After a two month absence;
“Walaw! What’s this? What took you so long, we we’re getting worried about you”! said the janitor as I left the building to restock my house, depleted of food. “You cannot leave us this long.”
“Sta’anelik. We missed you,” exclaimed the man behind the meat counter of the supermarket. “Guys, she’s back,” and the three men behind the meat counter all came out. “Where were you?”
“Hamde asalemeh. Welcome back,” called out the boy that packs my groceries at the check-out counter. “How are your parents? How’s the family? Everyone’s healthy?”
“Heee, min zamen ma zjitik. I haven’t see you in a while. How are you doing,” said the check-out lady.
“Hala ana mapsout. Ah, I am very happy to see you all healthy again. I was afraid you had left us,” said the old man that sits on a chair on the other side of the street, next to the juice bar.
“Welcome back. It is good to see you again,” said the guard at my work this morning.
None of these people I ever have extensive conversations with. Most of them I only say hi or bye to. But they all noticed I wasn’t there.
And that is why I live in Beirut.
“Sta’anelik. We missed you,” exclaimed the man behind the meat counter of the supermarket. “Guys, she’s back,” and the three men behind the meat counter all came out. “Where were you?”
“Hamde asalemeh. Welcome back,” called out the boy that packs my groceries at the check-out counter. “How are your parents? How’s the family? Everyone’s healthy?”
“Heee, min zamen ma zjitik. I haven’t see you in a while. How are you doing,” said the check-out lady.
“Hala ana mapsout. Ah, I am very happy to see you all healthy again. I was afraid you had left us,” said the old man that sits on a chair on the other side of the street, next to the juice bar.
“Welcome back. It is good to see you again,” said the guard at my work this morning.
None of these people I ever have extensive conversations with. Most of them I only say hi or bye to. But they all noticed I wasn’t there.
And that is why I live in Beirut.
6 comments:
Aan jad welcome back :)
You know, I never really understood why some countries are "Warmer" than others in terms of human relationships.
Really, why do you think it is so?
No bull, we really missed you :)
I've been checking your blogs on a daily basis since your we'll be back next week post. Welcome back
Ahh I love Arab hospitality. It's like being in the South (in the US) without the pervasiveness of strip-joints and common ignorance.
i'm happy you're back! and i wouldn't mind an extended conversation, now that we live in each other's neighborhood :)
Welcome back Sietske!
clutching to straws...
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