I have an inexplicable affinity towards the working class. I see no reason why I shouldn’t love 3ammo il 3ajooz who is scrubbing toilets so his kids in India go to university, or why I shouldn’t love Rose who does my nails and has four kids in the Phillipines, the eldest of which is 7, or the Egyptian shisha guy who is so proud that his son made it into "الكلية البحرية". The star of my story today is the Egyptian. But not the shisha guy. He is the valet guy.
It was my friend’s birthday in Emirates Towers, and on my way out, I gave the valet guy my card, he smiled at me and said "السلام عليكم" . I loved that, because truth be told, the times I’ve spoken Arabic to any worker, or clerk in Dubai, can be safely estimated to be below 10. And usually, I am the one that initiates the Arabic conversation, after I either read the person’s tag with an Arabic name on it, or when I realize that the person is struggling with English, so I just cut it short and speak Arabic to make it easier for both of us. But today, I loved the fact that he initiated it. "و عليكم السلام" I replied cheerfully. The car came, but I soon found a different Egyptian guy in it.
When he came to step out of the car and hand it to me he said: "انا مش عايز انزل بصراحة" I was surprised for a minute. Because he definitely wasn’t relishing the journey from the parking lot to the entrance in my modest Toyota. So on my part, I asked him: "ليش؟" … " عشان الاغنية دي جامدة اوي" he replied. The radio was on, and Abdul Halim Hafez’s Ahwak was playing. I told him: "طيب ما تنزل.. انزل بس تخلص" and as if I had told him the opposite. He jumped out of the car and said: "لا ربنا يخليكي مش هقدر" I insisted he goes back and finishes the song and that I wasn’t in any hurry, but he refused. So I asked him if he’d like it if I just lurk on the curb and raise the volume so he can finish listening to the song, and he said that he would. So I did. And there we were. I was sitting on the edge of the driver’s seat and he was standing outside. The funny truth is that, it didn’t feel awkward at all. I felt totally at ease with the situation. As if this is what normal human beings do at all time.
Then he broke the silence and said: "الاغنية دي بتفكرني..." and he couldn’t continue. I didn’t wanna ask. So I playfully said: "بتفكرك بايام زماااان و الزكريات"… He smiled a broken smile. I didn’t know what to do or say. But thankfully, at that moment, a car came behind mine, that he had to attend to.
He said: "اتبسط بالكلمتين العسل الي انتي قولتي هم لي اكتر من الاغنية".. I smiled and said: "الله يخليك" ..
And I drove off with Ahwak still playing. It left Egyptian Valet Guy’s broken heart, to stay with me and sing to mine.
