AIR NATION A FREE TICKET AROUND THE WORLD
CHAPTER 8
CAIRO EGYPT
At the time of the descent towards Kuwait, the
A. T. C. (Air Traffic Control) contact Air Nation to cancel their descent and to ask them to hold still. They reduce the engines and place themselves in a Holding position, circulating around the airport until further notice from the air controller that will than tell them another alternative to approach the airport.
After thirty minute in holding, the A. T. C. contacts Air Nation again to confirm them that the R. V. R. (Runway visual range) shows no chance at all to land at this time and that they have to return to Cairo. The bad weather is gotten worst on Kuwait and the situation is getting too severe to permit aircraft to land any further tonight. The A. T. C. decides to close the airport. A sand storm is stopping all the operation at the airport and it’s getting too risky. The sand could block the engines of the aircraft that tries
To land and it could be catastrophic so they redirect Air Nation back to Cairo. The crew found themselves spending the day in Egypt.
Arriving at the Holiday Inn in Cairo, the crew is really tired but very excited to be in Egypt for a full day. The hotel is offering them a welcoming cocktail while they wait for their keys.
Louise exhausted doesn’t lose a minute to see the guy at the counter to ask him to organize something for her and Danyele so they can go see the pyramids.
-Listen, she says to her sister joining her. We can go see the pyramids by camels; it’s perfect, isn’t it? Ask Louise all excited.
-Of course, perfect. I wouldn’t miss this are you silly? Let’s do it!
-Wonderful, go ask the others to see if they want to come too, while I confirm this.
-O.K.
-Miss, for 20.00 dollars U.S. I can take you around the city for a few hours and then camel riding around the pyramids after that I can give you some time to browse in the bazaar. How is that Miss?
-Ah! This is fantastic sir, she says very happy. I am in Egypt, it’s unbelievable! I am so lucky but at what time do we have to leave sir to do all this?
-One moment, let me see. It’s five o’clock in the morning. I give you four hours to sleep how’s that?
-It’s right on. Don’t forget us.
-No, you can count on me Miss.
-Louise, we have a little problem, admits Danyele coming back. Everyone wants to come even the pilots.
-Do you have the space for all the crew? Ask Louise right away.
-Yes, it’s possible, says the concierge. Mafish moushkila! No problem. We will go by taxis.
Danyele goes to tell the crew members but Louise signals her to come back and see her.
-Listen, I don’t want to miss the chance to see the
Pyramids so I will tell them it’s at 8:30 O.K. so... like this, if they are late well we will leave on time, you understand.
-Mafish moushkila! repeats Danyele enchanted to go visit the pyramids.
Louise looks at the concierge.
-Es mi, Louise.
-Es mak Ramsès.
-Like the real Ramsès.
-Yes that’s it.
-It’s my sister Danyele. We are from Canada. Well, we shall go to bed if we want to sleep a little, see you later, Ramsès.
-Inshaala!
-Oh! Danyele, can you believe it how lucky we are to be here. Luckily the airport is close because we would have never had the chance to come here for a layover. We are only one hour and a half from Kuwait by plane. We will never come back here, ever. Can you believe how lucky we are? It’s a gift from the sky. We are in Egypt my big sister!
-Yes, I’m going to send a fax to mom before I go to bed. She is going to be happy and to hear from us, explains Danyele.
-Tell mom we will take pictures thinking about her, says Louise.
Daniele goes to the reception while Louise joins the rest of the crew.
-O.K. every one, if you want to see the pyramids, meeting at 8:30. Be there, be on time.
The next morning or should I say a few hours later, Louise and Danyele are having breakfast together before going to discover Cairo and his beautiful treasures. Some of the crew members took a cup of coffee in a rush while the others had preferred to sleep as much as they could.
The traffic in Cairo is as dense as the one in Bombay. The drivers never stop using their horn. There is no straight line; they direct themselves as best as they can. Ramsès brings them to the City of the dead.
He explains them that a large part of the habitants of the city of Cairo live among the dead. They were push from the force to survive and to stay alive to live with the dead.
-You cannot count them all, you know, says Ramsès getting off the old Mercedes.
From the top of the hill, we can see the City of the dead. It’s hallucinating. They have built walls around the cemetery on an open space, not bigger than a metre long and a metre large, members of the same family sharing a minuscule piece of land. They live on top of their ancestors. Between grave-stones, they take their showers or again cook their daily meal. What an atrocity! What a reality!
-Is it really what I wanted to see, ask Louise to herself. How can we visit the wonders of the world when very close to those beautiful sites, the shocking reality of Cairo, and the monstrosity of poverty immobilises you for a moment, just to remind you the misery of the world. Ah! She cites out, how much is the price to pay to built historic sites? How many people pay with their own live to build fabulous things that they will never see and what for? When you see people living in such a condition...
-Louise! Are you coming! Screams her sister.
-Ah! Yes, I’m coming, she says taking a last shot.
The tour is continuing, they pass in front of Mohammed Ali mosque, where from there they can see the quarry where all the stones from the pyramids were taken from.
-The slaves, explain Ramsès, had to take and pull rocks on a distance of more than 20 miles before arriving to the site of the construction of the pyramids.
The crew members are listening to him with great interest. They take numerous pictures and then get back in their old Mercedes to cross the poorest parts of Cairo after the City of the Dead, where the handicaps, the old people and the less fortunes survive day by day, night and night in ruins with crawling vermin of all kinds and way too many rats. The first part of the visit is not easy to digest. No one’s dare to talk they are all open-mouthed facing the cruelty of this nation.
-Get out everyone, says Ramsès after driving them to the further parts of the city. This is where you are going to start your expedition to the pyramids. I will wait for you here. We all ready prepare the camels for you. We are waiting for you as you can see.
He signals to the group to join him. The camels are there, ready to go!
-Ah! Amon! My friend, Salam malékum!
-Malékum Salam Ramsès!
The men are kissing themselves on both cheeks and on the front head.
-Let me present you Amon, says Ramsès to the crew.
-Amon! Says Louise. The God of Eternity! The God of the Pharaohs! What a beautiful name isn’t it!
-You know history very well, Miss.
-Aywa. Kif haalak Amon! Ask Louise.
-Ways al hamdoulilè! Answers Amon. Go! Go on! You take any of these camels, they are all good children, and he explains laughing.
-Me, I definitely take this one, he has a good head, says Victor to the others.
The camel starts to groan. The entire crew start to laugh.
-Come on Pentaur! Help mister, ask Amon, to one of his son.
The camels are lying down on the ground. All you have to do his a big huge step to go on top of their back. Everyone tries as best as they can to get on their giant mounting. The result is not that bad, after ten minutes, everyone is sitting on their beautiful creature. The departure time as ring.
You can hear a cacophony of multitude of sounds. All the camels start groaning at the same time. They are very intimidating those desert animals.
Danyele is holding on firmly on the pommel of the saddle when suddenly her camel decides to rise up.
-Ah! She screams wanting in courage. It’s quite deep. Hold on! She advises the others.
The camel stretch themselves and then rises up straight up and since you kind of sit in the back it’s quite impressive. It’s not a horse at all! Wow!
-It’s so high, screams Jade all afraid.
-Nicely my beautiful camel, nicely, screams Xénia. I should have taken a horse.
-Oh! Oh! My God! It’s so high, says Lorenzo a bit afraid too.
After a few minutes to straighten their mounting, the crew finally leaves fallowing Amon, one by one in an Indian line. The children of the small suburb fallow them around. They leave the small village before venture for their long walk in the desert towards the Giseh pyramids. The way that the guide chose is so narrow that a lot of the crew members have their feet touching the walls of the houses on each side of the path. The place is extraordinary. The people, mostly women and old men are sticking out their head to see them pass by. They salute with their hands and look at them leave until far away. The children are running and playing around fallowing the group.
Amon stops on top of a hill to make sure everyone is fallowing and has no problem with their mounting. We can see close by, a cemetery, and then on top of another hill they can see in the middle of the desert the three pyramids of Giseh, that rise in front of them. The view is just fabulous. Cheops, Chepren and Micerinus are there, all three in front of them waiting for their visit.
To their right, the Sphinx is guarding them with all his splendour. In Arabic the name of the sphinx is Abu-le-Hol meaning the father of terror. It’s so ferric. The crew backs up in the pass. After a long time of admiration, Amon starts the descent of the hill walking in the direction of the pyramids. The sun is just burning hot. It’s at his strongest zenith.
-This is madness to cross the desert right in the middle of the day, screams Lorenzo but I am so happy and lucky to be here that I don’t really care.
I don’t understand how they could have built architecture of this size in the middle of nowhere.
It’s beyond calculation! What do you think guys?
-Imagine, what we can do without calculator, without computers, says Victor.
-Yes, but how many slaves have lost their lives? Replies Danyele.
They fallow each other’s one behind another in direction of the pyramids. They seems so small from a far but the closer you get the pyramids take a phenomenal width. David, Lorenzo and Youssef are removing their sweaters and are now wearing them on their head. The heat is unbearable.
-How can they walk like this beside us? Ask Chanel looking at three little fellows fallowing the crew on foot. The smallest is not even five years old, I’m sure.
Suddenly coming from nowhere, a fourth one appears like a mirage offering them coca-cola but the guide doesn’t want them to buy anything from him but try to stop them from quenching their thirst a little under this boiling heat. Another little fellow is popping out from the sand dune coming towards the group to sell them some scarves just like the one of Lawrence of Arabia was wearing to protect them from heat burn.
-The small vendor just made is day with us, says the captain buying one.
-Now, we are real tourist, screams Mike. Really, today, it’s way too hot to walk around like this in the desert. It’s very important to cover our head before we all get insulation.
-Ah you are so cute Chanel, says George, watch yourself, you could get kidnap you know!
They continue walking with their camel in ecstasies in front of those jewels of pyramids. The small group of children are still fallowing them even under this terrible sun.
-Louise, screams David, you look like Cleopatra! Tell me, Am I really here or I’m just dreaming in my bed?
-No, you are really here, wait I will take a picture of you so you will have a real proof of it. Stop everyone I want to take a group picture in front of the pyramid.
When they start walking again, Louise wants to take the smallest kid with her on the camel but the guide, their father doesn’t want too. Louise feels bad about this but she cannot do anything.
They get finally close to the pyramids to admire this master piece. They get off their mounting. The guide explains them that long time ago, the pyramids were all cover with precious stones but today there is nothing left at the exception of a very tiny part on top of it but only the brave’s one who wants to climb to the top can see it.
-The view on top is magnificent, explains Amon. It took ten years to build with the power of 100,000 men working on a three month shift. The funeral site is on a distance of two metres squares. The Cheops pyramids is the biggest. Its height is 137 metres today. Before it used to measure 146 metres. The top of the pyramid is a large plate-form of 10 metres squares. None of the rock blocks are less than 9 metre and 24 centimetres long. In the barring chambers of Miceranus the smallest one, it is built with three small satellite pyramids for the queens, there was a very beautiful sarcophagus but when they took it to England by boat they sank it near the coast of Portugal.
-Ah what a shame! Exclaims Lorenzo. We come all the way here to see the inside of the pyramids and...
-The Egyptians, says David, have been exploited all their life...Shit! If the people want to see historic treasures they should come here.
-I agree with you, says the captain. It’s pillaging, it’s sacrilege! They have no respect!
-It’s sad, I am extremely deceived darling, says Tiffany to Amon. You have to stop them from doing things like this. How many tourist leave these places deceive? They pay a lot of money to come all the way here and they won’t be able to see the sarcophagus.
-But of course, at the museum we have a large collection of sarcophagus, explains Amon to cheer up the group. You can go down in the caves, examine the hieroglyphics and in one of them, if you have the courage to go all the way down, you can see one. It is completely deprived but it’s interesting to go down and see it anyway.
It’s on this site that the Egyptians say: Everyone is afraid of the time but the time is afraid of the pyramids. If you look away, the sphinx measures 73 metres long are representing the face of a lion and a face of a man at the same time. Go now! Look around now. Visit at your own pace I am going to wait for you here.
-I feel very strange, says Lolitta to Youssef walking beside her. It’s like I am seeing the slaves and all the pharaohs....How they got all the way here with those enormous rocks. They must weight a ton each and how many of them are there?
She looks all dazzle by the work of art of thousands and thousands of people
-It’s incredible, sensational, says Youssef listening to her. I guess that’s why they call its part of one of the wonders of the world.
-Look Youssef, these stones are taller than me.
She tries to get on top of one of them.
-Would you mind taking a picture of me?
-Yes O.K. don’t move, smile Lolitta, perfect!
The crew very please by all this is taking it’s time to admirer the jewel of Egypt than finally return to meet Ramsès who is patiently waiting for them.
-Look over there; says Louise, people are riding on camels. They don’t look like tourists.
-They don’t even have saddles, remarks Danyele.
-Who are those people? , ask the captain to Amon.
-They are policemen who protect the pyramid from thieves. They go around the pyramids day and night.
Louise wave at them and they stop while Amon is in big conversation with the pilots. Louise saw them run earlier with their camels and couldn’t resist any longer to run with her own camel but at the start of the visit, the guide had defending them to gallop with their mounting but Louise couldn’t stop herself from asking the policemen.
-How do you make them run? she asks.
-You give them a little kick in the neck with your feet.
-But I am going to hurt him, no!
-No, but since they are very fragile at this part, he is going to run.
The policemen look at her and smile. One of them is showing her how. He kicks it at the height of the neck and starts running. Without waiting another second, Louise starts galloping behind the policeman. It’s so great to see her run with her scarf in the wind. The policemen are laughing but the guide is furious and starts screaming after Louise and advises the others not to do it. Louise hears him but she is so excited and ravish to run with her camel that she continues running full speed. After a while, the policeman stops and turns around to look at her. Louise stops her mounting next to him.
-You like it? He asks with a very strong accent.
Louise smiles all resplendent.
-I thank-you so much. It’s marvellous. The speed that can reach a camel makes him an impressive animal.
-Yes, you can leave seven days without giving him something to drink and he will be as strong as the first day you left.
-You like the pyramids, ask Louise to the policeman.
-Oh! Yes, it’s our treasure.
-You like the tourist?
-Yes because they bring money to our country but the site is starting to deteriorate and the government doesn’t want to invest in restoring and safeguarding the pyramids. We need money.
He looks at the sphinx and fixes it. Look how nice he is! You know when we have huge sand storms there are days where the sphinx disappear under the sand and there is only 5 metres uncovered.
-No really, that much!
-Oh! Yes, Well I have to go now and return to my group. Maasalama!
-Maasalama!
Louise waits for the others to arrive. She takes as many pictures as she can in souvenir of a beautiful day.
The sky is so blue and it’s so clear that the pyramids seem more majestic. The group finally arrives a few minutes after with the guide that look upset.
-The policeman shows me how, says Louise before he starts saying something to her. I didn’t know I couldn’t go. I’m sorry.
The guide doesn’t stop and continue his way without saying a word. Louise looks at her sister and shows her to stop. She pulls the reins of her camel and places herself behind Louise.
-Danyele, pinches me. Are we really here?
-It’s incredible!
-I would give anything to have the chance to come back with mom and dad. They have to come and see this. It’s so beautiful, no! It’s magical!
-How did you make your camel run? Ask Danyele who dreams as well to run on a camel.
-Wait, let the others go and we could run together. O.K. All you have to do is to give him a little kick in the neck.
-Look Louise, turn around and look at the pyramid one last time.
-Ah! I almost want to cry.
-Me too, she says waving good bye to the wonders of the world. So long pyramids! I shall return to pay you respect again!
-Yes we are really lucky don’t you think so? Let’s go she says before starting to cry.
They start galloping together all the way to the village.
-Hey Tremblay sisters, what did you do again?
-Nothing my dear David, Come on, move over and make a place for our limousines.
-I find this, says Danyele a lot more comfortable than a horse.
-Yes you are right, says David but tell me how you feel tomorrow and let me know.
Ramsès gets out of the house, cigarette in hand to welcome them. Lolitta jumps at his neck.
-It’s magnifico!
-So everyone is happy. We are going to go to the museum it’s too hot now to do anything and then we will go to the bazaar. Hurry up everyone.
At the end of the visit at the museum, they are all ready to go to the bazaar except Mike.
-Go without me, he says. I will join you at the hotel. I would like to spend more time here. I visited numerous museums in my life, but this one is the fullest I ever had a chance to visit in my entire existence. There are incredible piece of arts here. I didn’t have time to see everything to my liking.
-I think I will stay with him, says George to Ramsès.
-See you later! Says Xénia to the pilots.
At the bazaar, Ramsès give them two hours to browse around and to meet in front of the grand mosque.
-Be careful, look where you go or else you could get lost and get rob too. Be careful, alright. So everyone here at 4 o’clock. It’s understood! Those who are late will have to return to the hotel on their own.
-Yes, yes, answer the group, in a hurry to look for Ali Baba’s treasure.
Danyele leave with her sister right away.
The bazaar is full of little narrow corridors criss crossing each others. It’s a real labyrinth. Difficult to know where you are really. The merchants are calling them on their way.
“Come and see, look, only look, cheap, very cheap, come enter....miss, mister, Americans, French...not expensive, very good deal for you...”
Victor decides to go on his own. He sits down at a table of a café situated right in the heart of the bazaar and orders himself a cup of Turkish coffee and a chicha pipe to smoke. He looks at the people going by and coming back again and again to find their way in and out of the bazaar.
The waiter is dress with a big puffy pair of pants, very pointed shoes, a white shirt with very large sleeves and a multicoloured vest on top. He wears a fez and has the most twisted moustache Victor has ever saw. A Shoe shine man arrives to offer his service to him and Victor without having to be asked many times accept his offer with pleasure.
Arlene doesn’t feel brave enough to go by herself to confront these labyrinth passages. Afraid to get lost she decides to fallow Youssef.
-Don’t leave me alright. I will never find my wait out of this thing.
-Yes, yes, says Youssef, looking at leather bags without paying attention really at Arlene.
Moments after having looked at two more boutiques, Youssef is looking for Arlene but he doesn’t see her.
-Arlene! He screams but Arlene doesn’t answers.
-Oh! Well, if you think I am going to waste my time looking for her, hum! Too bad for her he says continuing his shopping.
-Arlene! Arlene! He screams just to be nice but he still has no answers from her so he decides finally to continue his way without her. But during the time that Youssef was calling her, Arlene was directing herself in the opposite direction. She was walking quite fast to join him but instead of getting close to him she was getting away from him and realises that she went back to the starting point.
“Ah! Gee!” she says to herself knowing that she made a mistake. “I’m coming back here, and now, I am all alone. Well, I will take back the same passage and perhaps I will cross Youssef again. But everything looks the same in this bazaar”
There aren’t many special signs unless you look up and see the cornice of the buildings. Arlene is getting deeper and deeper into the bazaar without seeing Youssef. She finally slows down to pay attention at a nice Nephertiti statue in lapis-lazuli. The merchant sees her.
-You know if you really like this object, you have to take it right away or else you will never come back here to find your way back.
-It’s already done, how much you ask for it?
-Come in we will discuss some more.
She decides to enter. After thirty minutes of bargaining with the old man, she gets out of there with a bag. She is quite satisfied of herself and decides to return to the point of rendezvous and to stay very close to it. She takes her time to examine the people working around her. Cutters, sculptors, artisans working coppers, gold and silver. They are sitting directly on the ground working non -stop. She stops for a long moment to observe this little boy who was finishing a big plate in cupper with filament of silver and bronze. He is almost naked with no shoes on. All he wears is a small pair of underwear, quite old, I guess as old as him. Behind the little boy, there is a huge pile of different kind of objects all hand made by this little hard worker with his little fingers. When he finishes his plate, Arlene asks him how much it is. He must have spent hours on that piece of art. He looks at Arlene still sitting on his knees not understanding anything she is saying to him. Arlene decides to pull out a few Egyptians pounds and offers them to him the little boy takes a few pieces and gives the plate to Arlene. She looks at him and gives him five times the amount he took. The little fellow stand up very surprised and smile at her. She is very happy to have pleased him and continues her way to arrive at an intersection of passages leading to a much larger street. Bogies pull by beefs are passing in front of her. The architecture of the house is phenomenal and has hallucinating effects with their bended walls. Everything is hand sculpted into very fine details. She walks admiring the balconies, the windows of the houses when suddenly someone is pressing on his horn non-stop. She tries to avoid the adolescent on his bike but she ends up face first in camel trips hanging with small threads around the boggy poll. The vendor screams to her in Arabic. She tries to move away from this gluey grey trips but she loses her balance and finds herself with her two hands deep into the boggy full of more parts of animals. The vendor furious continues screaming at her. Arlene pushes herself up to get out of there rapidly but she has her arms and hands full of sticky stuff smelling terrible and looking awful. Arlene nervous screams like hell her horror. The vendor is still screaming after her. She finally tries to get rid of all the stuff and runs away. The street is full of men you can hardly see women here. She hides herself in the multicoloured smelling spice alley but the mixture of all the exotic scents is too strong for her and she starts sneezing. She takes another alley but its worst. The incense and the myrrh's vendors are concentrated in one small cul-de-sac street. Her eyes are burning form so much powerful fume. She goes up the stairs of the mosque and tries to catch her breath on the porch. She gets a wet nap of her bag to clean herself up a little. At the same time, someone is telling her to come in the mosque. She is not sure if she has the right to come but decides to go in to have a peak because she doesn’t see any women inside she decides to leave. She stays on the porch for a while to locate her way to the main mosque.
“Well where to go from here, now?” she ask herself, a bite discourage looking at her watch. “I have half an hour to find my way back. I will make it. I can see it from here but which way to take in the bazaar I have no idea what so ever.”
During this time, a good part of the group as joins Victor and Xénia at the small café. Danyele and Louise arrive at the same time as Youssef.
-It’s so noisy suddenly, remarks Danyele sitting down.
-Danyele, you are in Egypt, its normal no. It’s noisy here just like India, says Victor puffing on his chicha.
-Hey! Screams Youssef, is anyone seen Arlene?
He sits down out of breath.
-She told me to stay with her but hey, hey is it moving or what or am I sick Allah protect me !
-Oh! God dam it! It’s an earthquake, screams Xénia standing up right away.
-What are we doing all these buildings are going to fall on us? Says Lorenzo afraid.
-It’s over, it’s over, says Victor, don’t panic!
-It’s shaking! Oh darlings! Screams Tiffany running towards them. Hurry up let’s hide under the table! She says to the others.
Everyone is looking at each other to reassure themselves. Xénia and Tiffany slide themselves under a small table without losing a second. Danyele and Louise don’t take any chance either and hide themselves under a small table trying to avoid being hit by pieces of walls falling down.
-Don’t panic! Don’t panic! replies Victor.
-It’ only takes Victor to say something like this, says Louise. Are you unconscious of what’s going on or what!
Everything is shaking around them and we can hear a huge loud noise. It’s really an earthquake.
-I don’t want to take a coffee here, says Danyele after a few seconds of silence.
The ground stops moving.
-Yes you are right, let’s go before its starts again and everything fell on our heads.
-Oh! I’m afraid to leave, admits Xénia very shaken by all this.
-Hey did you felt that? Ask the captain joining the group.
-Yes of course.
-We should leave this place, proposes the captain. In a normal situation we should stay put and hide but if you really want to know my opinion, these buildings dates from so long that they have done quite an humble job in standing up that long that I am sure they are ready to fall any minutes so it should be best to leave . Is everyone here?
-Oh no, we are missing Max, Lolitta, Arlene, Josey and David, says Victor sure about this.
-No, David is just behind me he is buying a little souvenir for his mother. So listen, this is what we are going to do, we will wait and leave at the time we were supposed to leave we can leave one of us behind to wait for them.
-It’s a good idea captain, says Danyele. There is only five minutes left anyway and I think the earthquake shaking thriller is over. Better not take the chance to be here when its starts again, especially here where everything can crumble.
-Oh no, screams Xénia almost hysterical. It’s starting again! Ah! Ah! Hide yourself under the table.
The noise is way louder than the first time. The accessories of the merchants are banging between each other, the cup of coffees on the tables are falling down as well as the table now. The ground is rumbling so loud, the seismic jolt is very strong. It’s scary. They are right in the middle of the bazaar.
-My god! Says Louise to her sister holding on to the table so it doesn’t fall. I am going to have my own sarcophagus in Egypt!
-You are so silly! Says her sister. It’s only a small earthquake.
-No, your sister right darling, says Tiffany. We are all going to be burry; we will be the only Canadian mommies in Egypt! Look around you, it’s all ruins already. Outch! I just receive a rock on me!
-Look the wall over there, is crumbling down, says the captain, looking at it seriously. Watch out!
The ground cracks just under Victor’s chair who was the only one who didn’t protect himself. The force is so strong that Victor falls down from behind.
-Oh! It’s awful! Screams Xenia panicking. We are all going to die here. My life is over!
-Stay calm, ask the captain and let’s stay here, we are at lease safe from receiving the debris. Don’t move!
The ground starts rumbling again. An enormous
Jolt is felt and then right away everything stops. It’s over. What seem to have last for an eternity had passed in a few minutes only?
-There, there, Victor, I was asking myself what are you doing like this? Ask Danyele having great pleasure to see him like this when she gets out of under the table.
-That’s enough, help me up! He says a bite shaken by all this after all.
Youssef gives him a hand.
-Calm down, calm down Victor darling! Says Tiffany who is laughing a lot.
It’s laughing time. The stress to be stock there under the rumbles had scared them all even Victor.
-Let’s go, asks the captain who doesn’t feel to brave either. Let’s not run and stay together. There is a good chance that all this can start again.
-How are you? Asks right away Ramsès who is running to meet them all. Is everyone here? Hurry get in!
-No, we are missing five of them.
-What time is it? Asks the captain.
-It’s time to leave, says Ramsès nervously. Let’s go back to the hotel; I am taking care of the others. You can pay me tonight.
-Very well, let’s go. We cannot take a chance. The other driver can wait for them.
-I will wait too, volunteer David.
Arlene look at the mosque and looks at the street. She is lying down on the ground. Everything around her had falling down. The nice balconies, that she admirer minutes ago had all crumble down. Arlene’s arm is bothering her. A part of the ceiling of the mosque had fell on her, luckily it’s not all of the ceiling and that the strong structure of the mosque is still holding straight.
“It’s awful. I must been protected by Allah! Thank-you, shoukran!”
She looks at her watch.
“Oh! Gee! I only have two minutes left, I will never make it.” She tries to get up and starts walking but her foot his hurting her.
“Aie! It’s not true. I must have twisted my foot with that piece of metal that felt on me. Now that’s nice! What am I going to do with an arm and a foot less, shit?”
She starts walking for a while before she finally gets out of the bazaar, this non-sense labyrinth but now she hasn’t the slightest idea on how she got out of there she doesn’t even see the large mosque she has no idea where she is except that she is out of this Egyptian maze. She finally sees a taxi and hurry up to get in. The man looks at her knowing very well she is a tourist and that she didn’t care about asking him how much was the fare before getting in.
-Holiday Inn, please, she orders.
-Yes madam, answers the taxi driver right away in English.
He drives around the city for a very long time before arriving to the hotel and Arlene had fall asleep in the back seat. The man stops his car a few metres before and starts looking into Arlene’s purse. He picks up 200 American dollars that she had before starting his car again. Arlene is still sleeping. He arrives finally at the front of the hotel like nothing happen.
-Miss! Miss!
-Ah! She says waking up, surprised to have fall asleep. How much I owe you?
-30 pounds.
-30 pounds! That’s a ripe off!
-30 Egyptians pound is not much miss.
She is so tired that she doesn’t care. When she opens her purses and realises that she has no more money she starts screaming:
-You stole my money! You stole my money, you jerk! You are a thief!
-Miss|
She gets out of the taxi to call for help.
The doormen get out the hotel to see what was going on outside.
-If you think I am going to pay you on top of that son of a bitch!
At the sight of the doormen, the taxi driver pulls on the accelerator and disappears. The doormen run after him but it’s too late, he is fare gone.
-he took all my money, she says furiously.
She enters the hotel but as soon as she steps forward she starts yelling of pain.
-Aye! Aye! She drops her bag and falls down. She is suffering a lot. The men help her up, bring her inside and sit her on the coach in the hallway.
“Oh! But what am I going to do. Misery! My...oh, no! My passport! Did he take my passport?”
She hurries up to look inside her purse.
“Ah!” she said relieved. Luckily, I still have it.
-Arlene! Is everything fine? ask the captain who went to mail a letter to his children.
- I don’t think so captain. I got rob, they took my 200 American dollars and the worst...is that...
-Let me look at your arm; ask the captain seeing that she was bleeding.
-It’s nothing it’s my ankle that took a bad hit, perhaps it’s twisted or broken I don’t know...
-We are going to call the doctor from the hotel. I am going to ask the bell boy to take you to your room and the doctor will be able to examine you. You will come back with us and rest for a few days at the hotel; it’s out of the question that you can work tonight in a condition like this. Do you understand me?
-Yes but...
-There is no but...and tell the doctor to call me in my room. I have to go and get some rest. The others are not arrived yet. We are missing five people, well four now. After an earthquake I have all the good reason to worry a bite. Mike and George are still missing too, this is great!
-It’s nobody’s fault captain. An earthquake is a natural cause we cannot predict that and if the company cannot understand that well too bad for them, no!
-You are right, I worry too much, thanks, I feel better now, and I just wish everyone is alright. Poor you! I forgot!
-Call a doctor right away, he orders to the receptionist. She is hurt. Hurry up and bring her some ice and something to clean herself up.
The bell boy brings Arlene to her room. The captain waits a little but finally decides to calm himself in his room and get some rest to be in shape for tonight’s flights.
-Well, says Mike to George that are walking in a rapid pace back to the hotel, we almost didn’t make it. Luckily we were out of the museum.
-Yes and it was an excellent idea to decide to walk back. It feels good I just hope the others are safe and sound at the hotel and that the museum is not demolish.
-They were supposed to spend two hours in the bazaar unless everyone is in advance that would definitely surprise me so they are still in the bazaar. I’m sure of it. When the flight attendants start shopping they never stop. They shop ‘til they drop.
-Yes, it’s true it’s their favourite pass-time. You’re entirely right; I just hope no one is under the rumbles.
At the bazaar, the disaster is not so bad, luckily for those who had stayed behind. David had convinced the driver to stay still with a very good tip. Lolitta, Josey and Max didn’t show up yet.
Finally an hour later, David, the chauffeur and the guide are woke-up by the gang.
-Where were you? Do you know what time it is? You are lucky that we are still here because this man is very patient; you better give him a good tip. Really you exaggerated.
-David! Wait a little before you stressed out. Come on move on and let us in.
-I was waiting after the girls that went in a boutique when the earthquake started for the first time. Before they had time to react, the shelves inside the shop felt blocking them the way out. Then they try to get out, but the second jerking started and I hided to protect myself but the girls were really stock inside the boutique. I had to ask for help. We than got them out and to thank us the merchant give us...look nice little painting on papyrus.
-It’s nice, isn’t it? Asks Josey.
-They are the Gods of love, isn’t it marvellous, sight Lolitta.
-They should have given you the Gods of the earth. Anyway, we don’t have much time to rest now, says David still furious of missing precious time to sleep and rest.
-Don’t you believe that this day was worth it, ask Josey.
-Yes, but tonight we are going to suffer like hell.
-But I cannot believe that you didn’t appreciate your visit, Carramba! Says Lolitta.
-Of course, I loved my day in Cairo but we have only three hours left before we have to wake-up and go to work all night, he says grumbling still.
-We only leave at ten o’clock. Precise Josey.
-Do the counting Josey.
-Listen tonight, we return to Kuwait, a two hour flight, I think, explains Max.
-Nop!, I don’t think so, the captain told me at the coffee shop earlier that we will probably catch up our schedule of today, I’m mean tonight.
-It’s impossible but there is nothing to panic for, good Lord David, says Max. I thought you were stronger than this perhaps this job is not for you after all. This day is all about becoming a flight attendant, to see the world at any price.
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