Colors

Beirut, coming in from the port side (east side)

I’m standing in front of my building, waiting for a friend to pick me up.
She’s late, and so I stand and wait.

I look at a couple of painters that are repainting the apartment on the first floor of the building on the opposite site of the street. Most rooms are done in a decent shade, but there is this one room that is done, … well, very flashy.

Not just flashy. It hurts the eyes and the imagination. Shiny black stripes with bright yellow stripes. Violently yellow. It looks like the suit of a wasp. Or a honey bee commercial. There are some purple bubbles as well. Anyone sleeping in this room is bound to get horrendous nightmares. I can’t imagine anyone actually sitting in this room; the décor will drive you bonkers in no time. What were they thinking when they decided upon this horrendous color scheme? And stripes! Maybe she’s going to make her mother in-law sleep here, I think. Why would anyone choose these colors?

The janitor of the building passes by. He sees me staring at the apartment in disbelief. Apparently he has noticed it too.

We are of the same belief, the janitor and I. And therefore he believes that we believe the same. (still with me?).

The occupants of the apartment are of another belief.
The janitor knows that, and I know that. That’s one of those thing everyone knows in this town.

And he says, tilting his head upwards, ‘kulul nawar beyamel heck.’ (loosely translated; ‘only beggars do it like that’)

And I guess at this point we are all showing our colors.

The cranes at the Beirut port