Temetwir

1.1.06

2015

They were at the traffic light just before taking the right to their final destination.

"Cham mara gayelek latmed eedik 3ala ekhtik, laish ma tefham inta?" he interrogated his eyes in the rear-view mirror. His son, 6 years old, was in the back seat trying to grab his sister's chocolate milk drink. "Wintay laish 7azra, laish mo yayba 7ag okhoch wa7ed thani?" he said, leaning to his left to meet his daughter's face seated at his right hand side. The kids looked at one another, and started giggling. He smiled. This was their routine: the boy would get on the girl's nerve, ultimately getting on their father's nerve altogether. Their father, as always, would lecture them about "Ma lekom a7ad bel denya gair ba3ath 3ogbi ana o omkom." He knew his kids did not yet grasp the idea of "ma lekom 7ad gair ba3ath". Let alone understand what he was saying over a fucking 250ml of chocolate milk! One day they will. One day they surely will. Light was green now.

He parked, as usual, about 100 meters away from the school gate. His daughter, as usual, let out a groan ".. not agaaain!" He just smiled at her, holding the door open with one hand and her backpack in the other, "Out we go, princess". He had his reasons for parking a bit far from the gate each morning. He leaned in to meet his son's eyes, "wenta 3ami? Khalas mako madresa 7athrat janabek?"

Hands folded across the chest, his son started his rant about how you do not need to go to school to be a race-car driver. He just shook his head, grinning at the absurd excuses his son was coming up with every single morning to try to skip school. "Sawoha eli ash6ar menek, o ma 6aafat 3ala yadik", he said. His daughter, still not finished with the chocolate milk, was shaking her head at her brother. "You're very silly" she told him. "Yes, he is, isn't he?" her father agreed, going to the other door, opening it and grabbing his son's bag. The trio made their way across the street.

He held the two bags in his right hand, stretching his left to hold his daughter's tiny hand. Looking over to his right for the incoming traffic near the school, he told his son to hold his sister's hand. As if insulted by it, as usual, his son started reciting the same old "ana ikbeer agdar a3ber el shari3 ebro7i" essay. Which, by the way, was an ongoing process since he was three years old.

Reaching the gate, he greeted the teacher on gate-duty and handed his children their bags. "Now, be good and make me and your mom proud" he instructed, as usual. His daughter nodded, and handed him the now light and empty carton of chocolate milk. His son nodded too. He stood up, and watched his kids holding hands making their way to the school door. He waited for it. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting.

There it was. They turned around, and waved. He waved back. The things he would give up to have it every single morning for the rest of his life.

He made his way back to his car, when his phone started ringing. He couldn't wait to see what it was today. "Denyetik" was the caller's ID. His wife had this thing for changing her phone number's entry name in his mobile each Friday night, so that she would keep him guessing all Saturday morning as he was driving the kids to school what it was. A move she picked up from him during their milcha everytime they went out.

"Denyeti", he replied, "eeh wasalt'hom". The remainder of the call is unsuitable to disclose. But they decided they'd somehow be late a full 2 hours for work that morning.

30 Comments:

  • no.1 : inshallah yeser sij :)

    happy new year ;)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1.1.06  

  • عجييب
    over romantic for a real life married guy...bas 3ajeeb

    By Blogger Mohammad Al-Yousifi, at 1.1.06  

  • I agree with kila ma6goog, if it was for a real life, it'd be like:
    الزوج: ولييين!! هذي اشتبي داقة ألحين..
    نعم؟ اشبغيتي؟؟
    الزوجة: ها وصلتهم؟؟ انزين أبيك تروح المكان الفلاني وتييب لي كذا وكذا وكذا..

    وتدزه حق مليون مشوار قبل لايروح الدوام ويتأخر عن شغله وهكذا هو الروتين اليومي

    Now this is real life ;P

    By Blogger Nunu-San, at 1.1.06  

  • anonymous bethnallah.. o sayer, immitation is the highest form of flattery if u know what i mean

    kila ma6goog teslam.. the last part is 'over romantic' between man/wife, but the rest of the thing with the children? talk to ur uncle

    nunu i really REALLY dont think so and have a LOT of reason to disagree .. but i can imagine why u would think that

    By Blogger Temetwir, at 1.1.06  

  • Laish wat are ur reasons to disagree with nunu?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1.1.06  

  • while i've spent the last God knows how long saying that i'm against marriage and i dont want to get married, u just changed all of that with your post! Of course, assuming that i would get this type of marriage!

    loved how every time the father said something to the kids, it was always 'ur mother and i' (make US proud, wont have anyone other than each other after WE r gone).. NICE!

    as for the name changing thing in the mobile, I DO THAT!!!!!

    3awart galby o ana emga63a hal ashya! this is not a good sign for the beginning of 2006!!

    (nice post) :P

    By Blogger MSB, at 1.1.06  

  • (btw, i DID notice that this is set 9 years from now, giving u enough time to finish up, get married and have 2 kids... ur a good husband/father if that's what ur looking fwd to) :P

    By Blogger MSB, at 1.1.06  

  • I wonder who inspired that? :)

    I know it says "2015" but i think the same scene plus or minus a few minor details was true back in 1991?

    Very cute.
    Very pink, light, cheery and sunshiny post!

    By Blogger Delicately Realistic, at 1.1.06  

  • zinzin shgasdech y3ni shgasdech, mo layeg 3alay aseer aademi? heheh

    anonymous, hala wala..
    leny met'aked ena mo kel marra jeleelat 7aya, o mo kel rayal sikaana mortah.. fog hatha ma3teged kelesh ena elzawaj 3ebara 3an gelat adab 3ala ba3ath methel ma e7na shayfeen bel mosalsalaat, wela ely nesma3a bel talfezyon wel ethaa3a,
    sa7ee7 ena nisbat el 6alaag etkhari3 laken there's always two sides to every story if u know what i mean.. ana wa7ed 3an nafsi sorrounded by ahali o rab3i naader ma ashof ely Nunu ta7achat 3ana

    MSB im against marriage if either of the spouses is not mature enough, AND also, arrakiz wayed 3ala hal neq6a i cant stress it enough: financial stability

    yeah yeah, "el eflos mo kel shay" is like one of the most naive things i could ever hear .. sure, that money is not to be spent on sports cars and jewellery and travelling.. but it is an extremely important factor in marriage AS I SEE IT

    the father in the story is my dad, as i said to no.1 im just imitating his words/actions with us, the exact same phrases are used (well, almost exactly)

    the mobile thing however is courtesy of my days as a player :p
    bas inshalla allah yesma3 menich o aseer robe3 the father my dad is

    By Blogger Temetwir, at 1.1.06  

  • dc "ITS MOM AND DAD" heh

    wait a minute, waaait a minute.. you did NOT just call my post "very pink" .. tell me u didnt heheh

    By Blogger Temetwir, at 1.1.06  

  • zinzin la metnarfiz bel posts wala shay .. i wrote abt this before,, the diff between realism and cynicism

    obviously, there's a misconception

    bas 6ab3an, as usual, u all r now gonna gang up on me and say "la la ur not a realist" despite what i just said hehe

    was just kidding abt the "aseer aademi" comment thu :)

    By Blogger Temetwir, at 1.1.06  

  • Still can`t believe that there is just a romantic thing between these Man & Woman... still trying to find something wrong in it. I`m distrustful :P

    So your characters (at least the one) enjoy their daily life... yes?
    If it`s so, then I can say:
    the story sounds very optimistic ;-)

    By Blogger Sever, at 1.1.06  

  • Allah yekhalilkom el walid o Allah ya36eeh 6olt el 3omor wil se7a inshAllah.. o if u r reciting this story & based on what i've read about u in ur posts, guess he raised u well. Allah ya36eek el mara el sal7a elly taster 3laik o 3ala 3yalek (3eyalkom).

    zain, now i'll revert back to my regularly scheduled program of 'la lil zawaj' :)

    By Blogger MSB, at 1.1.06  

  • TNC realistic is more like it, given that characters know whats up

    MSB teslemeen, wel 3omor welsa7a lel moslimeen ajmi3een inshalaa, ma 3alaich zood :)
    and whats up with the no zawaj thingy, yedeeda 3alay .. plz dont tell me ur not one of those who think all men will eventually abuse or cheat or whatever!

    laialy q8 teslemeen, why so sad thu?

    By Blogger Temetwir, at 1.1.06  

  • o happy new year

    By Blogger Spontaneousnessity, at 2.1.06  

  • ya 7elohum , happy new year.

    By Blogger Mother Courage, at 2.1.06  

  • la, i'm not one of those dont worry. thuman itha he wants to cheat, 3inda Allah e3aqbah... o itha he wants to remarry, madam Allah 7alal, ana mino 3ashan a7arim.

    :) i'm "la lilzawaj" for the sake of zawaj... as in 'all my friends are married, ana b3d abee'.. i just feel people r getting married for the wrong reasons, and hence, not really taking marriage seriously. i'm not that type and i will only get married if the person is as serious about this as i am.. fa itha wa7d rayal mo7taram o ekhaf rabba yani, hatha mawthoo3 thani..

    By Blogger MSB, at 2.1.06  

  • spontan :)
    mother c :)

    mishari hahah .. allah yekhaleelek eyahom w yej3alhom mn el thureya elsaal7a gol ameen

    as for the 2hrs thing, courtesy of Kuwait University heheh :p

    MSB eeh akeed, thats common sense.. wain bas banat hal wagt yesme3onech o yatrekoon 3anhom sowalef "abi a7eb wa7ed 3ashan a3arfa o a3arf a6ba3ah ashof yetnaasab ma3a tafkeeri wela la"

    ay tafkeer, ay 3amaat 3ain !! etha hatha tafkeerhom mn el awal, la belaah kadaina khair

    By Blogger Temetwir, at 2.1.06  

  • samboose i was afraid someone would say that! glad u like thu :)

    mishari im 21 .. eeh bas walla yakhoy wain ely yefham ena marriage is serious and a LIFETIME commitment that has to be WORKED ON constantly - not just "walla eflana 3ajbatni ana emkalemha sentain o shayefha fahmanti" - .. u know what i mean? the emphasis is on love and compability BEFORE marriage lelasaf.. which, to me, can only suggest that these people have no idea that once u cross that barrier and be married, all the lovey dovey bullshit doesnt work and both spouses gotta step up 24/7/365

    truth be told, im not surprised some of the ladies and gents here see the story and the man as "over-romantic" and "unrealistic" or "optimistic" .. el qeyaas lelasaf yekoon 3ala shay saayer gabel el zawaj, dala3 o mesaakhat yahalo :)

    with the financial stability, its a touchy subject.. i mean, i admire guys who marry and are still students (el she'oon tesaa3edhom, given that they already have sakkan) .. but then again i dont see how one can be financially stable if he or she isnt financially RESPONSIBLE .. am sure ull know what am saying when i talk abt ppl who care abt social image and "fun expenditure" and all that, wheres responsbility in all that..
    security and independence 3ala goltek, golden words that need emphasis .. golden words

    By Blogger Temetwir, at 2.1.06  

  • Yes, pink, warm and fuzzy :P
    :P

    Will you delete my comment?

    By Blogger Delicately Realistic, at 2.1.06  

  • awwww cute!
    do they make men like those these days?
    i think its out of stock or something ;P~

    By Blogger Baroque, at 2.1.06  

  • mshari26: teslam, Allah ye6awel ib 3omrek..hatha min thoqek.. bs i'm only saying what i think is the truth and how this topic should be viewed.

    as for what r we waiting for, tem galek el sebab.. ama ana fa i'm female.. it's not like i can go around proposing! fa lama eyee el neseeb o Allah yaktib, eseer khair inshAllah.

    i also agree with tem. what we see as common sense (marriage = serious), not everyone sees it the same way these days. i have a lot to say on this topic, bs that'll turn tem's comment section into a new post! fa ma leh da3ee.. :)

    By Blogger MSB, at 2.1.06  

  • dc ma 3aash, afa 3alaich sh'hal 7achi? :)

    charisma they're abundant .. yebee3oonhom bel jumla, bas u gotta know where to go to find em

    MSB heh i dont know when to shut up, do i?

    By Blogger Temetwir, at 2.1.06  

  • ma7shoom.. i meant me.. ineh ana if i started to talk about that topic, it'll be too long of a response. inta kalamek dorar! :)

    By Blogger MSB, at 2.1.06  

  • 3ashat ayamik okhoy :)

    By Blogger Delicately Realistic, at 2.1.06  

  • msb :)

    laialy thats nice.. in a way :)

    bo fay 6efoolty el majeeda :p

    dc 3ash qaleech 3ain elsai7

    By Blogger Temetwir, at 2.1.06  

  • gibberish thanks :)

    mishari tislam.. o ana ya 6eweel el3omor shway o bakammel a whole year men towathafft .. im on leave for study now fa el7amdelah ma3ashain masheen o kolo tamaam..
    as for rent, TELL ME ABOUT IT im renting in the UK min my own salary and i was telling my friends beldowaneya the other day about it .. el shabab 6ag6egaw e7sabat'hom and lemme tell ya, the figures werent pretty for anyone who has a salary of under 1000kd

    as for the lifestyle expenditure.. as i say, guys and girls need to learn the value of hal dinar ely ydesh b jaib'hom.. sometimes i wanna smack myself too hehe :)

    By Blogger Temetwir, at 2.1.06  

  • Amaaaazing :) Well written Temetwir. I loved it, very down to earth, yet idealistic.

    By Blogger Sedna, at 4.1.06  

  • sedna thank you :)

    By Blogger Temetwir, at 4.1.06  

  • I still agree with kila ma6goog

    By Blogger Nunu-San, at 7.1.06  

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