illustrates the truth behind the villain; how he has felt during the many years that
he has spent his time with Said Mahran. This pastiche features a biased view from
Ilish Sidra; he expresses the reasons for his actions responsible for Said’s sorrows,
one of them being jealousy, although Said has treated him as a dear friend. The
perception of detestation described by Naguib Mahfouz in his novel, ‘The Thief
And The Dogs,’ is also presented in my pastiche, ‘The Repugnant Grin’. It is also
in this pastiche that the audience witnesses the insanity of Ilish Sidra as his anger
grows upon the recollection of his past; the man is constantly alarmed by the
arrival of his former benefactor and frequently imagines a repugnant grin on Said’s
face. Therefore, the pastiche still expresses the psychological influence on the
characters. A frequent use of animal imagery is still utilized in the essay to portray
characters from a negative view and the pastiche is written in the third person
format blended with an interior monologue. Overall, despite the presence of
similarities in some of the elements used by Mahfouz in this work, such as the
time, place and the theme, the appearance of the former antagonist as a protagonist
in the pastiche changes everything: the point of view, the character and the
dialogue. The pastiche commences with Said’s arrival at Ilish’s apartment and the
latter has gone to fetch Sana to let her meet her father.
The Repugnant Grin
The girl smiled before him as she skipped across the hall merrily. Ilish Sidra
watched her sorrowfully. How can I tolerate if she can remember him? That
insolent bastard! There is nothing to worry… Yes, she will never go back to him,
that pathetic dog. Upon entering the room, she stared surprisingly at the
gentlemen who had gathered around to discuss her fate. The tall man with almond-
shaped eyes in the corner motioned her to come closer. No don’t! Heart pounding
like a stampede, he shook his head yet, he managed to utter the terrible words.
-Shake hands with Daddy. Come on, Sana, don’t be shy. Go say hello.
He watched her, with a relief, as she screamed and scampered away. The tall
man sat down and buried his face in his hands. Then, Ilish smiled wickedly and
said
-Give up, Said Mahran. Right now, I am on the side of the law. You will never
manage to lay your hands on neither my family nor my property.
Then, he saw it- the evil grin on the man’s face. He has something up his
sleeve, a plan which will destroy my life… that sinful snake. I have tried so much
for this to happen and he will not take my happiness away from me. Never!
The men continued to debate over what is to happen to Sana, that whether
she is to return to her biological father or remain with Ilish and her mother. All this
time, as the tall man argued with Ilish’s friends about retrieving his rightful
daughter, Ilish had been glaring at him with eyes as sharp as a hawk.
For over ten years I have put up with you and your haughty smiles as you
befriended me. You say you have rescued me but you just plunge me deeper into a
world of envy and hatred. You take me as your friend just to mock me, to have a
person of a lower rank beside you so that you can stand out proudly in front of
your friends and… and that wretched bitch, Nabawiyya. I remember the day you
brought her home and ignored me for many years onwards as you worked together
to gather your fortune, living in that grand palace and dining on luxurious feasts. I
won’t pretend any longer. All this time, I have watched you and sworn myself that I
would one day take vengeance upon this detestation. I would spoil your life by
stripping you of everything you have cared for: your money, your wife and… yes,
even that little girl who you have showered with numerous presents and fed her
like a hog while I must only feed on rubbish and receive her discarded properties.
As Ilish eyed bitterly at Said, the latter followed his action and the two
stared at each other for what seemed like hours. Suddenly, his mouth gaped open,
his eyes widened, and the terrified man gasped like a fish out of water. There! It is
there again… that abhorrent grin. Only this time it is much colder and evil. I have
to act quickly or else I will surely die watching this sinister grin. He looked down
at his knees which were now trembling. Clenching his teeth, he gathered all his
courage to say
-Said, you should leave now. The judge will decide this matter by the law at the
court. However, I think you should not and will never win this case and believe
me, even if you do so, Sana will never follow you nor will her mother desire her to.
As the man turned away, he gave him another of those repugnant grins as
though he wished to say, “I will be back and this time it is your turn to suffer.” No,
no. I am not crazy; he will be back for sure. After trying my best luring the
wretched woman, the ugly she-fox, away from you and rending your heart, I have
taken possession of everything that you have strived for with all your tears and
blood. Now, you have come back but you will find no Ilish Sidra but a menacing
wolf which will tear you apart just like the previous time.
Ilish glanced around recklessly and pondered over his thoughts. I have to
warn the others… no! They will serve me as a barrier between the devil and myself
while I escape with my possessions from its fury, its claws and fangs. He will never
ever catch me! Ha, ha, ha. He laughed insanely as his companions gaped at him in
astonishment. Finally, he muttered
-Pack everything up! We are leaving tonight.
♦♦♦
by
robertchen (student)
