By the Sea

Saleh Omar waits in his apartment for Latif Mahmud. When Latif arrives, they exchange reserved greetings. They discuss why Saleh is using Latif’s father’s name and why Latif delayed his visit for several months. Saleh explains that changing his name was an act of desperation, remarking, “I took your father's name to save my life […] There was sweet irony in that, after your father had so very nearly succeeded in destroying it” (185).

The narrative shifts back and forth between their present conversation and Saleh’s account of the history connecting their families. He recalls his wife, Salha, whom he married the same year he won possession of the Mahmuds’ house; after several lost pregnancies, they had a daughter, Ruqiya. As they talk, Latif temporarily diffuses some of the tension by saying he would “prefer not to” quarrel with Saleh (198)—an allusion to “Bartleby, the Scrivener” that Saleh catches. However, the moment passes when Latif asks about the ebony table that belonged to his brother, Hassan. Saleh confirms he refused to return the table to Latif’s family after they lost their house, which he now regrets and struggles to explain, remarking, “I don’t know [why I kept it] […] Greed.