Author Description

A tradesman named Idris Sulayman decides to leave his day job and set himself up as a building contractor. In his search for work, Idris meets Pierre, a Haitian contractor, and his worker Pascal Charlot a real-life character who was killed by the Beltway Sniper. They introduce Idris to Orkun Tecer and his divorced daughter, Dalia, a music teacher, with whom he falls in love. Dalia and Idris are now in an intimate relationship; then Dalia, being remarkably fond of children, becomes pregnant, giving birth to twin boys. It is soon revealed that she is still married to a man named Zeren, and yet Dalia and Idris continue to live under the same roof. In the meantime, Idris is seduced by Reema, the wife of Abel Maher, who was previously employed by Idris, after the former's imprisonment for aggravated assault upon Tariq Haster, Idris's and Abel's compatriot. One day, Zeren, arriving at Idris's house and forcing his way in, sexually assaults Dalia in the kitchen. Zeren is accidently killed by an attempt on the part of Dalia to set herself free. Dalia is bailed until her trial, during which she marries Idris. At last she is sentenced to ten months in prison. By this time Idris has already impregnated Reema; she delivers a boy, Joseph. While Dalia remains jailed, Reema resides at Idris's house, looking after the three children. One night a devastating fire breaks out in the basement; Reema and the twins die in the wake of that occurrence. Idris informs Dalia of all that has happened. After her release, Dalia, consumed with grief by the death of her children, resolves to live apart from her husband, but she soon, moved by love and compassion, relents and returns to him. Idris is unexpectedly obliged to leave the States for a week to claim his patrimony after the death of his father and brother, in the Holy Land, where he is about to be detained for further questioning on account of his being a political activist thirteen years before, but he resists arrest and strikes at two p