فرّ من القرية خجلاً، قبل سنين وونين؛ بسبب فقعة خرجت غصباً عنه؛ إذ دغلوه الشياطين الغُبر الدُبر بمرقة دُجر ما نضج، وسقوه طاسة لبن، ولزّموا عليه يسري معهم يحاظون لعب الشبك في قرية مجاورة، والرجال ما هو دون شيء؛ لكن غلبته الغالبة، وهو يتمايل في الصفّ تحرك بطنه، وقال في خاطره بانسمّها وما حد بيحسّها، لكنّ المناسم فضاحة؛ ظهر الصوت، فانسحب من الملعبة، واللي تسبّبوا في فضيحته سروا وراه يتضاحكون، وما أصبح إلا وسيرة (طقعة مدفعيته) على كُل لسان، فاضطر للهجرة والرحيل.
تزوّج بنت رجال في مكّة، وجابت له (نقمان) ولد، لا ينداس في عرينه، ولا ينشرع في بحره. مات (أبو نقمان) ودُفن في مكة، إلا أنّ قصّته في قريته ظلّت على قيد الحياة؛ فكل ما جاء مناسبة تطاروا بها الحريم والرجال،
لم يكن في نيّة (نِقمان) العودة لقرية أبيه؛ إلا أن والدته كانت حريصة يرجع لمسقط رأس أهله، والمرأة المكاوية شبعانة خبرة وطيبة وجرأة، واكتسب منها ومن أخواله (الزناوة)، ففي جيناته مكر ودهاء وحيلة، قال (نقمان) في نفسه بلهجته غير المتكلفة؛ يا واد اطلع الديرة شوف وحوف وجُس نبض أكّالين مال النبي، إن طلعوا طيبين خليك أطيب، وإن كان ما زالوا في ضلالهم الملعون؛ ورّيهم نون وما يسطرون.
استأجر في شاحنة احتاجت أربع ليالٍ لقطع الطريق، ولو ما هي حبوب (النوفالجين) كان هلك، بسبب الدوخة والغبار، وعشية ليلة خامسة، قرر يبات بمقهى في السوق، ويهبط بحسب وصية أمّه، يقضي هدايا للعريفة والفقيه؛ لأنه إذا دهن سير الكبار تقاطر الصغار كما الجِفار خلف أمهاته؛ وبالفعل اشترى من كل غالٍ قهوة وحوايج وتنباك وسكر وشاهي، وقماش صوف، وثلاث أُقات لحم. واقتضى له قفة، واستأجر له حمارة بحمّارها، وطلب يوصله لقريته؛ اقتربوا من وادي القرية، وسمع حرمتين يتجادلن؛ أي ولديهما أكبر من الآخر، وكان يصله صوتهن وهو فوق الحمارة كما النخلة؛ وقفّته في حضنه، سمع التي تدلى وكان اقترب أكثر تقول؛ ولدك يخته ولد يوم طقع فلان، فكتمها في نفسه، وقال؛ ما نسيوا مناعين الجدف، ولكن دواهم عندي، وقطع على نفسه عهداً ما يغدونه مشاشة بين أنياب العرّاشة، وأنه لينشب في نحورهم، ويظهر الشيب في صدورهم.
نشد سفان يتلعبون في السّيَح عن بيت العريفة، فدلوه؛ ودخل على كبير القريّة؛ فسرّه منظر الرجال ولبسه وزغوده الحمر اللي كما القوطة، والتي لو طبزها بشوكة لانبجست بالدم. قدّم هداياه، سمع الفقيه باللافي وراح من الوادي يسعى، واحتضنه، وقال في نفسه؛ إن كنت احرز انك ولد ابن عمي (شرجان)، وكل شويه يسلّم عليه مردداً؛ أنا فدى الريحة والشيحة؛ فطالع فيه بعين الشرّ ونشده بانفعال؛ ايش فيه طايح فيني مطمطة؟ ردّ عليه؛ ترى العريفة وانا سترك وغطاك، بعدما تبدي لنا وش عندك وش معك وش جابك؟ علّق العريفة؛ مثل ما قال فقيهنا، فطلب منهم يعطونه مهلة إلى بكرة؛ ينتسم من تعب السفر، وفي الصباح يكشف لهم غطا حلّة تفور من فوق لهب الدافور؛ أعجبهم تعبيره فضحكا، وقال العريفة؛ بكرة بكرة ما شيء خلاف والشيطان معثور.
عشّاه العريفة، وهيأ له مفرش ينام فوقه، وسرى هو والفقيه يتنبكون ويتقهوون والفقيه يتمشدق بالضيف ويقلّد كلامه ومشيته والعريفة ميّت ضحك، و(نقمان) سهران يسمع ودماغه يخطط كيف يربيهم. فقال الفقيه؛ باين عليه يا كبيرنا مِقْرِش، فجاوبه؛ مِقرِش ايش إلا قل مزنّد؛ الله ربنا وربه واللي وراه أضعاف اللي قدامه، وكعادة الفقيه في النباش. قال لكن لا تنسى تراه ولد متلقّط الزّكِي.
أصبحوا على دلة وبراد حليب وقرصان وسمن، والفقيه متلهف أكثر من العريفة على تنقيب السيرة والسريرة، صدمهم بقوله؛ البارح سمعت كلامكم، وأنا (نقمان) ولد ابن عمكم، واستقام وفك من وسطه كمر معبأ جنيهات جورج، ومدّ للعريفة بسبعة وللفقيه بثلاثة، وطمّعهم بقوله؛ التالي يلحق بعدما تحققون طلبي، ردّوا بصوت واحد؛ أبشر بسعدك تأمر على رقابنا.
أبدى لهم حرصه على مجاورتهم، وبناء بيت علو القرية، باطنه حجارة، وظاهره مرو؛ ورغم أن المرو نادر، إلا أنهم قالوا ما طلبت شيء، وسرّح العريفة أهل القرية كباراً وصغاراً ورجالاً ونساءً يلقطون المرو؛ وأغدق عليهم وعوداً بالإكراميات من الذهب والفضة؛ فسارعن حتى العجائز وانخرطن في المهمة، واتفق العريفة مع أمهر البنايين، وحوّلوا القرية ورشة عمل، من الفجر إلى غروب الشمس.
اكتمل بناء بيت أبيض يلمع مروه، واختاروا ثور المذن حبيش نزالة فتعشوا، ودار اللعب، ولأنهم حرموا الشاعر من الغنيمة سرى يمعني بالقصايد للحضري، والفقيه يفسر له (الفيد ما هو من الجدان من فيد ابي) وأصبحتْ القرية خامدة من الشقا اللي مرّ عليها من البيت النكبة، ومن ساكنه اللي ما بعد وفّى بالكِرى ولا قيمة القِرى.
افتهن (نقمان) في البيت شهراً ويتشرط عليهم الغداء في بيت والعشاء في بيت بعدما ذبح لهم ثور الغُرم، وكلما طالبه أحد بالأجرة يستمهله متعللاً بأن والدته وإخوانه جايين في الطريق، وأبرم صفقة مع الفقيه، ليشيع أن المرو ماج بدماغ (نقمان) وخذته الغزلة، وطلب من الجماعة ما عاد أحد يشره عليه لو يسوّي ما سوّى، وحلف لهم أيمانا مغلظة؛ أنه قرأ عليه البارحة، فخرج شرر من عيونه، وقام عليه داسه وشقق ثوبه ونتّف لحيته، وغصبن فكّه، علّق العريفة، يخشعه رب النود والقرود والغربان السود، وكان الشاعر كلما شاف الفقيه، بمصحفه داخل البيت الأبيض، يردد (ما كان مغزول لكن البشر غزّلوا به) وظل المذّن ناقماً على الفقيه وكلما طلبته حرمته يأخذ قيمة الثور قال؛ كلها من الفقيه زنبيل الثُّفا كيف آخذها من مغزول؟ وفي صبيحة يوم جمعة، استيقظت القرية على دواخن في واديها، ورائحة شياط؛ ولاونّ البيت الأبيض فحمة؛ لزم العريفة راسه قائلاً؛ وين اغدي وجهي من جماعتي؛ شبّنا، وشكّدنا طُنب العير.
He fled from the village in shame, years ago; due to an incident that happened against his will; as the mischievous spirits tricked him with an undercooked stew, and they made him drink a bowl of milk, and they forced him to join them to play the net game in a neighboring village. The men were not less than anything; but he was overwhelmed by the overwhelming, and while he swayed in line, his stomach moved, and he thought to himself, “I’ll just let it go and no one will notice,” but the sound was embarrassing; it became apparent, so he withdrew from the playground, and those who caused his embarrassment sneaked away laughing at him. Soon, the tale of his (embarrassing incident) was on everyone’s lips, forcing him to emigrate and leave.
He married the daughter of a man in Mecca, and she bore him (Niqman), a son who would not be trampled in his den, nor would he venture into his sea. (Abu Niqman) died and was buried in Mecca, but his story in his village remained alive; every time there was an occasion, the women and men would rush to tell it.
Niqman had no intention of returning to his father’s village; however, his mother was eager for him to return to his family’s birthplace. The woman from Mecca was full of experience, kindness, and courage, and he inherited from her and from his uncles (the Zanawe), so in his genes, there was cunning, wisdom, and trickery. Niqman said to himself in his unpretentious dialect; “O boy, go out to the village, see and observe, and gauge the pulse of the greedy ones. If they turn out to be good, be even better, and if they are still in their cursed delusion, show them the truth and what they write.”
He rented a truck that took four nights to travel the road, and if it weren’t for the (Nofalgene) pills, he would have perished due to dizziness and dust. On the evening of the fifth night, he decided to spend the night at a café in the market, descending as per his mother’s advice, to bring gifts for the village chief and the scholar; because if he greased the wheels of the elders, the younger ones would flock behind their mothers; and indeed he bought from every expensive item coffee, clothes, tobacco, sugar, and tea, wool fabric, and three portions of meat. He got a basket, rented a donkey with its driver, and asked him to take him to his village; they approached the valley of the village, and he heard two women arguing; which of their sons was older than the other, and he could hear their voices while he was on the donkey like a palm tree; he stopped in his tracks, and he heard one of them say; “Your son was born on the day so-and-so was born,” he kept it to himself and said; “They haven’t forgotten the memories of the past, but their remedy is with me,” and he made a vow to himself not to let them see him weak among the jaws of the cunning, and that he would rise against them and show the gray hair in their chests.
He sought the men playing in the fields near the house of the village chief, and they directed him; he entered upon the village elder; he was pleased with the sight of the men and their red garments that looked like a rooster, which if pricked with a fork would burst with blood. He presented his gifts, and the scholar heard him and rushed from the valley, embraced him, and said to himself; “If I make sure you are the son of my cousin (Sharjan), and every moment he greets him repeating; “I am devoted to the scent and the sage.” The elder looked at him with an evil eye and asked him excitedly; “What is it that is falling upon me?” He replied; “The village chief and I have covered you, after you show us what you have and why you came.” The elder commented; “As our scholar said,” and he asked them to give him a respite until tomorrow; to rest from the fatigue of travel, and in the morning he would reveal to them a pot that boils over the flames of the stove; they liked his expression and laughed, and the elder said; “Tomorrow, tomorrow, there is no disagreement, and the devil is thwarted.”
The elder hosted him for dinner, prepared a mat for him to sleep on, and he and the scholar spent the night talking and drinking coffee, while the scholar mimicked the guest and imitated his words and walk, and the elder was laughing hard, and (Niqman) stayed awake listening, his mind plotting how to raise them. The scholar said; “It seems to me, our elder, that he is a clever one,” he replied; “Clever? What do you mean, just say he is a fool; God is our Lord and his, and what is behind him is many times what is in front of him,” and as was the scholar’s habit in his prying. He said, “But don’t forget, he is a son of the one who collects the good.”
They woke up to a pot of milk, bread, and ghee, and the scholar was more eager than the elder to dig into the tale and the secret, he shocked them with his words; “Yesterday, I heard your talk, and I am (Niqman), the son of your cousin,” and he straightened up and pulled out a belt filled with George pounds, and handed the elder seven and the scholar three, and tempted them with his words; “The next one will follow after you fulfill my request,” they replied in unison; “We promise you our loyalty, you command us.”
He showed them his eagerness to live near them and build a house at the top of the village, with a foundation of stones and a facade of marble; and although marble was rare, they said they asked for nothing, and the elder sent the villagers, young and old, men and women to collect marble; and he showered them with promises of rewards of gold and silver; so they rushed, even the old women joined in the task, and the elder agreed with the most skilled builders, and they turned the village into a workshop, from dawn until sunset.
A white house was completed that shone with its marble, and they chose a bull for the feast, and they had dinner, and the games began. And because they deprived the poet of the spoils, he began to compose verses for the urban people, and the scholar explained to him (the spoils are not from the hands of the spoils of my father) and the village became quiet from the hardships that had passed through it from the house of misfortune, and from the resident who had not yet fulfilled his promise nor the value of hospitality.
(Niqman) stayed in the house for a month, and he would arrange for lunch in one house and dinner in another after he had slaughtered the bull for them, and whenever someone asked him for payment, he would delay them, claiming that his mother and brothers were on their way, and he made a deal with the scholar, to spread the rumor that the marble had gone to (Niqman)’s head and he was taken by the charm, and he asked the group that no one should blame him if he did what he did, and he swore to them with strong oaths; that he read to him last night, and sparks flew from his eyes, and he stood on him, crushed him, tore his clothes, and pulled out his beard, and forced his jaw, the elder commented, he fears the Lord of the wild and the monkeys and the black crows, and the poet whenever he saw the scholar, with his Quran inside the white house, would repeat (it was not woven but people wove it for him) and the bull remained resentful towards the scholar, and whenever his wife asked him to take the value of the bull, he would say; “All of it is from the scholar, the sack of the fool, how can I take it from a woven one?” And on the morning of a Friday, the village woke up to smoke in its valley, and the smell of fire; and the white house was charred; the elder held his head saying; “Where do I hide my face from my people; we have burned, and we have tightened the saddle of the donkey.”
