Nuruddin Farah - Hiding in Plain Sight

After shutting down Aar’s computer, Bella calls to invite Gunilla to dinner the next night, making their vague plan for a get-together definite. Then she thinks, why not make it a party? and she rings Catherine Kariuki. After updating her on how Salif and Dahaba are faring, she says, “If you are free tomorrow evening round about eight, we would like you and your husband to join us for supper. Please accept my apology for such short notice. We’ve been meaning to have you over, but the children’s mother is here, and it has not been easy for me to get the household in order.”

Catherine says, “Hold on, dear,” and then comes back in a moment to say, “My husband says he would love to come, but it will depend on whether his chauffeur is available as we don’t normally drive ourselves home at night.”

“I hope you can come,” says Bella. “That way we will be able to thank you properly for hosting Salif and Dahaba. And you will meet two or three of Aar’s friends along with Valerie, the children’s mother.”

Catherine says, “In the meanwhile, kindly send us directions to your house. And I’ll ring you tonight or first thing tomorrow to let you know whether we are coming.”

—

Downstairs, the game is over. “Who won?” asks Bella.

Salif says, “I did. And Padmini came in second.”

“Because you and Pad cheat, that’s why,” says Valerie. But she doesn’t sound very miffed, and the current state of her feelings is a mystery to Bella.

It’s Dahaba who begins to unpack the cartons of food and to ask who wants to eat what. Then Valerie takes charge, yammering away, ordering people about: Salif is to bring the cutlery; Padmini the napkins and plates; and Bella the drinks. Bella does as instructed and makes herself useful by serving everyone’s drink of choice, although she begs off lunch on the grounds that she has already eaten.

“And where did you have lunch?” asks Valerie.

Bella thinks hard before answering the question, which, innocuous as it is, reminds Bella of how peaceful demonstrations turn to violent riots. Answering “Where” may invite “With whom?” she fears.

“Where?” Valerie insists.

“Just some little deli, you won’t know it.”

Bella observes that Dahaba is liberally dropping food on her place mat and wiping it up halfheartedly with her curry-stained fingers, which she then licks. “Dahaba!” she admonishes.

“Sorry,” says Dahaba.

Valerie inquires, “Why are you sorry?”

Salif explains why, but Valerie answers, “Big deal. Just wash the place mat, it is made from cheap cloth anyway.”

Now that the animation of the game is over, Valerie looks to Bella as if she hasn’t had much rest; in fact, she looks like a street cat caught in the rain. Padmini seems subdued as well. Bella wonders if Valerie has informed Padmini that she has withdrawn her case and is no longer contesting the will or filing for child custody. Will their relationship come to grief when Padmini learns this, she wonders, or will Padmini see it as tit for tat for Padmini’s ruinous attempt to recover her family’s property in Uganda? And has Valerie told Padmini about her anger over Bella’s rescuing them? Bella stands on the periphery of the circle and listens.

Dahaba is asking, “Mum, have you read much gay literature?”

“Gay literature, did you say?”

“You see,” says Dahaba, “my friend Qamar has told me that nowadays you can take queer literature courses in America and the UK at universities. You can even do a PhD on the subject, it is so rich.”

Salif makes threatening pistol-shaped gestures with his fingers at Dahaba, warning her away from this topic, and even Bella tries to catch the girl’s eyes to suggest that she rein it in. But even when Salif kicks Dahaba in the shin and Valerie says to Salif, “Please. Where are your manners?” she doesn’t stop.

“I can give you a list of classic gay authors that my friend Qamar says you’ll enjoy reading,” Dahaba says.

“Have you read any of them yourself?” asks Valerie.

Dahaba replies, “No, I haven’t. But Qamar has.”

“Give the list to Padmini.”

Padmini says to Dahaba, “Give them to me. I am partial to such writing. Your mum likes thrillers and crime fiction. I can’t bear reading any of that.”

“Because murder has a built-in narrative structure,” Valerie declares.

Padmini says, “I just love gay classics like Nightwood by Djuna Barnes; The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde; Death in Venice by Thomas Mann; The Color Purple by Alice Walker; Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde; and Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeannette Winterson. They are wonderful.”

Despite her worries that this discussion will lead the conversation back to areas that are best avoided, Bella is relieved that the topic of sexuality is now on the table. Nevertheless, she takes the opportunity to change the subject before too much more can be said. “We are having a dinner party tomorrow evening,” she announces. “What do you say to that?”

“It depends on who is invited,” says Dahaba.

“Your mum and Auntie Padmini for starters,” says Bella.

“Oh, that’s wonderful. I love parties,” says Valerie.

Padmini says, “I’ll help cook.”

Salif says, “That’s super. I love Indian food.”

Dahaba asks, “And who else?”

“Mr. and Mrs. Kariuki,” says Bella.

Valerie says, “Who are they?”

Salif explains, “The principal of our school and his wife, who we stayed with. They were our hosts and they were very, very kind, especially the Mrs. She is large and generous and fun.”

“Can we invite Qamar and Zubair?” says Dahaba.

“Yes, of course,” says Bella.

“Can their mum and dad come too, please?” asks Salif.

“Sure,” says Bella.

“And who else?” asks Salif.

“Your father’s colleague Gunilla.”

This time, Bella senses the presence of a ripple of tension from Valerie at the mention of Gunilla’s name, which brings on a feeling of renewed apprehension.

“We know her,” says Dahaba. “She’s cool.”

Bella asks, “By the way, when is Uncle Mahdi coming to pick you up for the movie? Maybe it is time you showered, no?”

Dahaba goes upstairs.

“What movie are you going to see?” asks Valerie.

Salif replies, “A film called The First Grader , based on the true tale of an eighty-four-year-old former freedom fighter during the struggle for Kenyan independence from British rule. Never having gone to school, he enrolls himself in primary school with six-year-olds. It’s about the uneasiness his presence in the classroom creates among the educational and political authorities.”

“Fascinating,” says Bella.

“Mum, interested in coming?”

“Not my type of film,” says Valerie.

—

A quarter of an hour later, Mahdi, Zubair, and Qamar arrive to pick up Dahaba and Salif. Dahaba immediately invites them to the dinner party tomorrow evening, and Mahdi immediately says that the family would be delighted to come. Bella introduces him to Valerie and Padmini, and she can see his flicker of recognition as he puts the names and faces together with all that he has heard.

Mahdi says to Valerie, “My children mentioned you were here visiting. I am so pleased to meet you.”

Valerie says, “You have lovely children.”

Mahdi welcomes Valerie and Padmini, and he smiles at both, a little too formally, thinks Bella. Nothing in his manner betrays that he knows anything about the legal rows and custody battles that have been raging in the family. He is impeccably polite, and he also treats Padmini with the respect due an honored guest.