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said to have been brought all the way from snow…
capped Mount Ulu; I told my father that he’d made a declaration of love。 At
that time; Black had just graduated from the religious school。 He taught in
remote neighborhoods and; more out of my father’s insistence than his own
desire; Black was attempting to obtain the patronage of the powerful and
esteemed Naim Pasha。 But according to my father; Black didn’t yet have his
wits about him。 My father; who’d taken great pains to win Black a place in
Naim Pasha’s circle; at least as a clerk to begin; plained that he wasn’t
doing much to further his own cause; in other words; Black was being an
ignoramus。 And that very night in reference to Black and me; my father
declared; “I think he’s set his sights very high; this impoverished nephew;” and
without regard for my mother’s presence; he added; “he’s smarter than we’d
supposed。”
I remember with misery what my father did in the following days; how I
kept my distance from Black and how he ceased to visit our house; but I won’t
explain all of this for fear that you’ll dislike my father and me。 I swear to you;
we had no other choice。 You know how in such situations reasonable people
immediately sense that love without hope is simply hopeless; and
understanding the limits of the illogical realm of the heart; make a quick end
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of it by politely declaring; “They didn’t find us suitably matched。 That’s just
the way it is。” But; I’ll have you know that my mother said several times; “At
least don’t break the boy’s heart
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