7441737813049
ISBN 978-1-304-74417-390000
Amal is a sixteen-year old genius with uniqueobservational skills and an exceptional talent offinding logical patterns in everything that he sees, atalent that has enabled him to solve complexmysteries on a daily basis back in his country. Butwhen his family moves to the small island ofBahrain, he becomes so preoccupied with the sharpcontrasts of Bahraini society and the many facetsthat shape the mentalities and attitudes of itspopulation, that he starts to doubt if he will everfully understand them. When he discovers that aprecious pearl has been stolen and smuggled intoBahrain, it takes him on an adventure throughdifferent parts of the island where he finds outabout its famed pearling history and witnessesfirsthand both the old and the new of its culture. Ashe comes closer to finding the pearl, he also drawsnear to a major realization about his new home. Helearns the inevitable Bahraini Factor.
ID: 14332853www.lulu.com
Mohammed Hassan
THEBAHRAINIFACTOR
Moham
med
Hassan
TheBahrainiFactor
THE BAHRAINI FACTOR
THE BAHRAINI FACTOR
MOHAMMED HASSAN
Mohammed Hassan2013
Copyright © 2013 by Mohammed Hassan
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal.
First Printing: 2013
ISBN 978-1-304-74417-3
Mohammed HassanHouse 783 Road 1622 Block 816Isa Town, Bahrain +973
To purchase a paperback copy, visit:
http://www.lulu.com/shop/mohammed-hassan/the-bahraini-factor/paperback/product-21369858.html
Dedication
To a nation that always motivates me to do too much by always complaining that there is too little.
Contents
PREFACE ........................................................................................... ix
CHAPTER 1 .....................................................................................13STANDARDIZED UNLEARNING.............................................13STEREOTYPICAL INNOVATION ............................................17GUARANTEED POSSIBILITIES...............................................20CONSERVATIVE DECADENCE................................................23
CHAPTER 2 .....................................................................................25MOVERS AND LURKERS..........................................................25MUTE PROPAGANDA ...............................................................29ATTAINABLE INOPPORTUNITIES .......................................32WELL-MANNERED MISBEHAVIOR ......................................36HOLIDAY VOCATION IN THE SUNNY SHADOWS.............39VIOLENT SAFETY ......................................................................42CORPORATE FISHERMEN.......................................................47RIGIDLY FLEXIBLE MINDS .....................................................50VINTAGE MODERNITY ............................................................56UNPATRIOTIC PATRIOTISM .................................................61NEW BUCKET, OLD PAINT .....................................................65
CHAPTER 3 .....................................................................................70THE BAHRAINI FACTOR .........................................................70
GLOSSARY .......................................................................................83
ix
PREFACE
Before proceeding to read the novel, I thought it would be beneficial to clarify a few things. While the events and characters in the story are fictitious, the inspiration behind them comes from a very real place. I was born and raised in Bahrain to Bahraini parents and throughout the thirty years I have lived here, I have often found myself examining the peculiarities of the people I have encountered and how they echo the dominant mindset of the time. I have noticed thatâlikely due to the rapid modernization that it went through over the past three decadesâBahrain experienced several eras of radical social changes in relatively short periods. The most obvious difference was in the behavior of the youth, who I was able to see evolve from one generation to the next because I was always enrolling in academic institutions in the hopes of evading holding a regular job like a responsible adult (something I did successfully until I was twenty eight years old.) I saw a generation that was isolated from the rest of the world, then I saw a generation that was witnessing the world enter their lives with a mixture of intrigue and caution, and then a generation that embraced foreign lifestyles yet still resented foreigners. I did my best to take as much as possible of those observations and place them within appropriate comparative terms of even older and more vastly different eras and aspects of Bahraini life to tell a story of major contrasts. To that effect, I hope I succeeded.
The story is told from the subjective point of view of Amal, who is a sixteen year old boy who moves to Bahrain from an unidentified country. In his homeland, despite his young age, he managed to make a daily habit of solving complex mysteries by utilizing his sharp observational skills and affection for logic into a system where every seemingly complex situation can be reduced to simplicity by finding the appropriate logical pattern that it followed. His genius fails him, however, when he applies the same system in an effort to understand his new surroundings and he is left with more questions than answers about Bahrain. The mental dialogue he has regarding his new home takes precedence over the backdrop story of a mystery about a stolen, precious pearl which unfolds in the vein of Sherlock Holmes.
x
Readers might notice that a pessimistic or cynical view dominates the better half of the storyâs events. This is intentional as, by my and many other Bahrainisâ view, Bahrain is a nation of cynics and pessimists. Therefore, itâs expected thatâassuming that he isnât cynical by natureâsome cynicism would find its way into Amalâs character after his move to Bahrain. In that manner, it edges closer to self-analysis rather than an onlookerâs observation. It is also my hope that shining a light on the cynicism would help reduce it by showing its ugly and counterproductive nature.
The book doesnât serve a political purpose and it treads very lightly on the political history of the country but, as with many works of literature, there is inevitably room for interpretation by the reader. Some ambiguity regarding the accuracy of Amalâs conclusions was necessary as part of his characterâs natural progression. His intellectual prowess aside, he is a foreigner in a new country and as such, he canât always arrive at the full and precise explanation. There are subtleties in between and he has no access to those. He only has access to what he sees unfolding in front of him or what he hears from others around him, with his new best friend Noor being a direct line into Bahrainisâ mentalities and attitudes. At the same time, his passion for learning and his heightened attentiveness enable him to gauge the situation with a higher level of accuracy than a regular tourist or expatriate. That balance in character is a major component of the novel and is the driving force behind his struggle throughout his adventure. The answers are always within inches of his fingertips yet never fully within reach. His young age is also intentional as it mirrors a time of learning for an individual.
My intention from the onset was to create the seminal Bahraini novel, not in the sense of one that describes Bahrain in a comprehensive way, but rather one that will inspire Bahraini authors to innovate in writing by realizing that there are no limitations in the realm of fiction in general. Being born in Manama or in New York has no bearing on potential or quality of writing as the thought process where the story formulates takes place in a world where Manama and New York donât exist. Itâs all fiction, regardless of the reality that contains it. Liberties can always be taken to weave and mold any story into something unique, influential and entertaining.
xi
I genuinely believe that any work of art, literature or entertainment by any citizen will add to the pool of that nationâs cultural identity, regardless of the prevalent political atmosphere of the day or the political allegiances of the author. My sincerest hope is that Bahrainis realize the importance of building an infrastructure of art and entertainment for a better future and that innovation in any field will eventually lead to theirs and to their countryâs success in the long term. This is my contribution to Bahrainâs cultural identity.
MOHAMMED HASSAN
13
CHAPTER 1
STANDARDIZED UNLEARNING
I donât think Iâll like it here. The sun outside was a scorcher. Summers are really relentless on this island. The traffic on the highway outside this school alone was irritating. Break, go, break, go, break. Iâve only been here a week and I could swear I saw the same street get congested with at least one extra car every day. How do they all fit inside those narrow lanes?
This school is something, though. Bright-Learnerâs International School, or BLIS, as the students here call it. Itâs huge. The walls are so tidy, they look like theyâve been washed and waxed since the day they were built. Wouldnât be surprised if they were too. This is one of the most popular private schools in Bahrain. Enough rich families send their kids here that a wall-waxing budget wouldnât be too unrealistic⊠I donât know how I feel about the white and blue uniforms. I look like a kid. Iâm sixteen years old. I think Iâm old enough to be capable of putting an outfit together, thank you very much. I noticed the public school students wear white and grey uniforms. They also have separate schools for boys and girls. Shouldnât this be the other way around? No oneâs ever gonna learn anything at a public school anyway. At least, if it was a place where boys and girls could meet, itâll give them an incentive to show upâŠ
Itâs only been a few minutes since the first lesson bell rang and these hallways are already empty. Those students scattered to their classrooms pretty fast. Things were never that organized in my old school. The hallways there were always buzzing, even after the bell rang. And I donât remember seeing a clean wall, though, who could tell with all that inappropriate graffiti? Everyone was loud, the teachers barely got a word in and the place was a mess. God, I miss it. Now, Iâm here on this tiny, little island and in this apparently perfect school. Iâm surrounded by the best-behaving teenagers on Earth. The biggest transgression Iâve seen so far is kids playing football on the street and causing a lot of car honking. I bet all the students form a
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14
straight line and politely wait their turn to get on the bus. I can already hear them settling down inside the classrooms and letting the teachers start the lessons, like theyâre considerate adults or something. What manners! If theyâre not raising hell and overcome with the rebellious spirit now, then when exactly will it happen? Are they this laidback their whole lives?
Maybe all the rowdy ones go to public schools. I know public schools started the new semester a week before us because Iâve been seeing droves of boys in white shirts and grey pants eyeing droves of girls in blue uniforms on the other side of the road. For some reason, it seems that most public boysâ schools in this country have been built opposite public girlsâ schools with only a road or two setting them apart. Now the first thing this resulted in was creating the most obscenely congested traffic youâll ever see in your life, both when students are being dropped by the school and when theyâre being picked up. But to me, the most interesting result of putting opposite schools of opposite genders is students of both sexes partaking in very public mass flirting sessions after school. Both the boys and the girls line up along the walls of their school, waiting for their parents or transport to pick them up. Of course, by the time those ones arrive, who knows what young love blossomed from a willfully reciprocated glance and a quick exchange of phone numbers. I like that this happens, though. Thatâs one thing teenagers do around the world that I find completely normal, so Iâm definitely glad they do this here. I bet that helped take the edge off when the time came for men and women to share a workplace or any situation where theyâre required to coexist together. You hear something like âMuslim countryâ and your mind immediately wonders how strict it must be for the women living there. But this country is hardly strict towards women from what Iâve seen so far. Maybe these strategically placed schools had a hand? I canât know for sure. But if that really was the plan then I have to admit, itâs kind of genius⊠Iâm just realizing now that the most carefully planned aspect of Bahrainâs schools might have nothing to do with education. I donât know if these opposite schools were intentional or just happened to happen but I like that they did. Iâm secretly hoping it was intentional because if they kept building
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schools and never learned anything from it, the irony would be twice as unbearableâŠ
I wouldnât be surprised if no one else spotted this. People here seem to have a knack for not realizing whatâs right in front of their eyes. Iâm watching these hordes of students going through schools and universities and every time I see them, I wonder if they took the time to look around and see the scarce opportunities for them when they graduate. Itâs a teeny tiny island with turtle-speed growth and more sand than buildings. The whole country is too small for the people who already graduated, let alone the ones who are still in college. What are they hoping to be when they graduate? Miracle workers?
âAre you in this class?âOh, man. I forgot to go inside the classroom. I mustâve been
waiting outside this door and talking to myself for at least ten minutes. Hope this teacher is the understanding typeâŠ
âYes. Iâm new here.ââOh, yes, yes. Come inside.â He seems like a nice guy. Heâs definitely Persian. I just canât tell
which one is more Persian, his face or his accent. Judging by his reaction, he was waiting for me. He must have already taken attendance and figured Iâm the last one leftâŠ
Look at this class. There must be at least thirty students in here. I like that some of the rows have mixed pairs of boys and girls. You know, the more I see, the more I believe that people are quick to stereotype. This just seems like a normal, tolerant country. I think I might fit in here, after allâŠ
âClass, this is your new classmate. His name is Amal.âWhyâs everybody laughing? Is there something wrong with the
way I look? Ugh. Thatâs why I hate uniforms. This shirt looks creased. Half these pants are filled with air. Why do I have to be so skinny? Okay, wait, that canât be it. Some of these students look just as ridiculous as I do. Whatâs so funny then?
âAlright, thatâs enough, class.âEven the teacher is turning red. Heâs telling them not to laugh but
heâs obviously holding back a smile. Oh, great, now heâs giving me the sorry eyes. I donât get it. Whatâs so funny about my⊠oh. Okay,
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16
now I see. Iâve been living back home my whole life that it didnât even occur to me. Amal is a girlâs name. I remember my mom telling me the story of how they gave me that name because she and dad have been trying to have a baby for so long that they were starting to lose hope. When they had me, they called me Amal because it means âhopeâ in Arabic. This never mattered to anyone back home. I know Indians sometimes call their boys Amal but in here, thatâs a girlâs name. Ugh⊠does that mean Iâm gonna have to be subjected to laughter every time I introduce myself? Well, so much for fitting inâŠ
âBe nice to him. Heâs not from Bahrain. You can sit down now, son. Sit over there, next to⊠oh.â
Why are they laughing this time? The teacher is scratching his forehead like heâs trying to find his way out of a maze. This is getting out of control. Oh, to hell with this. Iâm just gonna go sit next to the chubby kid he just pointed atâŠ
Wow, this kidâs face is so red, he looks like heâs about to explode. Are they laughing at him?
âHey, whatâs your name?âIâve never seen anyone struggle so hard just to open his mouthâŠâNoor.âNoor? Isnât thatâs a girlâs name?
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STEREOTYPICAL INNOVATION
This cafeteria is pretty big. At least, big enough to handle the stream of students going in and out that glass door. I canât stand this noise pollution, though. Iâm hearing mixed conversations in Arabic and English and itâs giving me a headache...
Iâm kind of glad Noor is sitting on this table with me. He hasnât said a word yet besides his name but, for some reason, Iâm fine with that⊠look at those three sandwiches stacked on top of each other on his tray, waiting their turn to be annihilated. Heâs already wolfed down the first. I canât blame him, really. Iâve never seen such shamelessly thin sandwiches. Eating four of those is like eating one real cheeseburgerânot that you canât get a real cheeseburger in this country. From what my dad told me, this is definitely a food-obsessed culture. They take their cuisines very seriously. If you know where to look, you can basically find anything you want to eat. Thereâs literally a meal for every financial level, ranging from the insanely affordable to the pretentiously overpriced. You can realistically find a filling meal for as little as two hundred fils, which is a little over fifty cents. Of course, most people are nowhere near that destitute. They eat because⊠well, because they can. It seems like everyone here has turned eating into a favorite pastime. You wouldnât guess it if you see how thin they are. Where does it all go?
This restaurant boom seems like a recent one. I guess one branch of a well-known restaurant opened up and was a hit so all the others followed. Apparently, this struck such a chord with local businessmen that theyâre rarely interested in opening any other type of business. My dad says a friend of his, who has a number of successful food outlets, once told him that the only way your product will make a profit in this country is if people can drive it or eat it. I get why business owners would wanna avoid a risky business venture, but Iâm confused at the way theyâre limiting their scope to a complete lack of originality. It seems that the standard method is to wait until a foreign fast-food outlet takes off then you bring it here, which is just sad. I mean, if youâre an Arab who conducts business deals with people from all around the world, the last thing youâd wanna do is perpetuate the stereotype that Arabs do nothing but eat and never innovate, and
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thatâs all you end up doing when the only businesses youâre opening in the country are food outlets branched out from American franchisesâŠ
Noor seems to be the exception to the thin population rule. Heâs not that big but heâs bigger than most of the other guys Iâve seen around this school. He doesnât look like the type who deprives himself of anything. His whole appearance is like a demonstration in indulgence. His not-so-white shirt has wrinkles on each side and the buttons are barely holding back that protruding gut. Thereâs this small stain on the inside of his collar, which is uneven and sitting on top a loose button. His shoes are about to go extinct and thereâs no way that hair was brushed or combed. And I bet those pants absorbed so many spills that they eventually turnedâ
âAlrightâŠâWas I staring at him for too long? I gotta stop doing that to
peopleâŠâThereâs no way Iâm calling you Amal. Maybe I donât have the
best name for a guy but Amal and Noor? No way, dude.âHis accent is different. Itâs not a thick Middle-Eastern accent or a
perfect American accent either. His tâs and râs were off. And dude? He must have learned his English from TVâŠ
âYou have to come up with another name.ââBut why should I change it? Noor is also a girlâs name.ââNoor is also a guyâs name. If you look hard enough, youâll find
guys called Noor here and there, but you wonât find another guy in this country with your name. Trust me.â
âYou canât be sure of that.ââHow about I just call you Am instead?âAmâŠâI donât mind.ââGood. Youâre Am, then. Hey, look behind you over there. You
see that guy?âThat janitor is really going to work on the glass doors with his
rag. He must be pretty old, judging by the mixed grey and black hair, but I canât really tell for sure when Iâm facing his backâŠ
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âI heard he was fired from his old job âcause he stole some money. He was a security guard in a jewelry shop. They caught him right while he was doing it.â
âHow do you know that?ââEveryone here is talking about it. It just happened a couple of
weeks ago. The owner was his friend so he didnât call the cops, just fired him instead.â
Heâs picking up his bucket and going out to clean the other side of the glass. Heâs gonna be facing this way but I doubt heâll notice us staring at him with all the other people buzzing around hereâŠ
Thatâs not the face of an old man. Thatâs the face of a tired, young man. His forehead is starting to wrinkle and his beard stubble is all grey but Iâm guessing thatâs the result of a bad smoking habit, if that rectangular bulge in his shirtâs pocket is anything to go by. Man, thatâs one mean scowl. That scowl looks like itâs been etched on his face since birth. His arms are still going to work on the glass. Heâs a bit short and a bit thin but heâs obviously not weak. This guy must have been toughened up by years of physical labor. That couldnât have been an easy life for anyone. Nope. That is not a happy man⊠why is his neck shining? Is that a necklace under his shirtâs collar? Actually, heâs shining everywhere. Heâs wearing a pendant necklace, a silver watch on his right wrist and a bracelet on the other wrist. The janitor that was fired from a jewelry shop is covered in jewelry. Apparently, thatâs not suspicious to anyone else here but meâŠ
âHe seems⊠interesting.ââIâve never seen him crack a smile even once. The guyâs a total
creep. He doesnât even reply when you say âSalam.â Just walks right past you with that angry look on his face. Hey, you donât speak Arabic, do you?â
âNo.ââWell, Itâs not like you were gonna have a conversation with him
anyway.âItâs obvious that I willâŠ
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GUARANTEED POSSIBILITIES
Talk about big. Our new home here is spacious enough to house three families and maybe even their petsâ families. Between the four bedrooms, the large kitchen, the study room, the library and the small gym, I canât even call it âour houseâ because this is way too big for a house. I still canât believe they just gave it to my dad as part of his new job. Well, that along with the car and ridiculously high salary. Apparently, this country relies heavily on foreign workers to get its things done, so they lure them in with these extremely cushy job offers. Iâm gonna guess Noor was giving me the general publicâs attitude today, when he told me he wasnât too happy about that. It canât feel good when people you grew up with donât think youâre good enough to work for their company. But judging from the jobs Noor mentioned, the career prospects people here aspire for sound like a very short list from the get go. It seems that in this country, having a career means youâre either a public sector employee or a successful accountant. If you really broaden your horizons, you can aspire to be a banker. Thereâs barely any interest in creative or artistic fields. The local magazines that Iâve seen at malls and supermarkets sit on the rack for a long time, and thatâs if they even get picked up at all. Theyâre basically guides on how to spend the nightlife on the island and offer little more. Published authors are scant and the periods between the books they publish and the small splash they make are few and far between. Thereâs no overwhelming artistic pulse that you can gauge here. If Noor is the model of the standard Bahraini, then this countryâs artistic movement is held back by an inflamed infection of pessimism. Being an artist requires an abundance of optimism, and thatâs hard to find in Bahrain. In fact, most of these so-called careers are fueled by a ubiquitous refusal to be optimistic. In Noorâs words: âWhat am I gonna be if I graduate with an arts degree? Iâll starve to death. Better to study business than nothing.â And I just canât wrap my head around that logic. The biggest reason why artists struggle to make it big in places like the US is because itâs saturated with millions of other people who are dying to do the same thing. So every single artist becomes a small fish in a big pond. In Bahrain, there are barely any fish! The pond is pretty
MOHAMMED HASSAN
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much up for the taking. The chances for emerging artists to get noticed and make a real impact are much higher than in other places. These people should be clamoring to be artists. I bet the first Bahraini to do it and embrace art forms as a real career is guaranteed legendary status. Others will probably follow by the thousands. The most influential artists are the ones who get there first and this country should be hungry for those by now⊠Iâm hungry. My mom has been cooking that dinner forever⊠I think referring to this country as a pond with no fish might not be the best metaphor. Itâs an island full of fishermen⊠why am I talking to myself about this?
âAmal, come down. Dinnerâs ready.ââComing.âWow, I can hear my momâs voice from downstairs? Either the
walls are super thin or the villaâs so big that that was her echo from five minutes agoâŠ
The study room and the libraryâs doors are open. My dad must be already in the kitchenâŠ
These stair steps are extravagantly wide. I donât know whyâŠThe table is already set? I canât help but get the feeling that ever
since we came here, Mom doesnât have a lot of work to do in her new job. That probably applies to my dad as well.
âSit down, sweetie.ââUNâs inspection of Iranâs nuclear plans escalates tension in the
Middle East.ââHoney, put down that paper. Itâs dinner time.â I donât know why dadâs reading the Gulf Daily News at this
time. Heâs always had this weird habit of reading the dayâs news at the end of the day, when no one else cares anymore. And I see he still likes to read out loud to us, like a broadcastâŠ
âLetâs see⊠Singaporeâs foreign minister to visit Turkey.âI feel like yawningâŠâAmerican soldier dies in helicopter crash in Afghanistan.âWell, that one is sad. I still wouldnât call it news, though. Oh no,
heâs flipping the page. He was still on page one!âBusiness news.ââHoney, seriously. Itâs giving me a headache.âHeâs folding it. Finally. We can eat in peace, nowâŠ
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âSo son, how was your first day at school?ââIt was alright, I guess. It was kinda boring.ââYou just need time to adapt. Itâs all new for you.ââYour dadâs right. Give it at least a month. By then, youâd get a
good idea of how people are like around here.âA month? I need at least thirty years to understand these
peopleâŠâYour mom and I are adapting to our new jobs as well. People
here seem really nice. Have you met anyone yet?ââYeah.ââSee? Youâll be fine. If you really wanna fit in, you should do
what I do and keep up with the news. Itâll give you good conversation starters.â
Ugh. Heâs picking up the GDN againâŠâJapan auction for rare pearl put on hold.ââHoney, Iâm serious. Itâs annoying.ââBut Iâm trying to get him interested in the news.ââLater. Eat your dinner before it gets cold. Both of you.âOh, this reminds meâŠâThe school told us weâll be going on a scuba diving trip to
Muharraq next week. Something about celebrating the rich pearl history or something.â
âWhoâs going with you on this trip?ââI donât know yet. They said someone will come tomorrow to tell
us about it.ââYouâll have adult supervision though, right?ââRight.ââIt should be safe enough then. Youâll have fun, trust me.âYeah, somehow, Iâm guessing your idea of fun is different from
mineâŠ
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23
CONSERVATIVE DECADENCE
Thereâs nothing special about this bedroom. Itâs big enough but the walls are painted with this faded shade of white or yellow. Itâs depressing me. Iâve been staring at this ceiling for at least ten minutes now. This bed is comfy, though. Thatâs all that should matter to me. I know I wonât be staying in this room a lot. I need to be out there, exploring this place. Maybe I should sneak out the window. NahâŠ
Though, it shouldnât be a problem finding something to see at this time. Night life is vibrant around here. Iâm not surprised. A Muslim country with legal alcohol, nightclubs and prominent prostitution is bound to get famous for its nocturnal activities. A big part of what makes this island a tourist attraction are the relaxed laws. Itâs hard not to see it as too liberal, especially since its neighbor is the most notoriously conservative Muslim nation in the region. Every weekend, this tiny island gets crammed with a Saudi invasion as thousands of Saudi Arabians get into their SUVs and expensive cars and cross the bridge connecting the two countries for a two-day drinking binge. Itâs almost like that bridge is a backdoor for Saudis to sneak out and stop being Saudi for a weekend. I wouldnât have guessed it was as rampant as Noor told me if I hadnât seen it with my own eyes the day that we arrived here on Thursday night. Itâs enough that traffic is bad by itself, add the Saudis and other nationalities that come here on weekends and itâs a miracle anyone can get to where theyâre goingâŠ
By far, the most interesting thing that Noor told me, though, was that most of the patrons of these bars and nightclubs are expats and other Gulf residents. Bahrainis usually avoid these places. Iâm not sure how they feel about its existence on their island, either. There was an air of both acceptance and contempt when Noor mentioned the weekly visitors. Itâs like he didnât wanna sound closed-minded but he wasnât too happy that it happens so close to where he lives. I think I know why he feels that way. You look around you and you see thatâwhether the intentions behind it are sincere or notâthe appearances are still Islamic. The girls are dressed in veils and black abayas. The men can be seen going in and coming out of mosques in large crowds. Religious chants are played out loud from cars and religious festivals
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draw in most of the country. By looks alone, the people are religious. The places Iâve been through so far look friendly and inviting, but thatâs probably because those are the areas populated with expats of every shape and color. Theyâre used to seeing something different. The places that I looked at from the window of a moving car seem pretty hostile to change. The narrow alleys, the politically-charged graffiti, the same faces they must see every day and just the reclusiveness of it all gives a whole different impression of the locals. I have this feeling that not everyone here welcomes outsiders with open arms. And when their only idea of an outsider is someone who just comes to their country to drink and dance, it becomes easy to understand why⊠actually, itâs not just the alcohol and nightclubs. When it comes to pulling down the taboos, this country has always gone one step ahead of most other countries in the region. Bahrain was the first to strike oil. It was the first of the Gulf countries to introduce education, particularly for women. It also has women running for parliamentary elections and women voters. Again, thatâs a big change for a small place that prefers familiarity. When you put all of these things together in one pot, it becomes such a mishmash of this and that that you canât decide if this is a life of decadence marring a conservative country or a repressive movement impeding people who are progressive by nature⊠what is up with all the damn contradictions in this country? How does a small place go about having so many extremes in the first place? God, my head hurts. I wish I can just go to sleep alreadyâŠ
The more I remember everything that happened today, the more my mind gets stuck on that janitor. Thereâs something so curious about that guy. Iâve seen his kind a million times before. He obviously has a secret and I donât even doubt that Iâll uncover it. Iâm used to being that curious by now. Finally, Iâm getting sleepyâŠ
Wait⊠why was that auction put on hold?
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CHAPTER 2
MOVERS AND LURKERS
Typical of this class to be already seated before the teacher is even here. At least, theyâre chatting out loud. I guess that could count as a form of rebellionâŠ
Wait. Whoâs that walking in behind him? âGood morning, class. This is Mr. Robert Carlos. Heâs a
professional scuba-diving instructor and the owner of ScubaTime Pro. Itâs a shop that sells scuba-diving equipment. Heâll be our guide on the trip to Muharraq. Iâll let him introduce himself and explain everything. Mr. Carlos.â
This guy looks weird. White, pale skin and orange curly hair. Very curly hair. And narrow eyes too. I wonder where heâs from. I canât place a nationality. Ugh. Look at that annoying grin. He looks like the universal archetype of male macho jerksâŠ
âHi, guys. My name is Robert Carlos, but you can call me Rob, okay?â
What accent is that? Heâs stressing on the Râs and Lâs for some reason. And what the hell is he wearing? Khaki shorts and sneakers? This is what you wear to prove youâre a responsible adult? Well, at least heâs wearing a shirt so he looks half presentableâŠ
âNext Sunday, weâll be going on a tour to one of the shallow sea beds east of Bahrain. When weâre there, weâll dive into the sea. But not too deep, donât worry.â
Yep. Faint laughter is the right response to thatâŠâItâs usually only six or seven meters deep. You will, of course,
be wearing the right outfits provided by our shop and youâll be given all the necessary equipment as well as a quick training session that teaches you all the basics of scuba diving. Now, I brought a couple of things with me that I will show you now.â
Woah. How long has that bag been sitting behind the teacherâs desk? Thatâs one humungous bagâŠ
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âThis is called a regulator. It regulates the pressure of the air when youâre underwater. Weâll teach how to use it in the training session.â
Heâs going through the bag again. This is gonna be a long dayâŠâAm, this guy looks weird.âGood. That means Iâm not the only one in thinking that. The fact
that Noor couldnât wait to tell me this and had to whisper it to me right away means that this guy looks extra special weird. Letâs see if he can shed some lightâŠ
âWhy?ââI donât know. He just does. He sounds funny too. Thereâs
something off about him.ââUgh.ââWhat?âSomething off about him⊠I hate it when people say that. What
does it mean? Whatâs an âoffâ? Is it something thatâs different about a person? If it is, why canât people mention it specifically? It shouldnât be too hard to do. After all, it is the one thing that made you notice how different they are. And what would be an âonâ about a person? To look, think and behave in an identical manner to everyone else? Why should being unique be marred with such a negative connotation? Ugh. This jerk was supposed to help me find an answer to whatâs weird about the guy, now my mind has a million questions!
Itâs interesting, though. If Noor canât place the weirdness, it means this is the type of non-Bahraini that heâs not used to seeing. Of all the nationalities that you see walking around the island, this type of face stands out. His parents must be of some mixed races, but I canât tell whichâŠ
It doesnât help that the list of expats in this country is a long one. They have the educated and usually rich expats who come here for the cushy jobs, but they also have expats who are dirt poor and come here looking for opportunities. You see them riding on their bicycles to go to a quick job somewhere for a few dinars, working as waiters and clerks, and selling things on the street. And theyâre not few either. The local English-language channel I saw last night airs the same news in English, Tagalog and Hindi. Thatâs how many of them live hereâŠ
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Apparently, the two sides are not always on good terms. One close look at them and itâs easy to understand why. Expats are people who lived in a country where if you complain a lot, people ask you âif you donât like it here, then why donât you leave?â so you go ahead and leave. Bahrainis are people who live in a country where they complain all the time, but if you ask them the same question, they just look at you funny. The concept of immigrating to another country and working your way from the bottom doesnât even occur to them. The ubiquitous mindset is to stay here and keep complaining until something is done about it. To them, thatâs the right thing to do for your country. To the people who werenât born here, that doesnât make any sense. They think theyâre just not willing to do the hard work. No wonder thereâs been an underlying animosity between the two for years. Their mentalities are polar opposites. And you put that in the frame of a tinyâ
âAnd thatâs everything you will need.âOh, man. I missed everything he said. When did this table get so
cluttered?âNow, the training session will be this coming Thursday, so three
days from now, and it wonât take long, maybe one or two hours to cover all the basics. And thatâs it. So⊠Any questions?â
Okay, letâs see nowâŠâYes, you.ââWhere are you from?âDid I say something funny? Why is this guy laughing?âI think I should have said any questions about the trip, but okay.
Iâm actually Bahraini. My parents came from Spain about forty years ago, which is around the time they had me, and opened a jewelry shop here on the island. They closed it down a long time ago but I grew up near the shores of Muharraq and I know this whole country like the back of my hand, both on the shore and underwater, so donât worry, you wonât drown.â
Yeah, this class likes to laugh, I seeâŠâHow long have you been diving?ââIâve been a diver for almost my whole life. Like I said, I grew
up near the waters here so Iâve had years to practice both on my own
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and professionally. I even speak Arabic because I learned from the locals.â
âWhen did you open your shop?ââUh, I opened ScubaTime Pro around fifteen years ago, I think.
We have one of the most successful diving programs in the islandâs history. We also have an unblemished safety record with zero incidents since we opened. Peopleâs safety is our main concern. We want you to explore the beauty of the island but while making sure youâre safe at all times.â
You sound like a walking PowerPoint presentation. Canât you just answer like a normal human being?
âWhy did your parents close their jewelry shop? Did they go bankrupt?â
Okay, this time I know why theyâre laughingâŠâCome on now, guys. Mr. Carlos is here to talk about the trip, not
his life story.ââNo, no, itâs okay. Yes, it did go bankrupt. However, I learned a
lot of things from my parents, both in business and in life in general. Maybe it was not meant to be for them, but I know that they made mistakes and I always make sure to never repeat those mistakes when it comes to me and my life.â
âWhat kind of mistakes?ââAmal, thatâs enough. Mr. Carlos, thank you for coming here.ââMy pleasure. I hope I was helpful, anyway.â MehâŠâOh, one more thing, class. As part of the schoolâs policy, every
student has to get a written permission from his or her parents allowing them to go on the trip. It must be signed by both parents or we canât let you go. Clear? You can either give it to me or give it directly to Principal Ibrahim because he asked to see each paper anyway.â
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MUTE PROPAGANDA
This computer glare is giving me a headache. I hate this flurry of technology. I can feel the thing sucking the life out of my eyes. I donât know why people willingly sacrifice their vision for these things. Their heads are always buried in the desktops and laptops and tablets and smartphones, and then they wonder why they have to wear contact lenses. Maybe I shouldnât be complaining. My bedroom has a desktop computer. Itâs not the end of the world, after all. Letâs see now, how should I word this? Parental Permission⊠dear whatever, this is a letter to confirm our something, something to let Amal go on the trip to something, signed Mr. and Mrs. Something⊠good. Let me just printâŠ
Now, let me find that GDN my dad was reading⊠there we goâŠ
âJapan Auction for Rare Pearl Put On Hold.â
âAn auction for a rare Japanese pearl that was planned to be held at the Jumeirah Emirates Palace Hotel in Dubai has been postponed indefinitely, organizers announced yesterday. The rare and natural âAikoâ pearl was scheduled to be on display on Sunday, 14th in a low-key affair that was to be attended by a select group of potential buyers. The organizers withheld the names of the bidders but sources confirmed it included prominent jewelers from the US and Japan, as well as a select group of billionaires from the UAE.
The âAikoââalso known as âBuenaventuraâ in some parts of Europeâweighs a full 200 carats and its value is estimated at $1.5 million (BD 567,000). Itâs owned by Japanese business tycoon Hiroshi Mizushima, whose entire wealth is estimated at $200m (BD 75.6m). Mizushima, 81, famously discovered the pearl in his younger days as a pearl merchant, while scouring the shores of Kashiko Island in the early 1950âs. The pearl was the largest in a collection of rare gems that he discovered on the islandâs shores, which were often credited for launching his entrepreneurial empire. For over half a century, he built a successful business enterprise that enjoyed rapid growth and expanded into construction, real estate, automobile production and other industrial sectors. In the 1970âs, he won several
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awards recognizing his philanthropic contributions to the world. He divorced his wife of 20 years, Masuyo Natsumi, in 1973. They had no children together.
When asked for comments regarding the auctionâs postponement, organizers cited Mizushimaâs deteriorating health as the main reason. The Japanese businessman has been battling a bout of illnesses over the past few years and his condition has recently worsened, casting doubts on his ability to attend the auction.
The organizers issued an apology for any inconvenience caused and denied having a confirmed date, saying their current main concern is Mizushimaâs well-being.â
There are so many suspicious things about this article that I donât know where to begin. First of all, if heâs been battling a bout of illnesses then how come these greedy people only decided to care about his health now? The man is eighty one years old and sick. He obviously knows his time is running out. They must know it too, yet they arranged the auction in the first place. And thatâs another thing. If heâs so close to his deathbed, why would he want to sell the pearl now? This isnât just any pearl. Itâs the pearl that launched his whole empire. He must have a special place for it in his heart. And now heâs selling it in an auction? Even though he has more than enough money? And suppose if he did want to sell it, for whatever reason. Does he really need to be present for that? Iâm sure it can be arranged in his absence⊠this article makes me angry. I canât blame the media in this country for it, though. This is the standard vagueness youâd expect from any newspaper in the worldâŠ
I should be grateful thereâs even a newspaper, at least. From what Iâve seen so far, the media here doesnât have the same pull as it does in the West. The ads barely have any impact on shifting mentalities. No one appears swayed by the billboards to jump on some brand new offer. Itâs still word-of-mouth for the most part. Some friendâs friend would get a faster broadband package after he heard his friendâs brotherâs friend got one for a lower price, while the TV ads on the local channels go on arbitrarily playing for no one. The only way an ad would be considered popular in this country is if it was so exceptionally bad that everyone ends up seeing it, just to mock how
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bad it really is. Noor and some students were already mocking some Arabic commercial they saw on TV yesterday. The local news programs offer nothing of real value. Everyone is updated on the worldâs news through Middle Eastern news channels or through the internet. The very shallow pool of celebrities consists of the same handful of Bahrainis doing the same thing every year with the same faint response from the public. They are celebrities in the eyes of the media, but people arenât rushing to the stores to buy their works or finding out what they said in the latest magazine issues so theyâd follow in their footsteps. Maybe thatâs a good thing. Then again, with no one leading, it does leave them with no thirst for cultural innovation. Then again⊠oh man, I canât be bothered with that now. I have a couple of signatures to findâŠ
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ATTAINABLE INOPPORTUNITIES
Yet another one of BLISâ hallways thatâs absolutely quiet. Iâm starting to think everyone here is part of a secret noise-makers club where they get rowdy and out of control whenever Iâm not around. Theyâre plotting every day, drawing up plans to keep me out of it. This is the administrative building, though. I bet these students wonât even dare to make a noise here even if they were the rowdy type. Letâs see now, which one is Principal Ibrahimâs office⊠there it is. I hope heâs in. This permission slip is a good excuse to meet this guy. Maybe Iâll actually find out something useful about this trip from him. More than what that weird Carlos guy gave me. Letâs see if this guy is in his officeâŠ
âCome in.âGoodâŠOrange, curly hair? This guyâs back is just as flamboyant as his
front. Whatâs he doing here? And why is he hunched over the Principalâs desk like that?
âSit down over there, son. Iâll be with you in a minute.âI can barely see the Principalâs head over this guyâs broad
shoulders. I guess Iâll wait on this sofa until he leaves. Theyâre really talking quietly. I canât even hear what theyâre talking about. I hope this doesnât take longâŠ
This is one impressive wall. Principal Ibrahimâs name is plastered all over these certificates. Excellence Award, For the Contribution, In Appreciation⊠the trophy in that tall cabinet in the corner is huge. Did he single-handedly win some kind of sports tournament? No, that one has the schoolâs name on it. Everything else has his name on it, though. Mr. Ibrahim Al-ShaikhâŠ
Al-Shaikh⊠thatâs a familiar family name. Iâve been noticing a lot of the same family names popping up everywhere I go. Car dealerships, law firms, clinics, small shops and huge buildings all have the same family names on their signs. Even mixed nuts are associated with families that have had a long history of selling mixed nuts. It seems that most of the money floats in closed circles in this economy, with the family that got there first owning the bigger share. And this isnât some secret government plot or religious master plan.
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Itâs just capitalism at work. Most of these businesses belong to dominant families of both Shia and Sunni origin, and both had great grandparents who jumped on opportunities when others didnât think to do the same. Thatâs why I donât understand what Noor told me about the friction between the two sects in this country. It seems to me like they have more things in common than they want to admit. Both have certain families richer than the others, both make up the biggest parts of the population and both are outspoken about their religious ideologies. The goals are the same but with different terminology. Their mentalities are almost identical yet theyâre fighting about everything. I donât understand what difference it would make whoâd get the upper hand in anything. Itâs like waiting for the drop of a one-sided coinâŠ
In a way, business here is not so different from the US, where a handful of large corporations own and influence everything. Except in Bahrain, the families are the corporations. The family name is their brand. Some go as far as plastering their full name on the shopâs sign. Iâve seen more than a couple of shops with the same family name but different first names built directly next to each other. Sometimes even opposite each other. Some of themâ
âYouâre making a big mistake!âWow. Robert Carlos is really angry⊠âKeep your voice down, please. Iâm trying to have a civilized
conversation with you.âPrincipal Ibrahim is one big man. He looks like a wrestler
squeezed into a suitâŠâYouâre trying to run my business into the ground, thatâs what
youâre trying to do!ââYouâre overreacting.ââIâm not. You just donât understand how bad this will be for me.
You canât keep the equipment here, donât you understand? This is not how itâs done. Honestly, I feel insulted.â
âAnd you donât understand that this is the first ever trip of its kind for our students. We have to be extra cautious with everything. I donât want one of them to have an incident over there. This school relies on its reputation and if something goes wrong on that trip, God forbid, weâll never live it down.â
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âWhat about my reputation? Do you know what will happen to me if people in my line of work found out you kept our equipment at your school for inspection? Theyâll start asking questions. Theyâll think why would they do that unless thereâs something wrong with it? There must be something wrong with their equipmentâŠâ
Not necessarilyâŠâThen word will get out and no one will come to us anymore. It
will ruin me, canât you see that?ââLook, Mr. Carlos, I understand your concerns but you have to
look at this from a different perspective. Weâre only keeping your equipment for a few days. Weâll get an expert to examine the items to determine if theyâre safeâŠâ
âOh, an expert? You mean like me?âHeâs got a point thereâŠâItâs just a safety measure. Once everything is okay, you take the
equipment and the students and go. I really donât see the problem here. Nobody will even hear about this.â
Erm⊠âAnd how can you guarantee the safety of my equipment at your
school? Suppose one of your students finds the cylinders and ruins them and then your expert finds it and people say itâs my fault? Or what if something happens to it after heâs done examining and we get to the water andââ
âIâm sorry, Mr. Carlos, but now youâre just being paranoid. Let me make a few things clear because I want to make sure we understand each other here. Number one, we didnât come to you with the idea for this trip, you came to us. Number two, these arenât adults youâre taking with you on that trip. These are boys and girls between fourteen and sixteen. They require adult supervisionââ
âButâââPlease, let me finish. And while you are no doubt capable of
supervision, we simply canât afford to risk their safety, even if we have to overdo it. It might seem unnecessary to you but it is common practice for us. Our school will lose everything if anything goes wrong over there. And last thing, no student will touch the equipment because it will be locked inside our storage room, which is clean and safe and always guarded. If after this, youâre still not convinced, I
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suggest you reconsider the whole trip but donât expect me to change my mind about any of these conditions. I donât gamble with my studentsâ lives.â
That has to be the meanest, coldest stare Iâve ever seen shot from a manâs eyes. This Carlos is scary⊠he just walked right out. I donât think he even saw me⊠the Principal is squeezing his eyes like a lemon. Something tells me this might not be the best time to give him this permission slip⊠Iâd better sneak out of here before he opens his eyesâŠ
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WELL-MANNERED MISBEHAVIOR
This is the third day in a row that Noor has eaten those skinny sandwiches at recess. Iâm sure they sell other things at this canteen but Iâm not sure that he knows that. And itâs always four of them⊠ugh. What am I eating? Cardboard? How can anyone swallow something this tasteless?
âIâm gonna start bringing my own food from now on. I canât eat this.â
âYou know, there are people in Africa who canât even afford food.â
âWell, they shouldnât be subjected to eating this even if they could afford it. You know, I have a feeling that trip wonât happen.â
âWhy not?ââI saw that Carlos guy at Principal Ibrahimâs office. They had a
huge fight.ââGood. I hope it gets cancelled.ââYou donât wanna go?ââNo one wants to go. What are we gonna do there? Dive for
pearls? Sounds more like work than a trip. They should take us to watch a movie at City Center.â
No wonder heâs chubby. He doesnât wanna do anything that makes him break a sweatâŠ
âWhat were they arguing about, anyway?ââThe Principal wants to keep his equipment here so an expert can
examine it. Carlos didnât like that. The Principal didnât budge and Carlos just stormed out of his office.â
âSo theyâre taking his stuff and keeping it here? Thatâs just wrong.â
Well⊠that is wrong.âI hope they do cancel it and take us to City Center like they did
last semester.ââUgh. Swallow before you talk, at least.ââThere are three movies I wanna see.ââAh!âAaah! Noorâs food is on my hand!âOops. Sorry. Here let me get that.â
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âAh!âAaaaah! Not with that dirty tissue!âOops. I forgot I already used that one.âTo hell with this! Iâm gonna run to the bathroom!âHey, careful you donât fall down!âJerkâŠWhy must the bathroom be so far away? I need to wash this filth
immediately before it grows into something else on my body⊠Iâm gonna puke. I canât get the image of that chewed piece of burger out of my head. Iâd die of embarrassment if I was in Noorâs place. And the worst part was he was laughing when I was running to the bathroom. Ugh. Heâs like a kid who thinks everything dirty is funnyâŠ
I donât see anyone else behaving the same way. The manners Iâve seen here so far have been just great. This is a laid back nation. Routine is king and the routine is that people you meet will generally be nice. There are very little exceptions to the rulesâNoor being one of the major onesâŠ
The one thing that I simply canât cope with is the excessive amount of staring. It seems to be a mandatory thing for these people. And they donât just stare at you. They penetrate through your eyes and explore your deepest secrets and life events, burrowing all the way back to your moment of conception. And the really creepy part is that they manage to do it while just passing you in under three seconds. Thatâs how skilled theyâve become at itâŠ
You take into account the small size of the country and youâd understand why a new face might be cause for a healthy dose of staring. In fact, the reason why theyâd stare in the first place is probably to see if they know you. I get that. I just donât get the rest. Apart from some rude and reckless driving, theyâre perfectly well-mannered. Thatâs the thing I donât get. It makes sense that theyâd want to stare at you but it makes no sense that theyâre privy to every other pillar of good manners except for the staring. The women are treated with respect, with men opening doors for them and letting them cut in line. Men say âSalamâ to you with a quick smile as they pass by, even if they donât know you. If someone drops something, everyone will offer to pick it up. If they find a missing wallet, theyâll
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try to find its owner. Everyone is welcoming and friendly. Itâs just the damn staringâŠ
Hereâs the bathroom. Finally⊠I havenât touched the door yet, why is it opening?
Itâs Robert Carlos⊠your eyes are scary. Please stop staring at me and just pass me by⊠ouch. Well, that shoulder bump was unnecessaryâŠ
This guy looks like pure evil. What a creepy, forced smile that was. Somehow, I feel dirtier after he brushed against my shoulder than when Noor spit his chewed food over my handâŠ
Ugh. This bathroom floor is drenched in water. Oh, the janitor is here. Heâs giving me his back. Good. He doesnât know Iâm in here. And heâs really scrubbing the life out of the floor. I think weâve solved the mystery of who drowned this bathroomâŠ
Ah, it feels so good to finally wash away this filth. I feel like me again⊠the best thing about this mirror is that I can see the janitor at the corner without turning my head⊠Everything in this damn place is wet, even the stalls. Did this guy just throw the bucket of water around? All the stall doors are open. Weâre the only ones in this bathroom. Well, now that Robert Carlos isnât here. Hmm⊠two creepy people alone in a room? Gee, I wonder if they were plotting something unseemlyâŠ
The hand dryer doesnât work. Of course⊠at least, this tissue dispenser has a brand new rollâŠ
I see the trash can is empty. So heâs not completely incompetent as a janitor. Let me just get out of here before he turns around⊠the door knob is dry. Huh.
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HOLIDAY VOCATION IN THE SUNNY SHADOWS
This heat is unbearable. The afternoons on this island are nothing short of torture. Itâs hot all day long in the summer but the afternoons are a test of humanity. Iâm glad Noor invited me to have a dip in their villaâs pool. At least, it showed he had a semblance of remorse for the emotional scarring he subjected me to earlier today. Just the image of⊠ugh. I have to get that out of my headâŠ
Why wonât my forehead stop sweating? Iâm standing right by a pool that I just got out of and it still wonât stop. This is just too much. This heat is gonna take some getting used to. Whatâs funny is that even people who live here still havenât found a way to cope with it. The word âweatherâ is a synonym for âheat.â And the line âitâs not the heat, itâs the humidityâ is either a verbal tick or a law that must be expressed orally. Iâve heard it myself at least three times and the first was on the plane on the way here! Noor says the local forecasts often lies about the weather, dropping it down a few degrees because by law, theyâd have to declare it a public holiday. That sounds a bit paranoid to meâŠ
This is the only island I know of where no one is at the beach. Oh, they go there on occasion. They have a few public beaches and a number of private ones but going there is like an event to them. Youâd think islanders would take advantage of living on an island and spend each day like a vacation, playing football on the shore barefooted, swimming and splashing in the waves and just embracing their little heaven on Earth. But not these people. Theyâre content spending their days in their dreary villages and half-assed cities, surrounded by bricks and exhaust pipes. The last thing youâd want in such unbearable heat is to be near the traffic and noise pollution, but apparently thatâs what they want. They want the industrial millionaire lifestyle. Funny how they didnât notice that millionaires make their millions just so theyâd vacation in an island like theirs⊠why am I the only one who notices these things? Am I some kind of genius for noticing the painfully obvious? Iâm convinced theyâre pretending to be this oblivious just to piss me offâŠ
Noor is coming out of the pool. Finally, I can ask him to help me with this Carlos thing. Heâs friendly enough. Plus, he doesnât seem
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too preoccupied with anything. Heâll probably say yes. For someone his size, heâs pretty agile in the waterâŠ
âItâs hot today.ââIsnât it this hot every day?ââGive or take. Itâs not really the heat, itâs the humidity.âNumber fourâŠâCan I ask you something?ââSure. Can you hand me that towel?ââI need you to help me find out what bad thing Robert Carlos
did.ââThe diving guy from school?ââYes.ââI donât understand.ââThe guy is obviously guilty of something. The things I saw
today make me convinced heâs up to no good. I have a few theories but theyâre just wild assumptions. I need to find out more so I can be sure.â
âWhy?ââItâs what I do. Iâm sure it looks weird to you, but back where I
lived, I used to solve these mysteries on a daily basis. Itâs no big deal, really. You just find a logical pattern and everything falls into place. Right now, the most likely scenario involves Carlos stealing a rare pearl from an auction.â
âNo way!ââWell, I wouldnât say no way. A couple of ways, maybe. He is a
diving instructor, after all. He must know a thing or two about pearls. He threw a fit over the Principal keeping his stuff at school, which isnât really all that bad, so he must be hiding something in there. And I saw him in the bathroom with the janitor this morning. When he brushed against my shoulder, I felt the back of his hand and it was dry. Which means itâs impossible that he used any of the facilities inside since the janitor flooded every inch of the place. He couldnât have dried his hands either, because the dryer was out-of-service and the tissue roll in the dispenser was brand new. And he didnât use a tissue of his own because the trash can was empty. So the only reason he was there, obviously, was to conspire with the janitor, who you told me had a criminal past. Since heâs involved, it probably also
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involves your school in some way. Last night, I read there was an auction for a rare pearl in Dubai that was postponed. Iâm guessing it was postponed because the pearl is missing. Iâm just making a leap and assuming it was Robert Carlos who stole it. Itâll probably make sense when I prove it.â
YawnâŠâWow. Thatâs amazing. So heâs a criminal?ââAt this point, I donât know for sure. Itâs just an assumption. Iâm
probably right, though. Itâs gonna take a little exploring to remove all doubt. Iâm new to this place so I need you with me. Youâre in?â
âWell⊠I donât know. It sounds dangerous.ââWeâll be very careful. Look at it this way. If Carlos really did do
it, the trip will be cancelled and youâd have a better chance of going to a movie.â
Heâs thinking⊠just say yes alreadyâŠâWhy not? I donât have anything else to do. Okay, Iâm in. What
do you want me to do?ââWe have to break into the schoolâs storage room and check the
equipment.ââHow are we gonna do that? They put a security guard at the
door.ââWeâll sneak in tonight.ââTonight?ââTonight. Itâs the safest time. And our parents canât know.â
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VIOLENT SAFETY
Itâs two thirty after midnight. I donât think Iâve ever seen the highway opposite our school this empty. Weâre finally getting close to the school. It looks so ominous with most of its lights off. I feel like I wouldnât even see it if it wasnât for the street lights. I donât think anyone is hereâŠ
Without a shadow of a doubt, the best thing Iâve experienced in this country is an overwhelming sense of safety. This just might be the safest country in the world. I can walk anywhere without fear of being robbed. Odds are high that you can leave your car in the street unlocked overnight and find it still in its place the next morning. At worst, some jerk dented it and flew away without leaving a note, but the car will still be there. This might be another good manners thing. Or maybe itâs such a small country that stealing from anyone would be like stealing from yourself. If my dadâs GDN headline reading is any indication, the rare instances of theft that are reported are usually committed by the influx of expats who came here from poorer countries. They probably donât have families and friends here. Everyone else does, though. And theyâre very close. You donât wanna steal from someone then find out the next day that heâs the guy whoâs wed to the sister of a coworkerâs familyâs friend. Whatâs more is that most people here donât strike me as rich. Most would sympathize with someone who was robbed. After all, theyâre all sharing the same financial difficulties that come with raising a family and paying debts. Sympathy plays a huge part in deciding whether or not to pick someoneâs pocketâŠ
Itâs curious to me that so many of the young people you see on the news and on the streets these days have developed a violent mentality. I canât really say Iâve seen real violence happen in front of my eyes or even heard about it happening frequently. But I did see those youths, throwing rocks at policemen. I saw them setting fire to a row of tires and blocking the road on my first day here, on our way to our new home. I also heard complaints of Molotov cocktails. Theyâre not that violent yet but it sounds like theyâre heading in that direction. That would be sad. If that happens, the best thing about this place would be gone. Safety is not something that just the elite enjoy. Itâs
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something everyone wants. And this country looks like it already has it. Why would anyone wanna ruin that for themselves?
âAlright, weâre close enough. Get ready.â Noor is panting like heâs just run a marathonâŠâI⊠canât⊠believe⊠we walked this far.ââI told you. No one can know weâre here. Even public transport
would be suspicious at this time of night. Now, letâs see⊠thereâs a security guard sitting on a chair near the gate. But the light from his cubicle is off.â
âIs he asleep?ââYeah, actually. How did you know?ââIf heâs asleep then itâs the same night guard theyâve always had.
Heâs been guarding that gate forever. Heâs always asleep.âFeeling safe, is he? I knew thatâs the thing Iâd like most about
this countryâŠâThat makes it ten times easier for us. Obviously, we still canât
go through the gate. Is there another way into the school?ââThereâs a window on the other side of that building. The
teachers always leave it open because the class always stinks. We have to climb over the wall but itâs not too high.â
âI think I hear a car coming by. Letâs go.âItâs even darker behind the school⊠but Noorâs right. The wall
isnât that highâŠâHere, put your foot on my hands, Iâll push you up.ââNah, I can do it.âHeâs gonna jump by himself? Someone hasnât weighed himself
lately⊠âI canât believe Iâm gonna sneak into a school. This feels so
wrong.âOkay, heâs taking too many steps backwards⊠wow, thatâs a real
jump. And it sounds like he landed gracefully on the other side too. First the agile swimming and now climbing walls? But apparently he gets tired when he walks. This must be a thing of practice makes perfectâŠ
âOkay, jump up.â⊠oof! âThereâs the window.â
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So it really is open. I canât see anything inside with the lights offâŠ
âAm, you go in first.ââWhy?ââYouâll see.âWell, this isnât suspicious⊠whatever, it has to be done
anyway⊠ugh!âWhat am I smelling?âI can almost feel the goofy grin behind meâŠâYouâre smelling Class A12, my friend. The one class in our
school that has more jocks and athletes than normal people like us.ââMy nose is on fire. I have to get out of here or Iâll pass out.âThe hallway outside is lit. If it wasnât for the light coming
through the doorâs glass window, weâd be in total darknessâŠâThe light switch is over there by the door.ââWait. Donât turn it on. The storage room is in one of these
hallways outside, right?ââYeah, itâs to the left.â âThere should be a guard there then. Letâs just open the door
quietly.âYeah, I knew this door would be lockedâŠâDamn, the door is locked!âIt shouldnât be a problemâŠâAm, did you just take a hairpin out of your shoe? Who are you?
Wait, you can pick the lock with that, right?âIâm so sleepyâŠâItâs open. Letâs go. Donât stand up. Keep your head down and
move slowly.âThe hallway is not only lit, but thereâs a sound coming from
behind the cornerâŠâYou hear that?ââYeah. It sounds like a⊠video?âOkay, thatâs a loud laugh. Itâs obviously the guard. Noor looks
like heâs about to have a nervous breakdown. He really needs to calm down a little. If only he knew how infinitely boring this isâŠ
âThis one is definitely awake. Iâll take a peek over the corner.â
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There he is. And heâs sitting right next to the door marked âStorage.â Heâs looking into his mobile phone and grinning like an idiot. Thatâs gotta be some kind of Arabic play heâs watching because I donât understand a word of itâŠ
âAm, maybe we should just go back.ââI wish. But thatâs not an option. Youâre gonna have to distract
him.ââWhat?ââJust for about five minutes. I need him away from that storage
room so I can go in.ââHow?ââAnyway you can. But you canât let him see you. He canât know
any one of us is here. Weâll meet outside by the open window in no more than ten minutes.â
âGreat. Fine, Iâll go to the hallway on the other side and get him to move.â
Alright⊠letâs see now. The guy is still laughing at his phone and⊠two knocks? It sounded like they came from Noorâs side⊠thatâs right, Mr. Security Guard. Pause that video and pay close attention because⊠yep, thereâs the two knocks again. Now get up⊠come on, get up and walk towards the direction of the noise⊠good boy. Poor guy looks more scared than Noor. I canât blame him. Guards arenât allowed to carry any weapons. What will he do if a real criminal was here? Reason with him? I just hope he doesnât get scarred for life⊠this time the two knocks came from closer by. I think Noor is trying to lure him into taking a full lap around the buildingâs hallways. Thatâs pretty smart, actually⊠okay, the coast is clear. Time for me to get some evidenceâŠ
I donât even need to check if this door is closed. Let me just get the hairpin I put in the other shoe, bend it like this, stick in there and⊠finallyâŠ
Thereâs the switch. Iâm guessing I have even less than five minutes inside this room. Letâs see what we have on the shelves. Papers, brushes, broken stuff, plastic bags and⊠well, hello there, giant cardboard box at the bottom corner. I wonder what you have inside⊠there it is. This box is definitely for the trip. Cylinders, masks, regulators⊠itâs all here. But thereâs nothing remotely
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suspicious, though. Hmm⊠this box is smaller but itâs sealed. Letâs see now⊠wetsuits. Thereâs gotta be at least twenty to thirty wetsuits in here⊠still, thereâs nothing inside them⊠wait a minute. That canât be right. Our class has thirty but thirty one people are going. Whereâs Carlosâ wetsuit? That piece of plastic on the top shelf⊠There it is, wrapped inside a plastic bag of its own. Itâs so typical of that douchebag to separate his suit from the rest, like weâre beneath him or something. I knew I was right about him. Why do I doubt myself? Iâm always right. Whatâs this? An oval-shaped bulge in the right leg of Carlosâ wetsuit? Gee, I wonder if anything suspicious is stitched inside. Let me just tear this thing up and⊠something fell⊠itâs an oyster. Well, well. An oyster, the home of pearls, elaborately stitched into the leg of Robert Carlosâ wetsuit right while an auction for a famous pearl is mysteriously delayed. I think I have enough to make this clear to everyone now. All I have to do is open this oyster and inside it I will find⊠nothing? Itâs empty⊠but⊠that doesnât make any sense. Why would he hide an empty oyster inside his suit? I canât be wrong⊠can I? Okay, I need to get out of here right nowâŠ
Thereâs Noor, standing outside the window just as we plannedâŠâOh, Am, thank God. Please tell me we can go home now.ââYeah, yeah. Letâs go.ââWhat did you find in there?ââNothing that makes sense.â
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CORPORATE FISHERMEN
I canât sleep. I spent the whole night dreaming of a chance to get back to my bedroom and sleep, and now that Iâm here, I canât sleep. I hate this place. I hate this weather, I hate that school and I even hate Noor a little bit. He didnât do anything wrong but just seeing his face reminds me that I have to live here now. Bahrain did something to me I will never forgive. It broke my record. I have been going on these investigative excursions since I was nine years old and never once did I get anything wrong. This country broke me. I canât even function correctly right now. I wanted to do something when I got home but I canât remember what it is now. My mind is scattered in a billion directions. And whatâs that damn noise outside? Iâve been hearing commotion on the street every night when I go to sleep. Itâs far away but I can still hear it. It must be more delightful shenanigans from the self-entitled citizens of Bahrain, upset at the world not giving them everything they want so they project it in the guise of legitimate protest. Itâs amazing that these people have the audacity to complain about anything, considering how good they have it. People where I used to live struggled just to stay afloat. They have to work long hours in physically draining jobs for minimum wage that gets eaten up by a number of taxes. Theyâre forced to sleep in bad neighborhoods with two locks on their doors and gun shots outside. It was very hard to trust in people. Anyone could sue anyone at any time for whatever reason, even if it wasnât a convincing case. The main objective is to survive at any cost. The situation is volumes better here and in more than one way. But of course, these people donât understand any of that. Living on their comically tiny island, isolated from the real world, they probably think they have it much worse than everyone else on the planet. They think of life in simple terms so they get upset when they donât end up getting their way because the truth is complicated. Theyâre still fishermen. Oh, sure they have their apartments and their cars with Bluetooth and WiFi, and they go to their modern workplace in the financial center of the city, but their general outlook on life as a whole is still âif I go out to catch fish, then I should be rewarded with lots of fishâ with no regard to subtleties in between. They think their suits, their cars, their lattes, their shopping
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malls and their tweets make them modern people, but thereâs nothing modern about their way of thinking. Women? Oh, they shouldnât live alone or theyâll get a reputation! Foreigners? Oh, theyâre taking our jobs! Politics? Oh, we need someone from our sect in there or we wonât have any! But hey, weâre good at using smartphones and that makes us smart, right? What a fake nation. I hate these people, especially the young ones. Ugh, the young ones. The ones that caused that noise I heard a while ago. Theyâre rude, loud, disrespectful, lazy and more self-entitled than any other group in this hole. The older men seem so respectful in contrast that I doubt those are their children. And I donât believe these men were just as rowdy as them when they were their age. There just canât be that much disparity. They must be adopted. Or, I donât know, maybe they take after their mothers. The girls in this country are shallow and have nothing on their minds besides catching a guy and evolving him into a husband. And those are Noorâs words. If he can see that, then it must be excruciatingly obvious. I donât like them either. I donât like anything and anyone and everything and everyone associated with this place. I just want my sanity and my record back. I donât like you, Bahrain! I really donât!
Wow, that was a lot of pent-up anger... I need to solve this pearl thing or Iâm really gonna lose my mind. And I need to put some clothes on. I bet I look like a lunatic, pacing around the room in my boxers⊠okay, enough with these distractions. Letâs review. Oyster stitched into Robert Carlosâ wetsuit. Thereâs not much online about Carlos, apart from his shopâs website and his achievements as professional diver. And the only thing I found about the Aiko pearl is that Aiko is a female Japanese name. Ai stands for âloveâ or âaffectionâ and ko stands for âchild.â This Mizushima guy must have really loved this pearl if he called it his lovechild⊠I obviously canât find out anything about the janitor online⊠the only thing left is⊠oysters. Oysters in Bahrain? No⊠pearls. Pearling in Bahrain. Okay, letâs see now⊠this looks interestingâŠ
âBahrain: Pearl of the Gulfâ
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âBahraini pearls were widely believed to be the best in the world. The seaâs freshwater springs, along with the saline water, give the pearls a distinct luster that is often not found in other parts of the world. Itâs this balanced mixture of salt and freshwater that gives Bahrain its name, which means âtwo seasâ in Arabic.
For most of the 19th century and even earlier, pearls were the most valuable gemstones in the world, worth even more than diamonds. The Greek writer Pliny had written about the beauty of Tylos, which was Bahrainâs Greek name, describing it as âfamous for its vast number of pearlsâ.
During the golden age of pearling, which started in the 1850âs and lasted until the 1930âs, pearls were the principal economy in the small islands of Bahrain. The industry began declining, however, when much more affordable, cultured pearls from Japan flooded the world market. Divers left the dangerous pearl diving work and headed to more lucrative jobs when oil was discovered in Bahrain in 1932.
Today, the pearling industry in Bahrain is not what it used to be, with only a very small number of pearl merchants left. In an effort to preserve the natural creation of pearls on the island, Bahraini law forbids the importing or trading of cultured pearls from abroad and special attention will be paid to any pearls that come from traders outside the country.â
Well, thatâs all there is to it. The janitor is the only piece left in this puzzle. The most likely outcome is that he has the Aiko pearl for some reason, but after all this, who knows if I can rely on my instincts anymore⊠Iâm feeling sleepy again but thereâs no point in sleeping now. I have to be up and getting ready for school in twenty minutesâŠ
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RIGIDLY FLEXIBLE MINDS
I think this spot near the trees is my favorite spot in the whole school. Everything is serene at this time in the morning. The students are just starting to come through the gate. I love looking at them like this. Nobody has the energy to even make eye contact with me. They look like a group of zombies, dragging their legs through the entrance of an abandoned town. The weather is much more merciful in the morning, even though itâs the height of summer. You can hear birds chirping in the sky. Well, that and the sound of the Quran playing in the public school a little away from here. Our school doesnât play the Quran. Iâm assuming itâs because the students come from various backgrounds with different religious beliefs. Itâs different for a public school. There, all the students share the same background so they can play the Quran every morning on the speakers and no one would complainâŠ
Itâs impressive how Islam remained a pillar of lifestyle in this country. If theyâve been merchants for as long as that website said, that means theyâve been exposed to a multitude of customers, tourists and businesspeople with all sorts of beliefs and rituals. The shore is a portal into the lives of other people, passing through with their imports and exports. The more variety youâre exposed to, the likelier it is for some of their traits and mentalities to rub off on you. But these people have tough skin. Itâs like all the variety theyâve seen helped them build a tolerance towards changing themselves. Youâd think thatâs just a typical thing in any country, to hold onto your beliefs, but thereâs something much bigger in the way these islanders are wired. Theyâre tradesmen first and foremost. Their minds are geared towards it by instinct, and judging by their floating through immense changes in the worldwide economy these past few decades, that canât be a lucky fluke. The only way to reserve your spot as an important figure in an unpredictable field like trade, throughout all those years, is if you have a natural skill for adaption. Your business sense has to change in order to survive the wider landscape changes in the country and maybe even the worldâŠ
But on the other hand, a religion like Islam requires total commitment. You canât skirt on any aspect of it and still fulfill your
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obligations towards it. Thatâs the entire point behind it. Itâs total surrender to the will of Allah. That requires people who remain steadfast and arenât prone to change. The mind of a devoted Muslim is ultimately rigid and the mind of a savvy merchant is ultimately flexible, so how did these people manage to have both? Itâs not even something thatâs hard to spot when you look around you. The East, West, Muslim and non-Muslim mingle together in the most obvious examples. That Arabic Quran playing in that school is probably blasting from Japanese speakers. The jeans and polo shirts some of the young men wear to the mosque are made by American designers. English curse words are common place in peopleâs conversations, even if they are slanted with local accents. They definitely absorb other cultures, but what really sticks out is how these merchants remain merchants through it all. Theyâre the ones who brought the Japanese speakers and American clothes while peopleâs religious practices became more common and their religious demands more vocal. Theyâre getting more business-savvy but theyâre not getting any less Muslim. How do they do that?
Thereâs Noor walking through the gate. Heâs kinda late. I thought he was just gonna skip school today. Good thing he showed up. I need him to help me find the janitor. I donât know where he went. I thought janitors were supposed to show up early but I never know with this one⊠Noor looks like he didnât get enough sleep. I hope he doesnât pass out on meâŠ
âAm!ââI canât find the janitor. I looked everywhere.ââThatâs what I wanted to tell you. This girl I know texted me this
a few minutes ago. Look.â
âOMGG u wont beliv wut I just hurd robert jeniro quit LOOOLâ
Iâm mortified. This canât be a thought communicated by a human brainâŠ
âWhat language is this? And whatâs a Robert Jeniro?ââRobert Jeniro is what everyone in school calls the janitor. You
know, because heâs always frowning?ââŠ
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âSheâs saying he quit his job this morning.âOh!âIf he quit this morning that means he might have already left. If
heâs gone, then weâre all out of luck. How are we gonna find him now?â
âI donât know. So what do we do?ââWellâŠâWell, thatâs a good question. I honestly donât know how Iâm
supposed to go about finding him when I donât know his name or where he lives. I donât know anything about him except that heâs a thief. By the time we do find him, heâd⊠beâŠ
âAm, where are you going?âItâs impossible not to spot a man who loves his jewelry, even if
youâre watching him from all the way inside the school while heâs strolling past the gate with a brand new pack of cigarettes in hand. But thereâs definitely something new shining about him today. Thereâs an extra bling in his left hand. I can even see it from here. It could be a key or it could beâ
âItâs him! Wait, Am, youâre not gonna talk to him, are you?ââWait for me here. If anybody asks where I am, say Iâm in the
restroom. Donât attend class. Iâll be back in a few minutes.âPoor Noor. I hate how I keep leaving him on his own like that. I
hope the security guard doesnât come back to see him before Iâm doneâŠ
Now, where are you, Mr. Janitor? Ah, there you are⊠no, no, youâre not getting into that broken down car before I get a chance to meet you⊠the parking lot is empty. PerfectâŠ
âExcuse me!âOh, man. Iâve never seen this frown up close before⊠heâs
wearing the same necklace and watch he wears every day⊠okay, he wonât watch me panting forever. I have to say somethingâŠ
âUh⊠car?âHeâs shaking his head⊠is it weird that I like confusing him?âCar! You car! Car!âThatâs right. Turn around and⊠got it!âCar? Car?â
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Look at him. His head is shaking in all directions. He has no idea whatâs going on⊠okay, Iâm thoroughly enjoying this but I have to stopâŠ
âYou no car? Oh, okay. Sorry. Sorry.âNow, letâs see if I got what I wanted⊠there it is. Getting a
snapshot of his hand was the easiest thing in the world. I hope I solve this thing sometime today. I wasted so much time on whatâs clearly a boring and easy mystery⊠oh, no. That guard is dragging Noor awayâŠ
âWait! Why is he taking you that way?ââErm⊠class?ââWhy youâre not in class? Why you outside?âThis guy looks like a nuisanceâŠâThatâs what I mean. Our first class is in Building BL3, not this
way. Both our class, me and him. Right, Noor?ââOh! Thatâs right!ââShow me jadwal.ââI forget it today.âThat guard isnât fully convinced by Noorâs excuseâŠâWallah! Wallah!âOkay, that seemed to win him overâŠâCome on, letâs go.âThis narrow opening between this building and the schoolâs wall
looks like it was made for students to hide. The fact that the wall we jumped last night is right at the end of it doesnât help its case eitherâŠ
âMan, I hate this guy. What happened with the janitor?ââLook at this.ââWhoa! Whatâs that shiny thing on his hand? Itâs huge.ââThatâs a pearl ring.ââPearl? So he really did steal it?ââI donât think so. If this was a separate pearl, heâd have to weld it
onto the silver band. Plus, if it was stolen, thereâs no way heâd wear it in public like that. But there is another possibility. He could have purchased it.â
âHim? Thereâs no way he could afford something like that, can he?â
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âWell, we donât know his other recreational activities. He could have paid for it with stolen money.â
âHow can we know that?ââYou will tell me.ââI will?ââTake the phone and get a good look at the picture. Does the ring
look familiar?âThatâs it. SquintâŠâI donât know. I donât really see a lot of pearls around, you
know?âUghâŠâIgnore the pearl. Focus on the silver band under it. Do you
recognize the shape or the design?ââHmmâŠâI wish heâd hurry up. Every second he takes, the guy is getting
further and further away. At least, if he recognizes the band, we might have something to go onâŠ
âNope. Iâve never seen this before.âWell, it was nice while it lasted. My streak is officially broken.
This is one mystery that wonât be solved. Thank you, Bahrain. I knew I wouldnât like it in thisâ
âWait.ââWhat?ââI donât think Iâve seen this ring but Iâm sure I know where he
got this other ring.âOther ring? Look at that⊠that ring is so tiny that I didnât even
see it on his right pinky. Itâs nothing special, though. Itâs just a brass band with a red stone in the center. The stone has a distinct design. Still, it canât be that expensiveâŠ
âThereâs a small shop in Manama Souq that has this style. This guy I know, heâs my age but heâs always going there with his brotherâs friends who are older than him and they like to wear exactly the same ring.â
âCan you ask them where exactly did they buy it?ââI had a big fight with that guy. I donât think he wants anything
to do with me.â
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âSo the only thing we can do is go to Manama Souq and check shop by shop until we find the one that has it, and even then, thereâs no telling if that will be helpful.â
âWhat can we lose?âMy time, my effort, possibly my moneyâŠâYour attendance record.ââYeah, right. As if I had one. I jumped over that wall more times
than Iâve walked out the gate.ââYou know how to get to that Souq, right?ââYeah, man. We can just take the next bus.âThere goes my whole day. Itâs gonna be spent window-shopping
instead of ending this ridiculously prolonged chapter of my life, a chapter that Iâve already ended in my headâŠ
âOkay, but we have to go right now. We donât know what the janitor is gonna do next. Every minute counts.â
âWhen do you think weâll be back?ââI really donât know. How big is that Souq?ââPretty big.ââIf weâre lucky, we might be able to come back before the last
class ends.ââOkay then. Letâs go.âThere he goes, taking ten steps backwards to jump a low wall. I
think that student at the back of the class spotted us through the windowâŠ
I donât like that goofy grin on his face. I better jump after Noor before heâ
âLook! Look! Noorâs jumping!âAh! The whole class is rushing to the window! An entire
classroom is shouting at us! I better hurry before their teacher joinsâŠâTheyâre both ditching! Noorâs jumping! Noor! Noor!â
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VINTAGE MODERNITY
This is it. This is where this countryâs struggle with the balance of old and new, ambitious and reserved, advanced and old-fashioned all boils in one pot. I expected the Souq to be something like Chinatown but itâs different. There are no decorative ornaments that highlight some cultural identity. I donât think thereâs a need for it either. This place has been around long enough, and overflows with enough nationalities and their own traditions, to be considered the countryâs own cultural identity. Itâs not Chinatown but itâs not Times Square either. Thereâs nothing impressive here. Itâs just a bazaar with vendors and all kinds of pedestrians passing by. Thereâs very little room to even walk in some of the spaces. The only thing that I find impressive here are the new buildings in the horizon. Itâs not the towers themselves that are impressive, but itâs the way they dwarf the old Souq and the small to moderately-sized buildings scattered around it. This narrow alleyway between these two old houses is something and the view that I can see at the end of the alleyway is something else. It really is. The decrepit walls are covered in fading paint yet, through that narrow opening Iâve seen a Porsche speed by in a glimpse. Who knows, the Porsche could belong to someone who lives in one of these two houses too. This is the Island of the Mix, after allâŠ
Ugh. My shirt is soaked with sweat. I feel the sweat seeping into my brain. All I want is to find the answer to one question, just one unifying question that would give me the first step in the path to understanding this place. I can make sense of anything if I just know one thing: is this an old country whose people have been forced to adapt to modernization, or is it a modern country with people who had a thirst for modernization that was long unquenched? Looking at this Souq, I now know that Iâll never get my answer. If Bahrain was a living organism of contradictions and extreme opposites, this Souq would be the nucleus. Even the line between residential and commercial are blurred. The ground floor of every building is a shop and the floors above each shop are apartments with clothes hung out to dry. Patches of sand are, apparently, convenient parking spots and the back of pickups double as both transport and shops for fruit and
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vegetable or fish and prawn. Old buildings and new buildings, old cars and new cars, women in black abayas and women in leggings, old men in fading thoubs and young people in acid wash jeans. Contrast is everywhere. Wait⊠are those couches on the sidewalk?
âAm I seeing couches on the sidewalk or is the sun finally getting to me?â
âTaxi drivers put them there. Thatâs where they hang out. Hey!âWoah! That Indian guy nearly took Noorâs shoulder with him!
He didnât even stopâŠâMatchoof ent? Sij Hindi!â Noor has been complaining about the abundance of expats in the
Souq since we stepped off the bus. Heâs been complaining about so many of them being in Manama in general. Indians are a favorite target of his. âNew New Delhi,â I think he called it. To be fair, itâs hard not to spot one anywhere you look. Theyâre all over the country, but they congregated here at the capital. Iâm guessing most Bahrainis share Noorâs feelings towards having too many foreigners in their country but for some reason, it makes it more fascinating to me. I love seeing people with different mindsets lumped into one group and forced to find a way to coexist. Itâs lifeâŠ
âOkay, are you sure they sell that ring here? Weâve been looking for forty five minutes. Iâm literally covered in sweat.â
âUff! Are you always this bitchy when you go out?ââI complain when thereâs something to complain about, like
when someone says they know where something is but they really donât know where it is.â
âI told you, itâs here. Itâs not my fault I canât remember exactly where. Youâre lucky Iâm even with you right now or youâd never even get here.â
Well⊠he has a point thereâŠâCan we at least stop for a minute? I need to catch my breath.ââOho!ââJust for a minute. Let me just⊠I never felt this exhausted
before.ââI thought you did these things every day back where you lived.ââDonât blame me. Blame your country. I canât get used to this
heat.â
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âMan, itâs not even that hot. Wait until the middle of this month. Youâll melt right in front of the AC.â
Gee, I canât wait. Like I needâwait! Is thatâŠâLook over there!ââWhere?ââBehind you, the shop at the corner.ââThe one selling glasses?ââYes, look at the smaller table next to the glasses.ââSmaller table? I canât seeâoh! Thatâs it! Thatâs the ring!ââFinally.âYes, thatâs definitely it. No wonder we didnât see it the first time
we passed here. This has to be the shortest table ever made. Itâs like a footstool⊠why is there nobody here?
âWhy is there nobody here?ââI think heâs the one getting up from that table over there.â That round table has too many old men and too many glasses of
tea and milk on it. I think one of the old men is blind too. The guy in the Ray-bans and white thoub is coming towards us. He looks young. And Bahraini. This should be easy enough for NoorâŠ
Why did the man just say âDinarâ? Is Noor asking him about the price? I hope he doesnât waste our time with thatâŠ
âAm, give me your phone.âThatâs right. Take a good look at the photo, sir⊠now ask him
about the ring on the finger⊠ugh. Heâs shaking his head. He doesnât know⊠Noor looks agitated⊠heâs asking him again⊠the guy is still shaking his head. He doesnât look too happy about Noor nagging him⊠Noorâs voice is getting louder. I hope the guy doesnâtâAh! What a bark! The lungs on that guy! Theyâre fighting out loud! People are looking at us!
âAhmed!âSomeone from the round table just called the guy. I think itâs the
old blind man with the dark glasses. He just took the phone from NoorâŠ
âWhatâs going on?ââThatâs his dad, I think. Heâs gonna go talk to him. This guy
insists he doesnât know where to find the ring. I know heâs lying.ââWhat if he really doesnât?â
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âHe does. Iâll get it out of him.âDamn you, Noor⊠the guy is hunched over, talking into his
dadâs ear⊠his hands are making shapes⊠his dad is thinking or maybe⊠remembering? Wait⊠is he describing the ringâs shape to his blind dad?
âEee! Bu Khalil!âOkay, he just clapped his hands together and jumped in his
plastic chair in joy. I may have witnessed the Bahraini equivalent of a Eureka moment. I know âeeâ means yes. I think he actually remembered the ring. If he did, that would be incredible! Now, heâs the one making gestures and shapes with his hand to his son. Whatâs he describing? The guy is coming back⊠okay, at least I got my phone back. I was worried this hot-headed guy was gonna smash it to pieces⊠the guy is repeating the exact same gestures to Noor⊠Noor just asked him something. It sounded like a surprised reaction⊠Did what I think happen really happen?
âHe says they know where we can find it. Thereâs a man called Ibrahim Al-Buflasa who has a small jewelry place in Muharraq. Itâs pretty far, though.â
âDo they know where exactly in Muharraq?ââYeah. His dad just told him where we can find his shop.âWow!âWow!ââWooow!âWhat the⊠the blind man just repeated what I said out loud. His
friends seem to really enjoy his portrayal of me. Glad to see he lost his sight but not his sense of humorâŠ
âYas, yas! Jolly good, very good!âOh, wow⊠thatâs a great British accent, actually. His friends are
bowling over with laughterâŠâCome on, Am. Letâs take one of those pickups over there.âI can hear the old people still laughing at me from behind. The
old man is getting louder! Heâs not even saying anything. Heâs just shouting some gibberish that sounds British! Okay, Iâm not gonna look, Iâm not gonna look⊠Iâm just gonna glance at the old man from over my shoulder while Iâm walking away⊠woah! The guy is standing up and waving his hands like a lunatic!
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âSay hallo Mistar Bu Kah-leel for me!â
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UNPATRIOTIC PATRIOTISM
This pickup driver is really taking liberties with the rules of the road. Red traffic lights, no U-turns, slowing down near speed bumps. None of that exists in his world. Iâve never seen anyone butcher driving laws so callously. But nothing is gonna be more gruesome than that poor cat he ran over. I canât get the image of its carcass, just stuck to the road like that. It doesnât look like heâs the only driving like that either. Weâre bound to get there fast, at leastâŠ
So many cars in so many narrow lanes⊠why would you ever introduce more than one form of transport to such a small country? Itâs so small that itâs not even visible on the world map. I donât think you can show it to someone without a computer. You need the computer so you can zoom in on the world map, then zoom in on the Middle East, then zoom in on the Arabian Peninsula, then zoom in on the tiny blob next to Saudi Arabia, then zoom in on the island and say âyou see that island? We live in one third of that!â Theyâre not even occupying the whole island. One train or monorail would solve the whole islandâs congestion problem and provide transport for ninety percent of the population. It doesnât look like that will happen, though. People here love their precious cars. Some of the houses Iâm seeing have three cars parked outside, and theyâre all probably for one family. According to Noor, the one ritual every young Bahraini must perform is engaging in âcar talkâ. Itâs a rite of passage to them. I already lost count of the ones I saw washing their cars in public. They hold Formula One every year in their circuit. Theyâre a nation of racers and gearheads now. I guess pearls and fish take the backseatâŠ
I canât stop thinking about that blind man. I just canât believe he managed to remember the exact shape of the ring without even touching it. And how can he give us such precise directions? I canât wrap my head around that. And that pitch-perfect accent⊠a lot of these old people were alive when Bahrain was still ruled by the British. It only became an independent state in the seventies. Thatâs not really that long ago. They probably saw them and interacted with them on a daily basis. That must be why that blind guy knew how to do a perfect British accent. He certainly canât have learned it from TV! It looked so surreal seeing him say it while wearing a ghitra on
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his head and a fading thoub. He barely absorbed any of the actual language, just the tone of delivery. I wonder how many Western traits seeped through to the locals from that eraâŠ
My dad must have been right when he told me about Charles Belgrave. He left a blueprint of modernization for the country. Starting a school for women, training police, setting up courts, digging for oil⊠though, itâs obviously the English version of modernization. He was a British advisor hired to give advice to a British colony. I doubt there was any escaping that. All that exposure to the British supposedly should have made people here tolerant of outsiders. Yet there were still people who didnât want Belgrave or the British. When I look around and when I read the local news and when I look at this driver, I feel like thereâs some lingering resentment a lot of them have for foreigners. Every time I catch him glancing through the windshield mirror, I see a look of either suspicion or disapproval in his eyes directed towards me. Maybe Iâm just paranoid⊠I can hear the religious cleric blasting on his radio. Heâs shouting at the top of his lungs, clearly going on a political rant, denouncing Bahraini government and in the same breath commending certain Bahraini clericsâat least, the familiar names that I heard before. I can tell that by his pronunciation of their names alone. And itâs really loud. I hope this driver doesnât get us into trouble⊠I sensed the same kind of resentment from the blind man. The only difference is that he verbalized his resentment as humor. I wonder how many other unsuspecting expats ended up as comedy fodder for him and his friendsâ amusement. What exactly is that, though? Is it a go-back-to-your-country type of rejection masked by laughter? Is it acceptance in the form of good-natured ribbing? Maybe both? Maybe neither? Maybe thatâs just a Bahraini being Bahraini. He might not have needed a reason to do it at all. The outsider is just a natural difference to them and a difference is good enough to make fun of. I donât even think thatâs really them, anyway. I donât know what a traditional Bahraini is. I donât know what traditional Bahraini thoughts are. Belgrave was here for what? Thirty years? Thatâs a long time to plant your own mindset into a country who was just teething its own identity in an evolving modern world. By the time Bahrain was on its own, they absorbed everything from that school of thought. Most of
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the country might have never wanted anything to do with Belgrave or the British or the West the whole time. Yet they changed at the end. Maybe being part of the self-proclaimed modern world wasnât something they thought they needed when Belgrave was around. But isnât the will to modernize your country in itself considered modern thought? Just the desire for it alone means youâve taken the first step. And the desire for it isnât something you gain. Itâs inherent in character and thought. Everything you do after that, even trying to repress change, will inevitably have a modern outlook. So how do you fight modernity with modern tools? Arenât these the same people that left pearling to pursue more lucrative careers after oil was discovered, like that article said? So theyâve already been modernized. Theyâve always been modernized. What changes were they resisting over the years? What change are they resisting now? Odds are their country changed a million times throughout history and this incarnation theyâre fond of is just one of several identities. The weirdest thing is that they look like theyâre working so hard to undo any new results. Itâs like they see it as damage to the country, not part of it. Itâs an outsiderâs influence thatâs untrue to original Bahraini ideologies and beliefs. But which ideologies and which beliefs are the original ones? Islamic beliefs? Those were outside influences from Saudi Arabia and Iran. British colonialism? That was obviously foreign too. The Portuguese? Well, they came and left but their fort is still here for tourists to see, apparently. Maybe Bahrain is Tylos, the one that Pliny was writing about. Does it end there? How far back do I have to go to find the original Bahrain that these people are resisting to change? Itâs like all these outside influencers left little pieces of their identity here and there until a brand new entity was created. Is original Bahrain made up of a million pieces of unoriginal Bahrain? That would mean the only way to be a patriot is if youâre not a patriot. But then it wonât⊠what exactly are they⊠how do I even⊠IâŠ
âDamn it.ââWhatâs wrong?ââHuh? No, nothing.ââAre you sure, man? You look like you were really thinking hard
about something.ââItâs just⊠this guy didnât have to crush that cat like that.â
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âWhat can you do? Theyâre all over the roads.ââHe couldâve avoided it. If he wasnât driving like crazy.âOh, man. The guy just took another glance at me through the
windshield mirror. I think the word âcrazyâ might have triggered an alarm in his head. I should stay away from these universal words. Whatever you do, donât say âmotherâ out loud⊠ouch! This truck wonât stop bouncing up and down and this seat hurts. It looks like weâre driving on a patch of sand and rocks. I see houses in front of us. Weâre stoppingâŠ
âWeâre here. Letâs get out. Iâll pay.âFinally, I can get out of this earthquake machine⊠My whole back feels numb. I feel like Iâve been sitting on a rock.
The guy must live somewhere in that neighborhood over there. These houses look new but the neighborhood still looks old. I doubt the rest of Muharraq looks like this, though. The bridge alone wasâ
âRooh!âOh, man. Why is he arguing with the driver now? âWhatâs going on?ââYou believe this guy? He wants two more dinars!ââNo, no, no! No two more! You say you give full five dinar!ââYes, five full if go inside there, no stop here!ââI no can go inside! Too much far! Car no good for inside!âWhy are these two imbeciles arguing in broken English? They
both speak ArabicâŠâWe canât waste our time with this guy. Just pay him and Iâll pay
you the extra later.ââI donât care about the money, Am. Heâs a thief. I canât let him
get away with it.ââHere, give him this five. You can pay me later.ââNo, Am, reallyâââJust give him.âFinally, the guy is rolling up his windows and driving away⊠he
honked a single honk at us and raised his hand. They communicate goodbyes with honks here?
âNow, can we please get to that Buflasa guy?ââYeah, itâs this way.â
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NEW BUCKET, OLD PAINT
All the houses over on that side look similar. They must be housing units. I donât know why they look so weird, though. This whole place feels old. Or maybe old isnât the right word. It feels⊠I donât know but it doesnât feel new. And these houses are definitely new. They all have the same design and the same new paint and everything surrounding them is different in shape and different in color. Itâs like these blocks of houses were built somewhere else in one go then lowered by a plane right on that patch of land. They stick out like a Band-Aid on clear skinâŠ
Those houses in front are different, at least. Some of them are obviously renovated but some are rundown. Well, maybe rundown isnât the right word. Poor? No, thatâs not it. Modest? Not exactly⊠why canât I find the right words to describe this place? Noor keeps checking the time on his phone. He canât possibly be worried about schoolâŠ
âYou think we can still make it back to school in time?ââIn time for what?ââGood point.âThe atmosphere here makes me relaxed for some reason. Iâm
drenched in sweat but I donât feel hot. I feel warm. Like someone who just got back home from a long trip. Itâs like I have no obligations or Iâm too sleepy to give them any attention. I just wanna breathe easy and let everything go. Iâm breathing⊠is that a breeze Iâm feeling?
âThatâs it. His house is one of the ones over there near the boats.â Thereâs a shore here! And there are boats docked along the
shoreline. Out of all the places Iâve been to, this is the only one that makes me genuinely feel like Iâm on an island. This is the image that comes to my head when I think of islanders. They live by the sea. They make their living from the sea. The sea is their livelihood and their hobby and everything in between. Now, this makes sense. These boats must belong to the people living in these houses and they⊠wait a minuteâŠ
âWhere did we just come from?ââArad.ââAnd where is Arad?â
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âItâs in Muharraq. Why?ââMuharraq is an island?ââYeah. Why?â So⊠we crossed a bridge from Manama to Muharraq⊠then we
crossed that causeway over there to this patch of land over here⊠which is separated by water from another patch of land back there⊠no⊠no, it canât be⊠but it has to be⊠it is. Thereâs no other way to put it. Iâm on an island within an island within an island. This is too surreal for me. I need to get out. My brain will overheat. If Iâm not careful, I might lose my mind and never leave. Iâll live here as the resident crazy person, running around the shore barefoot and laughing stupidly at the skyâŠ
âLetâs hope heâs homeâNobodyâs answering. Please, be homeâŠâRing the doorbell again.ââStill no answer. I donât think anyoneâs here.ââKnock!ââThey have a bell, Am. Why would theyâââMove!âThere. Everyone in the neighborhood must have heard that
knockâŠâEasy, youâre gonna break their door down! What if theyâre
really not here?ââMayn?âThat sounded like a woman⊠it is a woman⊠I canât tell what
she looks like with her face covered like that but she sounds old. It could be his wife or his mother⊠Noor just mentioned the manâs name. Iâm hearing a lot of âeeâs. We must be in the right placeâŠ
âShe says heâs asleep. Sheâs gonna go wake him up. Well, this is it. Youâd better be right about this, Am, or this whole day was a waste.â
âYou had something else to do today?ââWe could have gone to City Centre, at least.ââDonât you ever go anywhere else?âThatâs himâŠâHayakkum.ââLetâs go in.â
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This house looks modest from the outside but inside itâs actually impressive. This front yard is really big. Though, that old wooden door looks out of place. Weâre heading to it, apparentlyâŠ
Wow⊠this room must be his store. Itâs not as big as I imagined. Itâs just four walls with a table at one end. A table that has bowls full of pearls on velvet cloth. Thereâs also a scale. Heâs obviously a pearl merchant but I donât know why this room makes me nervous. It feels shady. The guy looks old but he doesnât show it. His cheeks are droopy and his shoulders are hunched forward but thereâs still a display of strength in his movement. If I was just passing by on the street, Iâd think this is just another old man wearing a thoub and ghitra. Funny how that shiny Rolex on his wrist wonât let me do that. Everything is shiny in this place. The pearls are radiating enough white to provide lighting for the room. And those rings in the glass display case are⊠yes!
âAm, look! Thatâs it, right?âIâve seen that photo enough time to know what it looks like by
now. Thatâs definitely itâŠâThatâs it. We found it. But I still need to know a few more
things. Iâm gonna ask him a few questions. You translate.ââUh⊠okay.âThe guy looks agitated. Itâs enough that we woke him up but now
he has to be subjected to an interrogation in my foreign language gibberishâŠ
âShow him the photo. Ask him if the ring on the janitorâs hand is his.â
âHe says yes.ââDoes he recognize the man in the photo?âHeâs squinting. I donât like the scowl thatâs forming on hisâ
woah! Why is he hurling a torrent of Arabic at Noor? Heâs wagging his finger and throwing his hands in the air. Heâs furious!
âWhatâs happening? Whatâs he saying?ââHeâs saying something about⊠people canât be trusted these
days⊠it was better back then⊠nothing called friendship anymore⊠everything is about money.â
âThat means he knows him. Ask him how long heâs known the janitor.â
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âHe says theyâve been friends since they were kids. They grew up in the same neighborhood.â
If theyâve been friends for a long time that means he probably bought a lot of jewelry from this shop. Itâs likely that heâll come back again sometime soonâŠ
âOkay, now heâs asking who we are.ââAsk him if his friend came here recently with a pearl he wanted
to sell.ââHe says yes⊠he came here yesterday and told him he had a⊠a
very special pearl that he found in the sea⊠he wanted a very high price for it but⊠he didnât give him the money because⊠he wanted to take it to a lab first to get it X-rayed⊠he says heâs glad he didnât pay him because⊠uhâŠâ
âWhat?ââI donât know how to translate this. Itâs⊠unnatural?ââYou mean cultured? But thatâs not possible. Is he sure?ââHe says he tested it a number of times. Itâs definitely not
natural.âThat doesnât make any sense. If the pearl the janitor brought was
cultured, and the ring he wore came from this place, it means it canât be the Aiko pearl either way. Why would the janitor bring a cultured pearl to sell to his friend, who he knows is an expert in pearls?
âAsk him about the ring Iâm pointing at, the one in the display case. Did he sell one to the janitor yesterday?â
âHe says no.ââBut weâââWait⊠he says he didnât sell it but he did lend it to him⊠when
he came yesterday, they had a fight⊠his friend kept saying that it was expensive and rare but he didnât agree and insisted they wait for the X-ray results⊠his friend agreed to wait but said he wanted something in return⊠to make sure that⊠he doesnât steal the pearl from him⊠so he gave him that ring as a guarantee⊠and now he says heâs sure from his own tests that he traded his natural pearl ring for a cheap, unnatural one and wants his ring back. Am, Iâm confused. Whatâs going on?â
Iâm missing something here⊠the Aiko⊠postponed auction⊠janitor⊠new ring⊠empty oyster⊠trip⊠Robert CarlosâŠ
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âAsk him this. Ask him if he called his friend to let him know that the pearl is cultâI mean, unnatural.â
âHe says la. He didnât call him because the guy said heâd be back tomorrow morning.â
Finally!âFinally!ââWhat?ââEverything is clear now. This mysteryâs solved.ââHa? What are you talking about?ââJust ask him one final question. What time is he expecting the
janitor to come tomorrow?ââSix.ââPerfect. Alright, weâre done here. Thank the guy and tell him his
friend recommended this place to us and that weâll come back tomorrow with him at six to buy something.â
âUh⊠okay.âFinally! What a load off of my shoulder. Everything forms a
perfectly logical pattern now. All thatâs left is to catch him in the actâŠ
âLetâs go back.ââAm, are we really coming back tomorrow?ââOf course not. But I donât want the guy to be suspicious and call
the janitor. I need him to show up here tomorrow at six.ââWhy?ââYouâll see. We have to head back to the school now. I have to
talk to Principal Ibrahim.ââWhy?ââEverything will be clear to you tonight at the school.ââTonight? What are youâââYouâll see.â
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CHAPTER 3
THE BAHRAINI FACTOR
Itâs two after midnight. Any minute now, Robert Carlos will show up on this highway and walk through the schoolâs gate. Iâm glad weâre not stuck with taxis and buses this time. We can just sit here in Principal Ibrahimâs car until he shows up. I doubt heâd see us from such a far distanceâŠ
âAm, youâre gonna eat your Snickers?ââYouâve had two already. Donât you wanna live to see the
morning?ââI need to catch up on my sugar intake.ââWhy?ââGuys, I think thatâs him.âThe Principal is right. Thatâs Carlos going through the schoolâs
gateâŠâThe police said theyâd be waiting for him. You two wait here
untilâAmal!ââAm! Wait!âThereâs no way Iâm missing my last chance to see this guy. I
wanna show him that Iâm the one who caught him, not the police. I wanna see him bow before my uncompromising intellect. I want him to admit that heâs been outsmarted. I deserve that kind of closure, at leastâŠ
I donât see him in the yard. He must be in the storage room already. I have to go fasterâŠ
Thereâs nobody in the hallway⊠Wait. Whatâs that sound? Itâs coming from the hallway to the leftâŠ
âNoor?ââAm, you shouldnât do this alone. You donât know what that
creep might do.ââThatâs⊠howâŠââAh, there you are, you two. Did you see him yet?â
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âNo, I⊠thereâs no way this happened. How did you get here so fast? How did you get here before me?â
âI ran. I went through that open window in the stinky room. Running is hard when youâre holding your nose.â
âYou ran?ââI ran.ââYou⊠ran?ââWhy do you keep saying that? Yeah, I ran. I run all the time.ââNoor is actually our schoolâs top runner. He has been for the
third year in a row now.ââHe did? You did?ââYeah, man. I love running.ââThen why were you out of breath the whole day?ââWe were walking under the sun. And we walked all the way to
school and back home last night. Plus, I ran two kilometers the night before. Give me a break.â
But if youâre the schoolâs top runner⊠and you look like that, then⊠I think⊠I think Iâve finally arrived at a conclusion.
âHere come the police. Now we can catch him in the storage room. Letâs open the door.â
I donât think soâŠâYou know what? I donât think heâs there.ââWhat are you talking about? You, Noor and I saw him walk
through the gate. We all saw him go into this building. He must be in the storage room.â
âHeâs not there. You can open the door and check if you like, but Iâm sure he wonât be in there.â
And⊠I knew it.âHeâs not here! I canât believe this!â I finally understand nowâŠâThen where is he?âOne, two, three, four, five⊠got it.âIâll tell you where he is. Heâs out, standing in the yard, wearing
a winter coat and holding the pearl way high up in the sky while wrestling a polar bear.â
âSon, this is no time for jokes! The police are here to arrest this man!â
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âIâm not joking. Everything is telling me thatâs where he is and thatâs what heâs doing. Go see for yourselves.â
Itâs such a liberating feeling to let go of it. Iâve been holding onto it for so long. Ironically, I finally feel in controlâŠ
âHelp! Help!â Yep, there he is, with winter coat, polar bear and all. Heâs
holding the pearl up with one hand, like heâd rather let the bear eat him first, and keeping the bear away with the other hand. This works as closure, I guessâŠ
âOh my god! Watch out, kids!ââYumma! Itâs a bear!ââKids, stay away! Go back inside the building. The police will
handle this.ââYumma! Yumma!âErm⊠is that a tear gas canister?âWait, donât do that here! There are kids here!ââMister Ibrahim, let him do it! Do it! Yalla, do it!âWow, Iâve never seen Noor so scared. He threw himself right
into the Principalâs armsâŠâNo, no, he doesnât have to, son. Look, the bear is running
through the gate. Itâs okay. Heâs out now. Theyâll catch him.âI think the policemen just shouted at one of their guys to stay
here. Everyone else is running after the bear. They still have the teargas canister. Iâm gonna assume theyâll use it. What else are they gonna use? I donât think this country is equipped to bring down polar bearsâŠ
Robert Carlos is still standing in his spot. This is finally itâŠâYou stole the Aiko pearl.âThatâs it. I wanted to see that look on your face for so long
nowâŠâWhat?âThe policeman didnât waste any time, snatching the pearl away
from his hand like that. This pearl is even bigger than I imagined. It looks like itâs glowing under the moonlight⊠and the cuffs go on.
âHow did you know about it? No one but me knew about it. Tell me how you knew!â
Now comes the easy partâŠ
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âAlright, Iâll tell you. You stole the Aiko pearl, either before or during the planned auction. I donât know how but you managed to smuggle it into this country without anyone knowing. Knowing that the pearl was useless if people knew it was the famous Aiko pearl, you decided to use our school to cover your tracks. You proposed the diving trip with the students after you came up with the plan where youâd plant the pearl inside your wetsuit then, on the trip, youâd pretend to find it somewhere in the sea. The stitching that I only found in your own wetsuit and the oyster that I found inside it made this a credible theory. Since the law in Bahrain allows you to own any pearl you find, youâd get to keep it and nobody would make the connection between you and the Aiko. Now, I donât know what made you choose this particular school for your scheme but Iâd say itâs one amazing piece of bad luck that you chose the one with the most involved and cautious Principal, probably in the entire country. Your exaggerated reaction at his insistence that he checks your equipment is what really aroused my suspicion. I immediately made the link between you and the pearl. Thatâs why I couldnât believe my eyes when I searched the storage room and found nothing but an empty oyster. I was sure the Aiko was in there. Then I realized that wasnât your original plan. Putting the equipment in the storage room presented a problem for you. It was under surveillance and you going in there yourself would raise more eyebrows. Thatâs when you devised a new plan, one that included the janitor. Who else could go anywhere in the school without anyone noticing? You obviously didnât trust the security guards, who would probably report everything you tell them to the Principal anyway. The janitor, on the other hand, was a fellow thief. Iâm sure you found out about his dark history from someone at the school, since everyone was talking about it. It became obvious to me that you two were involved in something when I caught you leaving the bathroom that day. Your hand brushed against mine as you went out and I noticed that it was dry. I found that suspicious because the whole bathroom was drenched in water. You couldnât have dried your hand with a tissue since the trash can was empty, and there was an unused roll of tissues in the dispenser. You couldnât have used the dryer either because it was out of order. That means you entered the bathroom with no intention of using any of its
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facilities, which left me with the only possible conclusion that you went inside to talk to the janitor. It couldnât have been too hard to communicate since you yourself said you speak the language. You told him about the pearl and how to plant it in the diving suit. I assume he agreed as long as he received a percentage of the money from its sale. Am I right so far?â
Look at those beads of sweat forming on your forehead. You know Iâm right, you littleâŠ
âNow comes the best part. Instead of following through with the plan, the janitor decided to cut you out completely and keep all the money to himself by stealing the pearl from you and taking it to his friend to sell it. That would make sense, wouldnât it? Thatâs what thieves do, they steal. But if thatâs what happened, then how come we didnât find the Aiko at his friendâs place? Thatâs because you predicted the change of plan would happen. You realized he couldnât be fully trusted. You werenât gonna gamble with your precious pearl. Thatâs why you decided to test him by giving him a cultured pearl instead. Naturally, he did what people like him are expected to do and, thinking it was the real and expensive one, he took it to his friend for a sale. That would explain why he arranged to visit him tomorrow morning. He was sure it was the real thing. When we came back to the school to tell the Principal all of this, he told me he saw you running across the yard today and I immediately realized that youâd found out about the janitor resigning and would probably come here tonight to finish the job by putting the real pearl in the wetsuit yourself. So we decided to drop by and bring the police with us. Thatâs pretty much it. Did I leave anything out?â
Go ahead. I dare you. I double dare you to tell me Iâm wrongâŠâYou have no idea what you did.ââI think I do. I stopped a criminal from getting away with his
crime and spared people suffering and heartbreak.ââWhat do you know about heartbreak?ââThat particular pearl had considerable sentimental value to its
owner.ââItâs more valuable to me than to that horrible old man.ââHiroshi Mizushima is its rightful owner.ââYou donât know anything, do you?â
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âI know he discovered it on Kashiko Island and that he loved it like a child.â
âYou idiot. I am his child.âOh, boyâŠâAh, who cares now? Might as well tell you everything.âUgh. Thereâs more? âHiroshi Mizushima never found that pearl in Japan. He never
found it at all. He stole it from my mother, along with her health and her life. He came to this country with his Japanese wife in the fifties and opened a small jewelry shop. At the time, the cultured pearls coming from Japan were everywhere and they came here hoping to start a jewelry business. They failed. Itâs in his nature to be a failure, even back then. The shop closed and they were broke. Thatâs when he met a Spanish woman living here, who was also from a respected family. He carried a secret affair with her for months. Her name was Maria Galo Buenaventura.â
Thatâs why the Aiko is known as Buenaventura in Europe. Oh, come on. How could I possibly have known all that?
âThey spent a lot of days by the shores of this island, away from the eyes of their rich friends and families and blended in with the locals, who just assumed they were husband and wife. One night, while she alone on the shore, she found a group of oysters buried a few feet below the surface. It had the most amazing pearls inside. They were perfectly round and white, and there was the biggest pearl sheâd ever seen in her life. She ran back to him to share the good news and they celebrated the whole night. Unfortunately, she decided to share another piece of news with him that night as well. She told him that she was carrying his child. She told him that she was carrying me. He told her not to worry and with the money theyâd make from these pearls, heâd divorce his wife and marry her instead. The next morningâŠâ
Heâs close to tears. I think I know where this is heading. Why does this only happen to me? Why canât this just end already? Why canât this just be another case of a thief who stole and was caught? Why does this only happen to me? Why me? Why me?
âThe next morning, she woke up and found him gone.âThe pearls too, right?
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âThe pearls too.âWhy me?âShe looked for him everywhere but she couldnât find him. She
later learned that heâd gone back to Japan with his wife and was telling everybody how he found these rare natural pearls on the coasts of Kashiko Island. He sold most of them and went on to build his empire with his wife by his side, while she stayed here. She was devastated. She had no choice but to tell her family about her pregnancy. Of course, they disowned her immediately and told her to stay away. After pleading and crying her heart out, they told her to find someone who was willing to marry her and cover her shame. She was broke and pregnant. She had no choice but to marry the first man who said yes, a heartless brute called Saul Carlos. He was just a rich animal, always drunk and always bullying everyone around him. He thought his familyâs money allowed him to do anything he wanted. She didnât have a choice. They got married and she gave birth to me, as if he was my father.â
Hmm⊠âMy poor mother lived the rest of her life under his constant
physical abuse just so I can have a good childhood. I grew up not needing money and surrounded by rich friends who liked to go to the sea. I learned the language from the locals in our neighborhood. My mother kept her secret from everyone else, until she was on her deathbed. I was twenty years old when she told me about my real father and the pearls and what he did to her. At that moment, I knew I had to make him pay. I left this country a couple of years later and I spent most of my life travelling from one place to another, learning as much about pearls and diving as I can.â
Oh, wait a minute⊠yeah, that has to be it⊠these things are so easy to solve now that Iâm not preoccupied with understanding this placeâŠ
âI came back here and opened my shop. I knew that if I was gonna make him suffer, it had to be through that damn pearl. He was always talking about it in interviews, like he wanted the whole world to know he got away with it. When the day came and I heard about the auction in Dubai, I knew it was my chance. I stole that pearl right from under his nose. I snuck in and out without anyone knowing and
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yes, I was gonna use your school to get away with it. It was gonna work if it wasnât for you. Do you see what youâve done now? You ruined everything. Heâll get away with what he did now. Heâs the criminal, not me. He ruined my motherâs life and robbed me of a father. He deserves to suffer. He needs to feel what she felt. Heâs a monster.â
âHeâs also dead.ââWhat? No, no heâs not! He canât be!ââThat canât be right, son. It would be all over the news if he did.ââOh, heâs long gone. Do you speak Japanese?ââOf course, I do. I studied it so Iâd confront him in his own
language one day.ââDo you know what Aiko means?âââAiâ means affection and âkoâ means child.ââAiâ also means love. Lovechild. The Aiko was named after
you.âPoor guy has changed into three different colors the last ten
minutesâŠâFrom the moment I read about the history behind that pearl, I
was immediately skeptical that it would ever be sold. Not only did Mizushima not need the money, but it also held sentimental value to him. Now, after hearing your story, Iâm absolutely convinced that your dad would never part with it as long as he was still alive. Thereâs no way heâd give up the symbol of his lifeâs biggest mistake. You said you were twenty when you found out about him and it was the same time your mother passed away, which means it was sometime in the seventies. Your fatherâs philanthropy and his divorce both took place in the seventies. I doubt thatâs a coincidence. Itâs more likely that he somehow found out about your mother passing and was overwhelmed with guilt. You said he kept mentioning the pearl in his interviews, as if he wanted the whole world to know. Well, maybe thatâs exactly what he was doing. He was telling the whole world so you would know, maybe in the chance that you would go to him. He tried to find you, which explains why the Buenaventura name is associated with the pearl in Europe, most likely Spain, but he didnât find you. How could he? You donât carry his name and you left this country to travel from one place to the other for most of your life. He
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had no way of knowing you were dead or alive. He named it after you as a reminder of the injustice he did to you and to your mother. He was probably holding onto it until youâd show up. Then heâd give it to you himself.â
âBut why would he choose Aiko? Itâs aâââGirlâs name? Yeah, I know, I know. Trust me, they do that
sometimes. Now, the fact that this auction was actually arranged in the first place leaves me with the only explanation that your father fell ill and died but his death was kept a secret from the media. Why? I donât know, really. Maybe his business associates thought it would help them milk some money. Since itâs out of the question that he agreed to sell the pearl during his lifetime, it might be reasonable to think that they wanted to time the news of his death so it would coincide with the auction, maybe to get the value of the pearl to go up. It would be even more reasonable to assume that he didnât assign the pearl to his partners in his will, which means they were trying to sell a stolen pearl that they never actually owned then later announce his death after the transaction was complete. That was their plan, probably. Until you beat them to it. So, you see, you didnât really steal the Aiko from your dad. You stole it from a bunch of thieves who stole it from him first. Now, unlike him, you get to go to jail.â
This chapter is over. Goodbye, Robert Carlos. Itâs nice seeing you dragged away like thatâŠ
âAm⊠wow.ââSon, that was incredible. I canât believe you managed to figure
all of that by yourself. But how could you possibly know aboutâââI know, I know. Youâre asking me how I could possibly know
that he was standing in the yard, wearing a winter coat and holding the pearl up while wrestling a polar bear. There is an explanation for that too. And I have to say, this is the one thing that racked my brain the most. It seemed like I was out of my element the whole time on this one. Every time I came across a clue, I found out that Iâm actually one step behind. Then I realized that that kept happening because I was using the universal method of solving mysteries by placing events and characters in a logical pattern. Iâve been using that method for as long as I remember and it worked every single time back in my home country. But things changed when I arrived in Bahrain. From
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the first day I got here, Iâve been trying to understand this country. Iâve been trying to define it, simplify it, categorize it, but I failed in each attempt. I couldnât understand why you are islanders who donât make the sea a big part of your life, or how your locals resent foreigners when their whole identity is foreign, or why your youthâs only obsession is driving when most of your roads arenât fit for driving, or how you can exist both as profit-minded merchants and as content Muslims, or why the most predominant type of animosity among you exists between people of the exact same kind. Even when I found out about the Aiko pearl. If this happened in any other country, Iâd have concluded that Robert Carlos stole the pearl and then Iâd catch him red-handed from the first day and thatâs that. But not in Bahrain. Nothing made sense here. Sloppy Carlos was nowhere near easy to catch, the janitor that was covered in jewelry went unnoticed, the Principal wanting to take equipment that belonged to one expert to give it to another expert was unusual, and everything else from the pearl merchant being friends with the janitor to the pearl itself was out of the ordinary. I didnât understand why at first but then it hit me. I was using plain logic. That doesnât work here. And now I know why it doesnât work here. Every conclusion I reached was wrong because I forgot to add the Bahraini Factor, which is when two completely opposite things defy all logic by existing together in one place at the same time. I thought to myself, this is a sneaky thief whoâs in the possession of a precious, stolen pearl. He would do what everyone else would do in his situation and try to get away with it as soon as possible. But right before we were about to open the storage room door I thought, what if I applied the Bahraini Factor to his situation? Well, first, heâs a sneaky thief whoâs good at hiding, so heâd also be out in the open. The yard is the closest place here thatâs out in the open. Second, heâd be running away before we catch him, which means in Bahraini Factor terms, he must also be standing still. Then, I realized, itâs the height of summer, so it means heâd be wearing either a winter coat or a jacket. I just went with winter coat. And heâs in the possession of a stolen pearl, which means he should be hiding it, so obviously heâd also be holding it up in the sky for everyone to see. The polar bear was something I had to think hard about. I thought, whatâs the last thing that would stop a thief from
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getting away with a stolen pearl in the middle of a desert island at night? Why a polar bear, of course! See? It all makes sense. You just have to add the Bahraini Factor.â
âSon, I donât, uh⊠what?ââAm? Are youâââItâs actually quite profound when you think about it. I mean, for
a country to have the ability to embrace two things and reject them at the same time, thatâs admirable. So what if it defies logic? Let it. Why should a country fit your expectation of what common sense is before you accept it? Accept it. Embrace it, along with what comes with embracing it. It embraced the illogical with no reservations and no prejudice. Shouldnât I reward it by doing the same? Oh, I forgot to tell you about the janitor. Heâll be at the pearl merchantâs place tomorrow morning at six. Noor will tell you where it is.â
âHow did you know where it is?ââWe were given directions by a blind man.âWow! That makes even more sense when I say it out loud! âWell then, guys, thereâs nothing left for us here. The police will
catch the janitor tomorrow and the pearl will go back to its owner, whoever that is. Wait here. Iâll bring the car around and then take you two home.â
Iâm so happy!âThis was a great day, wasnât it?ââWhere do you think that polar bear came from?ââDonât know.ââIt must have come from somewhere.ââDonât know, donât care. You donât need to analyze everything,
you know.ââAm, are⊠you okay?ââMe? Of course, Iâm okay. What could possibly not make me
okay?ââAre you sure? It sounds like youâre⊠you know. Are you sure
youâre okay?ââIâm okay now that I have the Bahraini Factor. If I didnât have
that, then Iâd be forced to admit that either logic doesnât exist or that Iâve completely lost my grip on reality. But clearly, logic still exists. Itâs simply been rewritten for the sake of this small island, thatâs all. I
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was right, wasnât I? He was here wrestling a polar bear, wasnât he? So Iâm in full control of my brain. Itâs not really hard to get when you think about it. The only way anything makes sense in this country is if it doesnât make any sense at all. If it wasnât this way, then what other way could it be? Itâs just this way.â
âAha. Okay. I hope they let us skip school tomorrow. Iâm exhausted.â
âI donât think Iâll be able to sleep tonight. Iâm too excited.ââWhereâs the car already. I wanna lie down.ââThis was a great day, wasnât it?ââYou said that already. Obviously, I donât have to tell you this
but Principal Ibrahim told me that the diving trip has been cancelled and weâre going somewhere else instead.â
âI bet youâre happy now. Youâll finally get to go to City Centre.ââNo, weâre not. Weâre going to the Tree of Life.ââWhatâs that?ââItâs a tree thatâs been living in the middle of the dead desert for
hundreds of years.âI think Iâll like it!
THE END
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GLOSSARYJadwal: âschedule.â
Wallah: swearing by Allahâs name.
Matchoof ent?: âcanât you see?â or âare you blind?â
Sij Hindi: common pejorative expression meaning âwhat a real Indian,â stems from the racist belief that all Indians are intellectually inferior.
Oho: an expression denoting annoyance or dismay.
Ee: colloquial term for âyes.â
Ghitra or ghutra: a piece of square cloth worn over the head by Arab men as part of a traditional outfit.
Thoub: a robe-like garment worn by Arab men as part of a traditional outfit.
Rooh: meaning âgo,â often used in a similar manner to âno way.â
Mayn: âwho?â
Hayakkum: âwelcome,â plural of hayyak.
La: âno.â
Ha?: colloquial term for âwhat?â
Yumma: âMomâ or âmother,â usually shouted by children when theyâre scared and calling for their mother.
Yallah: meaning âcome onâ or âhurry up.â