TWO MARRIAGES

Haj Brahim and Fatima

Brahim began life as a driver. He went to Spain in 1945 and drove a taxi in

Barcelona. As a young man, he did a lot of different jobs and spent several years in different European countries.

Every week, out of his salary, Brahim sent some money back to his family in Tetuan, kept a little for himself, and put the rest in the bank. He slept only five or six hours every night. Every morning he woke up at six, got up quickly, ate some bread and drank a

cup of coffee. Then he took his hat and coat, ran down the stairs and went to work.

He always thought about the future

about his return to Morocco. Sometimes people gave him a bad time, and the impoliteness often hurt him. But he hid his feelings. And he forgot his present problems when he thought about the future.

45 years ago, when he was 30, Brahim feli in love with a girl called Fatima. A few months later, they got married. They had three children two girls, then a boy. But it cost a lot to have a family in Europe, and education was a problem.

Then Brahim heard some good news: Morocco was independent at last! He told Fatima. She understood

immediately what he wanted. So, a few months after Independence, Brahim brought his family home to Tetuan. All the way, on the train and on the boat, Fatima and the children sang and danced.

A week after their return, Brahim saw an advertisement in the newspaper. He reac it to Fatima: there was a small hotel for sale in Tetuan. The next day he bought is The name he gave the hotel was... the Najah Hotel. That was in 1956

abdallah Lazrak and Halima

30 years ago, long after Brahim and

Fatima's return to Tetuan, a young Tetuani

called Abdallah Lazrak went to England.

There, in Manchester, he taught Arabic. Most of his students were British Muslims (mainly from Pakistan). Abdallah was able to live From his Arabic lessons.

But he was lonely - he had no friends. He thought it was time to get married and he wrote a letter about it to his brother in Tetuan.