lubna as she looked at Jassem. She
was deliberately trying to keep Jassem in the conversation. It is a common
practice for well-off families in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and other oil rich
countries to escape the summer heat by spending four to six weeks in Europe or
North America.
“Have you considered
somewhere in Eastern Europe? Sara and I were thinking of Lithuania or Estonia.
Besides, you have been to Switzerland many times,” answered Jassem.
“I’d personally prefer to
vacation in America this year, but I know that some of you consider that a
sin,” said the King without looking at Jassem.
They all knew whom the King
had in mind. Sheikha Lubna reacted with a head nod and a smile as she looked at
Jassem. The others also looked at Jassem with smiles and light laughter. The
King did not smile, but he was not upset either as he looked at all of them
except Jassem.
“Father, I would like to
apologize for my behavior during the meeting with Americans. I should not have
spoken the way I did, and I should not have talked without your permission,”
said Jassem.
Suddenly the dining room was
silent, and they were all looking at Jassem. Even Princess Hessa’s two sons
stopped talking after they realized everyone else was quiet. They were all
surprised by Jassem’s apology. But it was an especially pleasant surprise for
Sheikha Lubna and Princess Sara, who had tried so hard to convince Jassem to
apologize over the past few days.
Sheikh Hadi was surprised by
the timing and the manner of Jassem’s apology; but not the apology itself. He
was fully aware of Jassem’s conversation with Professor Ubaid two days earlier.
Sheikh Hadi looked at Jassem
silently for a few seconds. They were all waiting to see how the King would
react. Sheikh Hadi then looked at his wife. Sheikha Lubna was staring at him
anxiously. He looked back at Jassem again.
“But do you still feel the
same way about the Americans?” he asked.
“Father, you are fully aware
of how I feel about Americans and what they are doing to us. But I promise you
that I will always follow your orders in my future interactions with them. I
now understand why you like to maintain good relations with the Americans,”
replied Jassem.
“Tell me why?” asked the
King. This was not the kind of response that Jassem was expecting.
“My dear, Jassem is
apologizing,” interjected Sheikha Lubna before Jassem had a chance to answer.
“It’s okay mother,” said
Jassem and then looked at the King. “You believe that we are dependent on the
Americans for our security.”
“Do you agree with me?” asked
Sheikh Hadi quickly. Jassem was quiet for a second.
“Yes, I do.”
Sheikh Hadi didn’t believe
him but decided not to argue with him.
“I accept your apology,” said
Sheikh as he looked at his son without any visible emotion.
Jassem leaned toward his
father and kissed his right hand. Sheikh Hadi leaned forward, smiled and kissed
his son’s face. Suddenly everyone else at the table broke the silence at once
with praise and cheer.
“Al-Hamdolellah!
Al-Hamdollellah!” exhaled Sheikha Lubna.
Princess Sara held Jassem’s
hand as she looked at him with joy. It was a big relief for everyone in the
family to see that the tension between the King and his son was over. As usual,
Sheikh Hadi left the dining room earlier than others.
“Brother, I’m so glad that
you apologized and this is over. To be honest, I thought you would never do it.
What happened? Did Mother finally convince you?” asked Hamed.
“Mother, you, Sara … I
thought about it and realized it was wrong to cause so much anxiety for my
family,” replied Jassem.
“I’m so glad. You did the
right thing. You have no idea how worried Mother was about you. Anyway, now that this is over, I’d like to ask
you for a favor if you don’t mind?”
“Not at all. What is it?”
asked Jassem.
“It’s about a British
journalist that I have met with a few times. He contacted me a few days ago and
asked if I can arrange a meeting for him with you. He wants to write a report
on our tourism industry for Peace magazine. Do you think you can give
him an hour of your time?”
“Hamed, you know very well
how it is with these journalists. They ask to meet for one hour but end up
taking my time for several hours,” replied Jassem.
“It is entirely up to you,
and I will tell him just one hour. He interviewed me about the Sports Authority
and wrote a very nice article in Peace
magazine. Besides, he has written many good articles about Palestine and the
resistance. If you talk to him, I’m sure he will write a positive article about
the Tourism Authority,” said Hamed.
Jassem raised his arms and
shoulders in a gesture of indifference and looked at Hamed for a few seconds.
“Fine. But only for one hour.
And then if he is interested, I’ll arrange for him to get a tour of our
projects.”
“Thanks brother.”
That afternoon Jassem called
Professor Ubaid and told him about the apology.
“You did the right thing,
Your Highness. I’m very glad and relieved. As I told you, I was very worried about
you,” replied the Professor.
Over the next few days, the
word of Prince Jassem’s apology spread throughout the royal family and the
cabinet ministers. In his encounters with his uncles and other relatives, many
of whom served in key governmental positions, Jassem noticed a clear change in
their attitudes. Several of them praised Jassem for this action. As usual,
Jassem attended the cabinet meeting on Wednesday. The attending ministers were
carefully watching the dynamics between Sheikh Hadi and Prince Jassem. Sheikh
Hadi did not avoid eye contact with Jassem as he had done in the previous two
meetings but did not engage in much conversation with him either. The King
asked Jassem for an update on a couple of project negotiations but did not ask
any follow up questions.
Jassem was expecting more
attention from his father after his apology. He was surprised by his father’s
detached attitude, but it did not bother him. At least he gave me a chance
to talk this time, he thought to himself.
Jassem began devoting most of
his time to reviewing the details of the contract that the American firm had
proposed with a team of Bahraini and Western consultants. Jassem’s interactions
with Princess Sara, his mother and his brother were much warmer and evening
gatherings were full of joyful conversations again.
Prince Hamed played a new
prank on Jassem one evening but this one was far less scary. This time the
prank involved a hologram image of a fly that was walking on the dining room
table near Jassem. It looked very real and jumped from one spot to another as
Jassem tried to scare it away. It was accompanied with a realistic sound
effect, which closely mimicked the buzzing of a fly in coordination with the
movements of the image. It took Jassem several seconds to figure out that it
was a prank, as Sara and Hamed both played along. Hamed was controlling the
image’s movement with a hand-held remote controller under the table.