Veronica and the young Iraqis

                                                                        

Continuing the story of the young Iraqis of Derby 

 Now (that is back  in 1962) the young Iraqis  were settled in nicely  with their  Landlord Mr. Birch the corner shop owner and cook   Mrs. Mumford.

Mr. Birch was very happy and excited about his young guests and the new business they brought, beside the rent, there is purchases from the shop and work for his cargo van now utilized as a bus for transportation of the group to college.

Mr. Birch, seemed to have wider interests intellectually than the usual corner shop owner. He was interested in social, political and international topics hence he likes to drop in for a chat with   the young men as they assemble in the hall  every evening  before dinner, incidentally in the early sixties foreigners were still a rare commodity particularly in provincials English towns like Derby.

The boys in their first week were busy writing letters home giving their addresses to their families and feeling a bit homesick with memories of the tumultuous sendoffs their families and friends gave them at Baghdad airport still fresh in their minds.

One evening while  the boys were sitting in the hall  chatting  with Mr. Birch , the kitchen door opened  and seconds later Mrs. Mumford appears  at the divide between the hall and the kitchen with a  young lady  17-18 years of age .

Mrs. Mumford: Good evening boys may I introduce my niece Veronica.

Veronica wanted to say hello to you.  

Veronica, a blonde with a fresh complexion and rosy cheeks and short upright nose , looking in at the den of the  hungry wolves waved her hand and said : hello , good evening .

The boys replied with astonished wide open eyes in one voice  : Hello, hello ,good evening ,good evening ..

Mr. Birch  stood up and said in a ceremonial manner to Veronica  : Please   allow me to introduce our guests pointing with his  finger to Amjad ,this is  Aladdin , to Hama the Gene of the magic lamp, to Falah ; Ali BaBa ….

Hameed volunteered:   I am Sinbad the sailor from Basra.

Hassan     : And I am the naughty boy of Babylon.

Veronica was thrilled acting the roll of a visiting princess said hello to every introduction with a pleasing smile and a nod.

Mrs. Mumford to Veronica: Here we are dear you have met all the heroes in your children story book in one single evening, how about that?

Mrs. Mumford and her niece left the room, back to the kitchen.

  Mr. Birch was surveying the boys faces during the encounter he noticed the excitement Veronica presence created he said:  look her boys, you seem as though you have never seen a girl before   ?

Hama: No, No we saw girls in our country, but only the face, no hair, no hands, no legs.

A big laughter …….

Amjad: Sometimes no face as well just a humane figure totally covered in black moving on two invisible wheels.

Another big laughter ………

Falah: No in Baghdad we have modern girls with no Abaya (Black Gown) or Pushia (face cover).  Addressing the others: It is you villagers and bedouwins   who are backward.

Hassan: You know Bedouwins and village women do not cover their faces only some city women do.

Hameed: You know the full packaging of women in black from head to toe is not an Arabic practice, it is imported from Persia.

Amjad: while we were in London I saw an old Gulf lady   all in black with nose covered walking in a street full of beautifully dressed girls.

  Mr. Birch: Why women dress like that in your country?

Amjad : To protect themselves from sinister eyes.

Mr. Birch: I was told this dress for women is dictated by religion.

Hassan    : No, not really, then with a laugh: My great, great grandmother fought the Roman 1300 years ago in the battle of Yarmook and she wouldn’t have done that blindfolded.

Falah: God bless her, otherwise she would have been caught and had a good time with the Romans.

Laughter …………..

Hameed: Arab men are very jealous and don’t want other men to look at their women.

Amjad: Because they have dirty minds.

Mr. Birch: That is not really odd for men .In Europe in the middle ages men make their women wear chastity belts  and they lock the belts and take the key  with them when they travel  .

 It was said that :  One unselfish  crusader  fearing that he may die in battle left the key with his most trusted friend and told him to give  the key  back to his wife  if he didn’t come back so that she can release the belt and  remarry if she pleases  .

 As he was beginning to board the ship for Palestine, the friend came running and panting shouting: Hey... Hey... It is good that you are still here. The key did not work…  

 A big burst of laughter…..

Mrs. Mumford shouts from the kitchen: Dinner is ready, Mr. Birch leave the boys to have their dinner.

Mr. Birch shouts back : I am just beginning to enjoy the conversation .OK I will leave .