Palace Walk

Al-Sayyid Ahmad returns home and learns that his wife is injured. When he meets with her, she confesses what really happened and is surprised by his relatively calm response. He tells her to “stay in bed till God heals [her]” (184). After al-Sayyid Ahmad exits the room, Khadija and Aisha rush in. Amina explains that she told their father the truth. They are as shocked as she is by al-Sayyid Ahmad’s understated reaction. Because Amina is injured, she sends Khadija to perform her duties and take care of al-Sayyid Ahmad. Khadija does her best but cannot perform the duties to the same high standard as her mother. Amina recovers in bed as her daughters try to run the household in her absence.

After three weeks, Amina is able to return to her duties and is apprehensive about al-Sayyid Ahmad’s reaction. She brings his breakfast, which he eats with his sons as usual. When she brings him coffee, he calmly reveals his judgement and tells her that she must “leave [his] house immediately” (193). Because he has had time to reflect on the judgement rather than delivering it in an emotional state, he has decided that allowing her to stay would reflect poorly on “his prestige, honor, personal standards, and set of values” (194).