(1)
Even Police Stations look different in Heliopolis; so clean and so much light. I tried to remember what time it was. I could not tell for sure. The last time I looked, it was 8:30 pm. But it seemd like it has been such a long time since then. I just got through the station front door and was practically dragged by anonymous strong arms. To where? I could not tell. We were moving quickly and a lot of people surrounded me, all talking at the same time. I understood every word they said but did not make anything out of it. My mouth kept on a monotonous murmur: It was not my fault; it was not my fault…
Finishing school was never really a viable option for me. Just passing my third preparatory year (at 17), my father sent me to take care of the Family Kiosk in Heliopolis. A prestigious, well paid job that made me the envy of almost every guy my age, and the desire of a lot of girls, in our desolate alley situated deep inside Imbaba. My day was fairly simple, I would take a Microbus everyday from Courniche to Heliopolis, open up to customers at around 9:30am and close at 9:30pm. Almost all my clients were regulars. The school kids from the private primary near by, people from the neighberhood and regular pass buyers consituted my day for almost two years. "You should start looking for a wife." El Hagga said. "It is still to early" I replied and thought to myself "Why stick to one when you can have a lot." I smiled sheepishely.
- I have never seen a similar car, wow... My friend Ahmed said. I tilted my head a little bit and he was right. An amazing big black 4x4 just pulled in font of us.
The electric window opened up and the man inside asked for a pack of cigarettes. I got what he wanted and put it on the selling board in front of me. Without even looking at me, and without getting out of his shining car, I saw him getting out the money of his pocket, stretching his hand to me.
Some people think they own this world. Even more, they think they own us with it; as an irrelevant bonus. I make less than 50 piasters profit per pack of cigarettes. If this moron thinks I'll leave my chair to serve him he is gravely mistaken. I continued my imaginary phone converstation.
- A pack of Lights please. I heard him say.
- .... So, Ahmed you said that the goods will be a little late. I went on my fake phone converstaion.
Incrudelously, he got out of his 4x4. He slammed the door, went all around the huge vehicle and gave me a 10 pounds note.
- We don't have change. I said. Do you have 50 P.
He gave me 50P. Grabbed the pack and was gone in less than a second. I despised him so much. I hated him, his smell and his car. No one owns me.
(2)
There is a king in everyone of us. I smiled to myself. Even this little bugger in this wretched Kiosk thinks that he is better than to pass me a pack of cigarette.
He does not look at me and even fakes a phone conversation just to avoid moving his.... and does his job. Egypt will never be a respectable country as long as these lazy worms live in it.
Everyone sees the new Chevrolet Blazer, dad got from Saudi when he came back, thinks that we got in bed with a Saudi Prince or something.
Twenty seven years of hard labor, twenty seven years away from his family and for what?? A small appartment in Helipolis, the big 4x4 and a small sum at the bank. Small business men in Egypt make more in a year then what he wasted his life upon. I puffed loudly the smoke of my cigarette.
Exactly in the middle, this is where I found myself getting into MIU. Needless to say, I did not make it in Thanaweya Amma. Nobody, I knew did actually.
This is why they have private universities, I told dad. He hated me for it. This is the last thing he wanted. Another absolutely useless expense to weigh on his Gulf savings.
However, getting to school, I realized that in the middle was a very awkward place to be. I didn’t fit with the rich crowed that spend the summer in Hacienda and went to the pool in Katameya Heights. Also, I could not get along with the struggling crowed fighting with grades, financial aid and barely making the tuition each semester. I was not super cool, intelligent or a Piano master. MIU definitely lacked the guy next door sort of people.
I was alone.
Everybody kept talking about the student body. Only God knows what that is.
- You either drink Coca Cola or tea. No one would willingly drink room temperature, tab water... I told myself
- Tab water, tab water... If this is who I am. This is who I am
I ran quickly to catch the school bus heading back to Heliopolis.
(3)
What is so wrong if I do not want to live and die in this dump?
The entire family exploded in laughter when I said that. However, when they realized I was dead serious, silence engulfed the room. My father was the first to burst back at me.
- And where shall we get the money to move elsewhere? He yelled.
- I know how much the kiosk makes and how much you saved, I responded challenging.
- And what about your younger brothers, your sister who is about to get married; are you damn stupid?
This was not going in the right direction. I just mumbled some dirty words and ran out of the room as he jumped and wanted to grab me.
Heading back to work next day, my father came to me “from next week, your brother will be going to the kiosk with you.
He said it like a spit on my face and left.
So, that’s it then. A power play. My brother was never nothing but a nag and a big loser. He’s coming to spy on me, to make sure that I don't "borrow" from the income or make something on the side.
On my way, I fought with the Microbus driver. Two pounds fifty he said.
- It has been always two pounds.
He slammed the breaks “pay or leave.” I paid. They got me off more than 2 kilometers from the Kiosk.
It was incredibly hot today. Drenched in sweat, I saw him driving down the street. The same big black 4x4 with the same smug guy.
(4)
I have been driving aimlessly for the last two hours.
Her words kept bouncing back and forth in my head squeezing my heart. “You and me?!! You must be joking. When we talk and we laugh, I am not laughing with you. I am laughing At you...” She turned around and walked.
I just stood there, naked, defeated. Everybody on campus was behaving normally. How could they?
That evening, I drove and drove. It was extremely hot and humid, thank God for the AC.
- Two packs of Lights please...
No answer, and then it struck me. It is the same Kiosk and this same ass again...!!
And I felt it. I swear to GOD I Felt it. A huge brown eagle landed on my shoulder and he whispered in my ear. “Are you going to be forever anonymous, gutless and scared?”
That was it.
I stepped out of the car screaming, cursing and walked straight to him.
In a flash, he came out and I spotted it right away. A little shiny object in his hand. The realization struck me and in a desperate move I tried to block the blade.
It slashed the inside of my arm and I felt it through my left rib. The lightning bolt of pain was excruciating but it only lasted a split second. I stumbled and tried to lean on something but fell. My eyes, turning, got a glance at my big watch. It was 8:30PM.
It didn't feel that bad, just moving from one lonely place to another.
Actually, I felt nothing, nothing at all..
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