Exceptional A weekend includes ... Mixing with royalty! by Wendy G Story of the Month contest entry

We were in Saudi Arabia, exotic land of golden deserts and blistering heat, mirages, oases, date palms, camels and Bedouin. Sometimes it just didn't seem real. We almost had to pinch ourselves and remind each other to learn as much as we could, to taste and digest each experience so we could remember its savour.  However, like all people all over the world, much of life was ordinary and routine. We looked forward to the weekends, when we had time to connect with our new expat friends – or discover more of this very different and surprisingly beautiful country. We quickly adapted to this strange custom of having a Thursday and Friday weekend, and going to school or work from Saturday to Wednesday. Our weekend activities were a little different from the other days. Women gathered for craft activities of all sorts, or to plan and write the next weekly newsletter. The men and boys played indoor cricket, sometimes indoor bowls – always indoors in the air conditioned coolness. The outside temperatures often reached 50 degrees Celsius, or 120 degrees Fahrenheit. There were dance and gymnastics classes for the children on Thursday mornings, and water sport events and sometimes swimming carnivals at the pool as well. There were no theatres, movie theatres or concert halls - Western corruption was not welcome. We learned quickly to make our own fun.  Sometimes we gathered for concerts in our Clubhouse, reciting our Australian poetry, often about country life (in "the bush") and singing our songs and ballads. At times this made us homesick for the sound of kookaburras, and the sight of kangaroos and wallabies, galahs and cockatoos, and even just for trees and flowers. We did miss our gardens, for nothing grew well at our compound – in fact nothing grew, apart from the date palms. It was pointless trying to hose our few straggly shrubs – the water piped through the desert came out far too hot, as the pipes were not very deep underground. Even showering, we only ever used the "cold" tap and darted under the water and out again, before we got burned. Hair washing was difficult. How was it possible to miss cold tap water? We learned to have a sense of humour about such practicalities. Weekends we all got together for national celebrations: Australia Day on 26th January, Anzac Day and Remembrance Day (25th April and 11th November), respecting and honouring our military, and the sacrifices of Australians through both World Wars and many other wars. We remembered the contributions of so many Australians in so many ways to promote and protect world peace, which to this day remains elusive. We were free to celebrate Easter and Christmas and Mothers' and Fathers' Days in the Australian way, so most months had some special event to enjoy. Airport customs permitted Bibles and Christian reading materials for personal use, for ourselves and our children, so on Friday mornings we held an informal "Church" in our villa. Some who had not previously thought about the Christian faith were now confronted with a very different faith (Islam). They were welcomed, and brought their questions with them, resulting in fascinating, thoughtful discussions, always meaningful. One weekend, however, stood out for being very special. Some of the women had organised a fashion parade, and the models were … Saudi princesses! No-one quite knew how this was planned, as we had few opportunities to interact with Saudi women. At the souqs (markets) they would shyly raise their veils in order to look at the colours of threads they were purchasing for their needlework, and we would glance at each other, smiling in understanding and togetherness. They were always shy and demure, a little unsure of us foreigners, but always friendly. But this particular evening we all dressed up, and went to the Clubhouse, which had been decorated by our men – who then of course had to disappear. The male escorts of the princesses drove them to the door of the Clubhouse, then they too discreetly disappeared to wait outside our compound till the event was over. Once inside, the princesses and other royal women took off their abayas, their head coverings and their veils. They were stunningly beautiful! I understood why their husbands did not want other males gawking at them. They were so regal, carefully made up to accentuate their natural beauty; their creamy skin, lustrous dark hair and wide doe-eyes, fringed with long black eyelashes  were breathtaking – and they wore more gold than we had ever previously seen on one person. Their clothes were expensive, and came from the haute couture fashion houses of London, Paris and Milan – exquisitely crafted. Money was no object in this oil-rich kingdom, so their elegance and beauty were unsurpassed. We felt gauche and almost dowdy by comparison – and very ordinary in their presence. Supper was served after the parade, and we found them absolutely delightful to chat with. They were so interested in our world, just as we were fascinated by theirs. Conversation flowed easily. This experience was equally wonderful for them, an enriching time for all of us, and one which would be talked about, by both us and them, for a long time to come. The chance to interact with "ordinary" Westerners was a rare opportunity for these women, normally confined to their own circles for their "protection". Most Saudi women never experienced such freedom.  It was distressing to hear in later years of Saudi princesses and royal figures who tried to escape to the Western world, and were either killed or severely punished – or kept virtually imprisoned. A bird in a gilded cage is still without its freedom. It's still a cage. But that one weekend was a highlight for all. I must also tell you of the playground at the Diplomatic Quarter, and brunches at Al Khozama, of our picnics in the desert, the camel races, and of my fascination with the architecture … and what nearly happened! Next time ….       Recognized Author Notes (approx 1000 words) The "abaya" is the long loose black gown worn by women over their normal clothes, when outside their homes or in mixed company. It prevented men from lusting after women because their shape was hidden.

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