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| Dahran Airport |
It was during this
time that a remarkable opportunity happened I was offered a new post in the
base training office at Dahran seconded to the Saudis. This meant that my boss
would be a Saudi, my colleagues would be Saudis and as I found later my
workforce would be members of the Pakistan Air Force. For someone starved of
contact with the Saudi personnel this was the job of life time. Interestingly
if I had applied and got the promotion I was offered earlier I would have been
ineligible for this position. It would have been more money less fun. Naturally
I accepted this new job and flew over for an interview with the Saudi Captain
who would be my new boss.
Just at this time
Syb got a signal through the company network that her father was dying, so she
was rushed off to see him and support her mother in a few hours. By this time
Syb was well known on base and she had much support and sympathy from her
friends.
I rearranged my
leave and followed her a few days later. I just managed to catch a few days
with him before he died up to this stage he had not made a will and we
concocted one, he dictating what he wanted while I checked the correct wording
with our family solicitor. The will was enough to settle his estate but really
it wasn’t too well written. Soon after his funeral I was on my way back to
Saudi leaving Karen, Syb and her Mum to tidy up the details.
Back at base I
found that I was acceptable to the new boss and arrangements were made for me
transfer to Dahran. Although I worked directly for the Saudis they had no way
of looking after me and Syb domestically and I was still employed on a BAC
contract so they provided my housing and infrastructure. I had no wish to be on
one of the large family estates with their intrigues and gossip one of the
rumour was that we were Muslims something most of the families seem to find
distasteful even though they were paying the wages. I’m pleased to say we were
found a villa on a small estate of four surrounded by a purdah wall with a
little patch of grass which we nurtured back to health. BAC even got us a
lawnmower after a bit of arm twisting.
So when Syb
returned I was happy to show her our new home, it was a large single story
house built out of a Swedish kit and I’m happy to say she was impressed. We
were in walking distance of the centre of town bigger than anywhere we had been
in the country. The compound which we were on was used as a staging
accommodation for newly arrived families but soon one or two wanted to stay and
eventually we had stable happy bunch, who knew of our feelings and accepted
them. The gate to our villa was close to the purdah wall which meant that we
could have our Saudi friends visit the house without them being seen. That may
sound odd but remembering their customs and the unfortunate feelings of the
families on the larger estates it would not have been possible anywhere else.
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