…coming home. I walked into my apartment after being gone for nearly three months and questioned if this was really home….
It’s nice to be back, though. I felt happy unpacking and knowing that I don’t have to lug a suitcase around for at least 8 weeks or more. π
As I became familiar with my surroundings again, I also decided that with a new school year should come some changing of the furniture. I used to change my room as a kid every few months just to give myself a fresh perspective and a sense of a new start. So, this is the same. I want to be happy to be back and look forward to going to work, but I admit it’s a bit of a struggle.
Though, I was heartened by my taxi ride experience coming back from the airport. Usually, I think about saving money and try for local cabs, but it’s a flat fee from the airport to the city center and the Audi looked pleasant to ride in. My driver, Yousef, was very friendly and began to talk to me. Having just come from the States and not yet again jaded by people, I carried on conversation with him. Yousef told me about his family back in Egypt and that he was going to see them the next day after a year apart. He said he wanted to buy his daughters – one 5 and one 3 – Barbie dolls. He asked if I could help him pick them out. Since it’s a flat fee for the ride, I said sure – why not? My American-way of thinking expected him to find the Toys R’ Us or stop at Carrefour, but when we stopped at the AD Co-op, I realized he was on a different budget than I was. So, we went in and I began looking for Barbies, but it turns out he really wanted babies and babies that talk, crying “mama”, “dada”, “wahwah” etc. My worst nightmare in terms of children’s toys! So we looked all over and couldn’t find just what he wanted. Apparently, the flower shop at the front of the store had them a few weeks prior, but now he didn’t see them and no one was there to help. Thus, for about 20 minutes, we went back and forth trying to decide what to do. When he had given up, someone was at the flower shop and sure enough, they had just what he wanted on the top shelf! So, we left happily.
It was nice to help him out and to see him so excited to have found what he wanted. It didn’t cost me anything except a bit of time and kindness. Things got a little strange when we were almost to my place and he said he wanted to buy his wife a baby doll. I was confused since we had just bought baby dolls for his daughters…then I realized he meant for the bedroom – “for just my wife and me…”! He asked if I would help him at the store to get that and I wisely declined. After all my other experiences with drivers here and the men in this country, I have at least wizened up to such things! He seemed to understand, and was content to take me to my apartment. Phew!
So, it was a nice return to this place that is called home. It’s a strange feeling to be here after so long in the States this summer, but it’s a new school year, a new perspective and now newly-placed furniture! π
More to come…
T
