Page 119 of Waiting for Ru
Jasim called Mary to ask her to bring out more food and place settings, then he led the five outside. Apart from Samira who was wearing a dark-blue abaya and a headscarf, and Thana, the others were in western clothes, jeans and loose shirts. Jasim introduced them all as Joaquin and Marcelo brought chairs over and cleared one end of the table.
They’d been eating cold salmon and salad and Mary brought out more of those dishes, along with oven chips and fish goujons for the children. Jasim breathed a sigh of relief when everyone was eating.
Joaquin talked to the boys about school and Nicolás chatted about property development with Waqas. Samira, with Thana on her knee, spoke to no one. Jasim knew she could speak English and he tried to engage her in conversation.
“Have you been able to do any sightseeing while you’re in England?” he asked.
“A little.”
“Stonehenge isn’t too far away.”
“The boys have been.”
“Not you?”
“No.”
“Would you like to see it?”
She glanced in Waqas’s direction, but he was still talking to Nicolás. “I would.”
Jasim smiled at her. “Only old stones, but interesting.”
“Yes.”
“Is the black abaya no longer compulsory?”
“If you don’t wear one, no one can legally tell you off. Themutawwa’inhave lost a lot of control.”
“I’m guessing most women still wear a black abaya.”
She gave a quiet chuckle. “They do. No one wants to stand out.”
“Jasim!” Nicolás called. “Ahsan and Makin play polo at their school. I said they can stick and ball this afternoon.”
Oh did you? Thanks-a-fucking-lot.“Right.”
“Do you have a couple of horses they can use?” Nicolás asked.
“I think there might be two lying around somewhere,” Jasim said.
The lunch passed off more successfully than Jasim had expected. Having friends there had helped. Maybe he ought to make sure they were at dinner too because he doubted Waqas would leave until that night.
Paolo took the boys down to the stables to get them kitted out and the others went with them.
“Aren’t you playing?” Waqas asked.
“I should.”
“Then play. We’ll watch.”
Jasim hurried down to the stables and found Ahsan, the older boy, on Joni, and Makin on Tia.
“Okay?” Paolo asked Jasim, as he shortened Ahsan’s stirrups.
Jasim nodded. Paolo had made the right choice. Tia was the gentlest pony they had, very biddable and the least valuable, apart from Joni and Cookie. Jasim had no idea how well his nephews could ride.
“I wanted to ride that one,” Ahsan said as Jasim climbed onto Dream.
