Olden days in Saudi Arabia: Memories of the 1970s narrated to me by a Western woman (part 6)

Here is my first encounter with a local family, right after arriving in Saudi Arabia from my country.
My husband, brother-in-law and I left the airport. The car was jerking along the rough, unpaved road and every now and then we passed a few dim lights by the roadside. Eventually, we stopped in front of a small, three-story building. The men went inside and I followed them. We climbed up a narrow, steep dimly lit staircase.
When I entered my brother-in-law’s apartment, the first thing that struck me was the complete absence of furniture. There was only a carpet that covered the floor of the room. A single chair was standing in the middle, like a little throne. It was clear that they had put it there for me and I appreciated the thought. A woman and some children were standing in the corner, waiting. They came forward slowly. We shook hands shyly, as each one of us was anxious to favorably impress the other. We looked at each other with open curiosity.
I was seeing real Saudi people for the first time and they were seeing a real Western woman for the first time. It was like an alien encounter. My new sister-in-law was wearing a long, dark dress that swept the floor with its hem.
It was pleated at the waist, long sleeved and, very surprisingly, it had a generous low cut neckline. The neckline made a strange contrast with the black veil, the “shayla,” that she was wearing and that covered both her hair and her face. She would lift this veil only in the presence of her husband, her children or me — definitely when my husband Saud was not with us. I would soon learn to do the same, i.e. cover my hair and face every time any “man” other than my husband was around.
I was exceptionally allowed to stay bare-faced in the company of my brother-in-law only because he had “seen” me right upon my arrival. After a few seconds of staring at each other, I was invited to sit on the chair, and I sat, sweating in the hot, humid air. Everyone else was sitting on the floor cross-legged.
They kept silently looking at me and I felt totally out of place. I felt self conscious and silly in my fashionable knee-length dress and silk scarf, with my face uncovered in front of my husband’s brother. I tried to hide my feelings of embarrassment and I kept on smiling foolishly, as I was unable to understand the conversation. According to the custom, tea was served right away.
The tray was laid on the floor and the tea was offered in tiny glasses with handles. It was flavored with fresh mint, very sweet and it really tasted good. We drank several glasses, and then they decided it was time for bed. My in-laws had given us their bedroom to use. It was the only room in the house that was furnished, from what I had seen so far. There was a wardrobe and a very high, old-fashioned bed.
The mattress was covered with a sheet made of very thick cotton, patterned with huge, colorful flowers and stripes. There was neither a blanket nor an upper sheet. I saw something embroidered on the pillow case in Arabic and Saud translated it for me. It said, “Sleep well” and I appreciated the good wish. Feeling a hot breeze on my head, I looked up and saw the blades of a huge, electric ceiling fan that was precariously hanging over the bed.
It was also vibrating in a scary way and I didn’t feel too sure about its stability. I prayed for safety. It was my first night in Saudi Arabia and my great adventure had just started. What would I see tomorrow, in the daylight?