Salwa remembers small details and helps with deliveries, yet never accepts an invitation inside. Nawal begins to question what she has made the doorway mean.
01Read the Arabic story
الْجَارَةُ الَّتِي لَمْ تَدْخُلْ قَطُّ
وَضَعَتْ نَوَالُ فِنْجَانَيْنِ عَلَى الطَّاوِلَةِ حِينَ سَمِعَتْ خُطُوَاتِ سَلْوَى فِي الْمَمَرِّ. كَانَتْ جَارَتُهَا تَعِيدُ مِظَلَّةً اسْتَعَارَتْهَا، وَكَانَتْ نَوَالُ تَعُدُّ هَذِهِ فُرْصَةً لِدَعْوَةٍ جَدِيدَةٍ. شَكَرَتْهَا سَلْوَى، لَكِنَّهَا بَقِيَتْ عِنْدَ الْعَتَبَةِ. مُنْذُ انْتَقَلَتْ نَوَالُ إِلَى الْعِمَارَةِ، تَبَادَلَتَا الْمَسَاعَدَةَ وَأَخْبَارًا كَثِيرَةً، مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ تَخْطُوَ سَلْوَى خُطْوَةً وَاحِدَةً إِلَى الدَّاخِلِ. وَكَانَتِ الْمَسَافَةُ بَيْنَ الْبَابَيْنِ لَا تَزِيدُ عَلَى خُطُوَاتٍ.
كَانَ لِكُلِّ اعْتِذَارٍ سَبَبٌ صَغِيرٌ: قِدْرٌ عَلَى النَّارِ، أَوِ اتِّصَالٌ تَنْتَظِرُهُ. لَمْ تَجِدْ نَوَالُ مَا يَنْفِي هَذِهِ الْأَسْبَابَ، وَمَعَ ذَلِكَ كَانَتْ تَجْمَعُهَا كَأَنَّهَا أَدِلَّةٌ ضِدَّهَا. رَتَّبَتِ الْمَدْخَلَ، وَأَبْعَدَتْ سَجَّادَةً قَدِيمَةً، ثُمَّ خَجِلَتْ مِنْ تَخَيُّلِ أَنَّ السَّجَّادَةَ هِيَ الَّتِي تَمْنَعُ الْقُرْبَ. لَمْ تَكُنْ سَلْوَى قَدْ عَلَّقَتْ عَلَى الْبَيْتِ قَطُّ.
فِي الْخَمِيسِ، اسْتَلَمَتْ سَلْوَى طَرْدًا لِنَوَالَ أَثْنَاءَ غِيَابِهَا، وَطَلَبَتْ مِنَ السَّائِقِ وَضْعَهُ قُرْبَ بَابِ نَوَالَ. وَحِينَ عَادَتْ نَوَالُ، خَرَجَتْ جَارَتُهَا لِتُخْبِرَهَا، وَسَأَلَتْ عَنْ زِيَارَةِ أَخِيهَا الْمُرْتَقَبَةِ. كَانَتْ نَوَالُ قَدْ ذَكَرَتِ الزِّيَارَةَ مَرَّةً وَاحِدَةً. دَعَتْهَا لِلْجُلُوسِ فِي الدَّاخِلِ، فَقَالَتْ سَلْوَى بِهُدُوءٍ: أُفَضِّلُ أَنْ أَبْقَى هُنَا. لَمْ تُضِفْ هَذِهِ الْمَرَّةَ عُذْرًا.
أَحْضَرَتْ نَوَالُ مَقْعَدًا قَابِلًا لِلطَّيِّ، وَوَضَعَتْهُ فِي الْمَمَرِّ، ثُمَّ سَأَلَتْ إِنْ كَانَ يَصْلُحُ لِفِنْجَانِ شَايٍ قَصِيرٍ. ضَحِكَتْ سَلْوَى مِنْ وَصْفِ الْفِنْجَانِ، وَجَلَسَتْ. جَلَسَتْ نَوَالُ قُرْبَهَا، وَتَحَدَّثَتَا عَنِ الْكُتُبِ الَّتِي فِي الطَّرْدِ. كَادَتْ نَوَالُ تَسْأَلُهَا عَنْ سَبَبِ امْتِنَاعِهَا الدَّائِمِ، لَكِنَّ سَلْوَى كَانَتْ تَصِفُ كِتَابًا أَحَبَّتْهُ، فَتَرَكَتْهَا تُكْمِلُ.
لَمْ يَصِرِ الْبَابُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ مَفْتُوحًا لِزِيَارَاتٍ أَطْوَلَ؛ فَقَدْ ظَلَّتْ سَلْوَى تَقِفُ خَارِجَهُ. وَظَلَّ لَدَى نَوَالَ فُضُولٌ لَمْ يَذْهَبْ كُلُّهُ. غَيْرَ أَنَّهَا، بَعْدَ دَعْوَةٍ لَاحِقَةٍ لَمْ تَقْبَلْهَا سَلْوَى، أَعَادَتِ الْفِنْجَانَ الزَّائِدَ إِلَى الْمَطْبَخِ وَلَمْ تَغْسِلْهُ بِالْغَضَبِ الْقَدِيمِ نَفْسِهِ. طَوَتِ الْمَقْعَدَ وَأَبْقَتْهُ قُرْبَ الْبَابِ؛ قَدْ يُسْتَعْمَلُ، وَقَدْ تَكْفِي فِي بَعْضِ الْأَيَّامِ تَحِيَّةٌ وَاقِفَةٌ.
Show English translationHide English translation
Nawal put two cups on the table when she heard Salwa’s footsteps in the corridor. Her neighbour was returning a borrowed umbrella, and Nawal saw an opportunity for another invitation. Salwa thanked her but stayed at the threshold. Since Nawal had moved into the building, they had exchanged help and plenty of news without Salwa taking a single step inside. The distance between their doors was only a few steps.
Each refusal had a small reason: a pot on the stove or a call she was expecting. Nawal found nothing to disprove these reasons, yet collected them as though they were evidence against her. She tidied the entrance and moved an old rug, then felt embarrassed at imagining that the rug was what prevented closeness. Salwa had never commented on the home.
On Thursday, Salwa accepted a parcel for Nawal while she was out and asked the driver to place it near Nawal’s door. When Nawal returned, her neighbour came out to tell her and asked about her brother’s forthcoming visit. Nawal had mentioned the visit only once. She invited Salwa to sit inside, and Salwa said calmly, “I prefer to stay here.” This time she added no excuse.
Nawal brought a folding stool and placed it in the corridor, then asked whether it would do for a brief cup of tea. Salwa laughed at the description of the cup and sat down. Nawal sat near her, and they talked about the books in the parcel. Nawal almost asked why she always declined, but Salwa was describing a book she had loved, so she let her finish.
The door did not become an opening for longer visits after that: Salwa still stood outside it. Nawal’s curiosity did not disappear entirely either. Yet after a later invitation that Salwa declined, she returned the extra cup to the kitchen and did not wash it with quite the same old anger. She folded the stool and left it near the door; it might be used, and on some days a greeting exchanged standing up might be enough.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| فِنْجَانَيْنِ | two cups |
| مِظَلَّةً | an umbrella |
| الْعَتَبَةِ | the threshold |
| تَخْطُوَ | she takes a step |
| سَجَّادَةً | a rug |
| طَرْدًا | a parcel |
| الْمُرْتَقَبَةِ | forthcoming; expected |
| قَابِلًا لِلطَّيِّ | foldable |
| امْتِنَاعِهَا | her declining |
| فُضُولٌ | curiosity |
03Check your understanding
Read for perspective, implication and what the characters leave unsaid. Choose one answer for each question; open the English support when needed.
What to remember
- Nawal initially treats unexplained boundaries as evidence about her own worth as a host.
- Salwa’s remembered detail supports attentiveness without explaining why she stays outside.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Lakinna and Lakin in Arabic: Two Patterns for But
لَكِنَّهَا بَقِيَتْ عِنْدَ الْعَتَبَةِ
Read lakinna with an attached pronoun to follow a qualification of the neighbour’s response.
Arabic Relative Pronouns: Joining Ideas with Alladhi and Allati
السَّجَّادَةَ هِيَ الَّتِي تَمْنَعُ الْقُرْبَ
Notice allati linking the rug to the action Nawal imagines it performs.
