Writing, as an after thought gives the writer an access to a perspective that they would never have had and thus the luxury of having a factoidal approach to the decision making process that they went through, giving them comfort that they took the right decisions.
1 Dar Sbidat (Meknes) Morocco - The Dar Calipha of Meknes - I empathize with Tahir Shah, the author of a book with a similar name (a book gifted to me, by Alok, a dear diplomat friend, knowing that I was married to a Moroccan) - The story deals with the trials of British author with Indian-Afghan origin, married to an Indian, who migrate from the UK and settle down in Casablanca after having bought a palatial house at a bargain - Dar Calipha (The Caliphs house) - a bargain that he will pay for, for several years, many many times over - Hilariously, quite similar to my life : married to Jamila, from Morocco - a business with a truck-hire, that we didn't pay entirely for, resulted in this life-long relationship (marriage) , and jokingly I admit, I'm still paying for the truck - now 25 years later. Tahir Shah eventually had to travel to a town called Meknes to resolve the quandary that came in with the purchase of the house - to free himself of the the djins and the staff that came with the house - while it was quite difficult to actually differentiate between the staff and djins in his book - eventually the book has a very positive end. In his book, I must admit that we will never know whether Tahir was able to really get over the djins or was his mind able to come to terms that they didn't exist any more. Either way - peace of mind attained.
I am in no way calling my situation a predicament - but the parallels are truly more than coincidental - Our hometown and plans to build are, guess where? Meknes!
So, continuing my narration, long before I read "Dar Calipha", had travelled to Meknes, Zerhoun, Myrahsinne several consecutive years and had grown to love Morocco. Living high up in the hills, on the precarious slopes, in a room on the terrace of my in-laws house - was a real experience - and gradually to make daily life simpler, we modernized the room with an air-conditioner and a western toilet. The village was up in the hills on the out skirts of Meknes - next to several famous mausolems - pilgrimage sites, where multitudes of followers of the faith and "powers of prayer" throng year in and year out, seeking to achieve results via spiritual or divine intervention. It was many years later, after having read Tahir's book, that I gradually learnt of the objective of many of the pilgrims to the Mausoleum at Sidi Ali, barely 500 metres from our parental home. Most pilgrims were young, mid aged, and I noticed over the years, more women - with a determination different from religious fervor. And gradually this dawned on me that they were similar in character to a Tahir Shah - not in search of religious solace but in search of solutions, paying obeisance to the famed supernatural powers - to fight spirits (djinns) and spells - Meknes has a reputation that extends beyond religion, to what brought Tahir to Meknes, to resolve his conundrum.
I, however didn't have to find Meknes. Meknes found me in Conakry. We were destined to meet over that truck-hire business dispute. And over the years Morocco has endeared itself to me - the initial difficulties in getting a Visa and getting past the airport - all overcome without what I originally thought would have been key to travel in Morocco - "My Knowledge of French". The more I tried to boast of my knowledge of and use the language of the bourgeois, the more alienation I faced. Until I realised that most Moroccans I met, presumed I was a Moroccan - returning from France - and the anger or animosity surfaced, unabated - "Why do you have to speak the language of the colonizers" - almost asking me if I wasn't ashamed - 'Speak Arabic - You lost soul of an Arab' is what they wanted to apparently scream at me - and it was until I learnt those magic words - 'Ana Hindi' - and almost like waving a magic wand - in Harry Potter style - the frowns turned apologetic, spreading to broad grins - and the fair complexion turned tanned, eyes widened - Sorry - You are welcome ... We love India, You are Amitabh Bachchan, the older ones said. (Shah Rukh Khan is the preferred alias bestowed by the younger ones especially by the younger girls) - Needless to say, brightening up my face as well, blushing at times - when some of the young girls have immediately used lipstick to draw a Bindi, and offer "Mujhse shaadi karogey?" (Will you marry me) - I could go on dreaming - but also remember the quick tug at my arm - and Jamila retorted (on the one occasion this happened at the airport, purchasing a sim card), informing the rather eager and pretty sales girl that I was already "Shaadi-Shudha" (Much married) !! Nevertheless, going beyond, Ana Hindi has remained the most important Arab phrase I have ever learnt. It's not only a get out of jail card, but a no need to go to jail card. The love for Indian and Indian culture is amazing. Whether its police on the highway checking your papers, or an acquaintance at a Bar or a Bank, the image of our film stars singing around a fire, or a tree has made our lives easier in this wonderful country. And when Jamila suggested that we needed to own a house of our own - we didn't hesitate to agree to pick up a farm land plot, not far from Myrahsinne , just below the hills, marginally closer to Meknes town, and yet not far from my in laws home.
The Dar - "Lets build a small maintainable house", ...and I remember the arguments starting -. Now, when a Moroccan builds a house - they literally start with "below the ground up" - You HAVE to HAVE a basement, "a cave" - that's where everyone presumably lives when its hot, cold, snowing or raining - the basement is where family stories are shared - daily experiences, from as wickedly-hilarious as about an unliked neighbour slipping on a banana peel, breaking their legs or as serious as a neighbours wedding. Whatever the triviality or 'enormity' - laughter escapes literally battling to be heard above the rest of the cacophony - untrained ears may mistake this for a dispute and screaming - and you may be right more than occasionally. But a house without a basement isn't a home.
Now the basement and its store room and kitchen are all planned, however, access to the basement - will take you past the "Salon Moroccan" - the opulence filled living room - full Moroccan style - a large hall with colourful cushioned seats hugging the perimeter of the entire salon - all around. The ceiling has to have the intricate traditional trellis work - done in plaster of paris or in carved wood for the more opulent homes. The Salon Marocain will have several round tables on wheels on its carpeted floor. Covered with beautiful round embroidered table cloth, each of them have a plastic cover. These tables are where friends, guests, family sit around and have their family meals served in large centrally placed tajines or vessels - where every one eats out of - while a self-designated matronly (or motherly - to confirm that it out of pure love) head around each of these tables, will divide the meat or pieces of chicken, share a sauce and egg each person around that particular table to do justice to the meal. The plastic sheet protects the exquisite table cloth, and is so practical while clearing up - especially since the bones and non edible stuff is left on the table. Fruit is served after the meal - and the selection of fruits is amazing too - Figs, Melons, Oranges, Grapes, Dried Fruits, Walnuts, Pomegranate, and even Mangoes..
And back to the house, look across the Marocain Salon, and since most Moroccan homes have connections with Europe, you have to have a modern "Salon European" as well - modern fire place warming several leather sofa sets. Depending on the your guest, they either sit in the Salon Marocain or European. Both are equally large and comfortable with large windows.
Obviously to ensure that these large salons can be filled with people and fed as well, a large kitchen is a must. While bulk cooking would be done in the basement kitchen, a large modern kitchen is also required. Size and style matter - and with a spouse who cooks very well and a daughter who does equally, the detail requirements for our kitchen are exhaustive. I must admit that as an enthusiastic user of the kitchen - I have no objections -
A request to have a study and office-cum-bar was met with an obviously invisible scant disregard. And eventually a room, smaller than I expected, but rather cosy was conceded - and that in itself was a victory - for it is not often that the Moroccan family will concede space to an out of the box infringement. One bedroom at this mid level claimed by Jamila for us and three bedroom upstairs have all been claimed/bequeathed to each of the kids.. And each of the bedrooms have a walk in closet followed by a modern shower, all together forming quite an imposing house - with this wide marble staircase providing a Taj like connections between basement to principal floor and to the bedrooms..
As happens in Morocco, the design and contractor are cousins or distant relatives, with a very firm knowledge of regulations, construction and dos and donts. And yet the basis of their firm responses disappear when asked for concrete plans. But building this, on a fairly remote farmland, during a covid year, with several people falling ill (including the main contractor), full credit goes to Jamila for being able to monitor the work, order the material and ensure that work went on. Without wanting to complain, it was on several occasions that we watched Zootopias famous sloth scene and found near parallels at the speed of work of the very regular yet easy paced workmen. And while taking up the painful process of looking at detail, Jamila has sworn never to oversee building a house again - and while the most important part of making over a house into a home remain. Lights, Water and a few other critical construction items like the windows remain - and then will start our furnishing - design, colour discussions remain - then beds, curtains, carpets, furniture, gadgets, equipment - landscaping will be our final push - before Dar Meknes becomes a livable home.
2. Dar Fajara (Gambia) - Something that we have never considered as seriously as after our daughter, Rehane, not surprisingly declared she would want to settle or have a base in The Gambia - with most of her friends opting to do the same - atleast - we thought, sighing a sigh of relief at this sensible decision, our grown up 18 year old (then) (20 year old now) - was boldly asserting - establishing her presence in our family chain! Gradually have noticed that every decision we take, gets buck-stopped at our daughters check-point. We have, unsuccessfully been trying to buy the rented house we live in for the last 24 years. And have recently tried to find a plot of land in Fajara - where we have lived all our lives in The Gambia - in this house - since 1999. The first decision to move - from what has become home and a comfort zone for us, the relatively quieter location at Fajara, to "OUT" (Rehanes monosyllable for things that develop at a faster, more modern pace - like abroad..in developed countries - she terms the development at Burusubi past the turn-table - as a place closer to OUT - if you get what I mean. Therefore, we jump at acquiring a plot at the beachside area of Brufut heights - to build our dream home. The family decides to approach a Spanish architect - an artist architect and quite well known for the swanky designs of several edifices in The Gambia - but he makes a few statements - that since he doesn't do homes anymore and has limited time, he would do this one as a favour for us under a few conditions - that once we decide to build, it must be seamless progress - so that the colours and tints and finer parts that he dreams and places on paper - remain fresh in his mind - So Ram, dont come back after I have started the drawings - to ask for major changes - once approved - we need to go right through till we get the concrete done - thereafter he says you can take a break and then the finishing work starts and should go through - mobilising workers is another reason he prefers to use this 2 stage plan. We agreee, and give him the go ahead for the basic designs. Jamila is stuck in Morocco at this moment - with Dar Meknes and since RAM has suspended flights. the first drawings are just WOW - and we request a few cosmetic swaps on positions of rooms - and after getting a WOW from Jamila too - the go ahead is given. I remember the architects words - Ram, dont call me for a Vodka to the Vineyard and ask for changes. We have already paid the advance for the drawings and his services.
The next day I call the architect, "Can we meet at the Vineyard for a Vodka" I hear myself, after we have - after a long search for a plot here,finally find a plot - and the decision to go with our original preference - a home in Fajara. We have just seen, identified and decided to buy a plot in Fajara - a quartier so difficult to get free land. The architect was clearly not happy - since the new Fajara plot we understand is about 20 x 60 m - about 10 m narrower - and therefore - design adjustments will be required. He reluctantly agrees to visit the new plot with us and takes a measuring tape - and that creates our next hurdle - an accurate measurement shows we have bought a plot that measures s18.3m x 58m - Only solace is that it is in FAJARA. The architect is clearly not as enthused as I am. The family has safely resigned to the fact that its my decision to build in Fajara
We have now waited for 15 days since the architect measured the plot and agreed to re-design - or atleast see how we can retain the original design with minimal changes.
A quick update on Dar Meknes is that most of the furnishing is done, and we await the much awaited water connection - pipe have been laid and the Govt just needs to provide meters and turn the taps on. The numerous trees planted have started growing and should be a lovely orchard in a few years.
Originally written on 5th May, 2022
Continued on 18th October, 2024
