Page 115 - The Book of Rumi

All the way home, he was thinking about how his wife had recently been
neglecting him, and how despite all his kindness and generosity she’d been
wishing him ill. Entertaining these negative thoughts about his innocent wife,
the teacher hastened through the narrow backstreets to his humble home,
while the boys followed him closely every step of the way.
He slammed the front door noisily, intending thus to announce his
untimely arrival to his wife as he entered their house. When she saw that he
had returned from school so early, she quickly approached him and inquired
about his health.
“Are you blind? Don’t you see how sick I am? You’re such a hypocrite! You
can very well see how awful I’m feeling, yet you pretend that nothing’s the
matter with me!” he retorted.
“My darling, what are you saying? You must be suffering from delusions.
Nothing is the matter with you!” his wife said, trying to appease his anger.
“You’re despicable; you’re a horrid woman! Can’t you see my sorry state?
Is it my fault that you’re blind and deaf to my needs?” he continued, cruelly
slandering his wife.
“I’m going to bring you the mirror so you can see for yourself that noth-
ing’s the matter with you.”
“To hell with your mirror! You’ve always hated me and wished me the
worst. Go and prepare my bed, I need to rest!”
The woman was stunned, unable to move or decide what she should do,
when her husband screamed at her: “Get going, you good-for-nothing! Do
you want me to pass out right here?”
The woman decided to remain quiet and do as he asked; otherwise, he
might indeed think that she had foul intentions, and he could truly turn nasty.

Thus, she prepared his bedding on the floor and left him with his students,
who had accompanied him into the house. The boys gathered around his bed
and began to review their lesson loudly, having been instructed by their ring-
leader to make as much noise as possible to exacerbate their teacher’s fantasy
headache.
“Quiet!” snapped the teacher. “Quiet, I said! Go home. Leave me in
peace.”

91