Chapter 41: Doctor Sharifa

The news soon filtered down to through the harem that Sharifa had finally graduated from Stanford and become Doctor Sharifa Abdullah. What was even more joyous for Princess Aludra was the fact that her friend was on the way home for a short visit before taking up her next appointment.

Aludra had missed her friend. Although in the five years Sharifa had been away the times when she returned for holidays seemed to pass all too quickly. Finally, Aludra hoped, she would see more of Sharifa now that she had achieved her Doctorate. Patiently Aludra waited in the harem. She had heard that Sharifa had arrived in the Golden Palace and was seen straight away by her father, the Emir.

“Nicola, darling.”

“Sharifa!” cried Nicola as she jumped up from the divan to run to embrace her friend.

“Or, I should have said ‘Princess Aludra’?”

Both women laughed.

“I told you my father would make you a Princess, didn’t I?”

“Yes, you did.”

Where is that little brother of mine? He must be four or five now.”

“Yes, he’s five. He’s playing with the other children. Let’s go and see him,” answered Aludra. “Ghasaan?” she called and the little boy got up from the group he was with and went to his mother.

“Oh my, how you have grown,” declared Sharifa as he picked up the boy and held him in her arms.

Ghasaan, this is your sister, Princess Sharifa,” his mother said.

“Hallo,” said Ghasaan shyly.

“Hallo to you too, little brother,” responded Sharifa with a laugh before gently letting him down to re-join the group. “Have you time for a coffee and chat?” she asked Aludra.

“Of course, all the time in the harem, as you may remember.”

One of the ever-alert eunuchs rushed off into the kitchens as both she and her friend sat and waited to be served.

“You’ve really come on in your Arabic,” remarked Sharifa.

“Thanks, I get a lot of practice. So will you be here for long?”

“Just a few weeks. I have to return to the States to finalise a few things and then a more permanent return, I hope. You know my father wishes to start a university for women here in Kobekistan, don’t you?”

“Yes, I heard it mentioned once or twice, but there seemed to be some doubt.”

“Well, he wants me to help with the planning and setting it up.”

“Wow, that’s wonderful, Sharifa. I hope we can see each other often?”

“You can bet on that.”

Just then both girls heard a familiar discreet cough.

“Zub! Oh, Zub, it’s so wonderful to see you,” declared Sharifa as she hugged her grandmother affectionately.

“Well, Doctor Sharifa Abdullah, let’s have a look at you,” said Princess Zubeydeh as she stepped back and inspected her granddaughter, “I must say you look none the worse for wear after five years.”

“Thanks, Zub. You’re looking pretty good yourself.”

“Oh ho,” answered Princess Zubeydeh.

“We were about to have coffee, Zub. Why don’t you join us?” said Aludra.

After the coffee had been brought, Sharifa began to tell Aludra and Zubeydeh all about Stanford. In contrast to Oxford, she thought the Americans were very snobbish and they simply adored the rich. Sharifa’s own position made her a very sought after ‘lay’ as they said there. She admitted she did have a number of lovers during the five years she had been there, but she was very careful about who she wanted to have sex with. She had decided early on that she, and not they, would call the shots. She had no intention of being another notch-on-the-bedpost or conquest for certain boys, or for that matter, girls to boast about.

While it was a lot for Princess Aludra to take in, she wasn’t really surprised given Sharifa’s sexual appetite. That clearly hadn’t waned. As for Princess Zubeydeh, she seemed to relish the details that Sharifa disclosed.

That night, after putting Ghasaan to bed, Princess Aludra couldn’t sleep. She kept thinking about Sharifa and the conversation she had had with her and Zubeydeh. She sat on her divan and became lost in thought.

“I thought you’d be in bed by now?” Nicola was startled by Sharifa’s voice.

“Oh, I couldn’t sleep.”

“Why not?

“Excited to see you, I suppose.”

“Is that all?”

Nicola hesitated.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” encouraged Sharifa warmly.

Nicola blushed, “I-I don’t know how to say it.”

“Just come straight out with it, Nicola. We’re friends after all.”

“I just keep thinking about that wonderful night in Oxford when we...” Nicola’s voice tailed off.