Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Number 42..

We were in the mid of our studying years..
The trip to my college I used to take alone by myself.. I first take a rather long walk to the bus stop, and stand waiting there.. many of students in university used the Bas at the time..yes it was crowded, yes it was late, but it was there for us, and it was Fun..
On the way back home, I would share the ride with my best friend at the time.. we would walk to Bab el Moadhdham, and stand waiting in the crowds (there was always crowds, never a queue !!).. we never minded the dusty, dirty pavement.. we never minded the strange mixture of humans.. we would stand chatting on and on, waiting for our Bas to appear .. number 42 that was..
And so our awaited number 42 arrives finally .. and my friend and I , both short sighted, would try to approach the front to read the bus number and make sure it’s the One..if we were lucky (and, fast enough) , we would finish our checking to get on the Bas just before the crowds block the front Bas door.. if we hesitated for a minute , we would be blocked from the door, and so we suddenly find ourselves standing last in line ..
Once on the Bas, we would pay for the ticket happily and climb the short stairs quickly to the 2nd deck (yeees Abo Tabiqen our Bas was..).. we always loved that.. we would then pick 2 seats in the middle and sit with our books and files in our laps.. preparing for a Looong ride .. feeling so happy and content .. waiting for the Bas to move..looking down through the window at the people still crowding in the bus stop..
The ride starts, and so does our long chat.. endless chat.. we were best friends..and also students in the same department.. so the topics are endless..
How many times did we take a Vow to visit Al –Mathaf el- Baghdadi?? As many as our rides back home.. how many times did we laugh at the funny names of the shabby hotels? (Qamar el Karkh) is a name I don’t forget.. and the Bas would crawwwwl in its slow pace , people get off, people get on.. and we never took notice of the time passing.. we would be so deep in conversation , we hardly notice anyone else.. It was such lovely times..
As my stop gets closer, I say a quick bi to my friend, and climb down the stairs to b in time in front of the back door .. u never needed to press the half broken buzzer to attract the driver's attention.. ev body downstairs would start shouting at him (Nazel Nazel).. he then would stop the Bas and open the door..
And another studying day has passed..
My friend and I kept in touch for a long time after I left Baghdad.. but were cut off after the war and the disconnected phone lines ..
About a year ago someone sent me her mobile number, she was still in Iraq.. I wrote only one line in my first text msg. to her, didn’t even write my name : Bas 42 yesallem alech.. and the reply was So quick, So happy .. and So full of old friendly warmth..
Bas 42 held so many of our beautiful memories in Baghdadna.. it witnessed a big part of our dreams, and happy, better times..
To my dear friend (N) .. in memory of our shared rides together on the Bas Abo Tabiqen..

15 comments:

Little Penguin said...

Wonderful..

I wish I was there..

I take the 52 quite alot, even though the guy drives like it's a bicycle not a double-decker bus!.. the thing is, i've never had a companion on my journeys.. I went to school/college alone.. when I attend religious or intellectual seminars, my friends are too cool to join me and so I go alone.. I think i'll develop an imaginary friend, call him Fawaz or something.. I can be Captain Majid and he'll be my mentor.. Fawwaz :)

Nazil Nazil!

Regards

Yasmin (Blanche) said...

hello Little Penguin,
im glad u like it.. as i see U too have fun taking the bus..i still do think one can enjoy the ride..(of course not if he 's in a hurry !!)..but im surprised u always take the bus alone..though i myself used to do that quite alot as i mentioned..i hope u do find yr Fawaz..
regards..

3eeraqimedic said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Yasmin (Blanche) said...

hello 3eeraqi Medic,
it was indeed..
busses hold such a big share of our memories.. we never realize that only after its behind us..
regards..

A&Eiraqi said...

Yasmin
How are you?
I was on a break for my course which kept me prisoned.
I like this post so much
Nazil is great , I really miss it.

Regards

Yasmin (Blanche) said...

hello a&eiraqi,
i say welcome back once more, as i did visiting yr Blog..yr comments have been very much missed.. i hope yr course was a success..
yes there r words we seem to forget , and once they come to our minds a certain nostalgia warms our hearts..
i would like to read ab Om Abbas too, cause i blv u will have met someone of the like back in yr days in baghdadna..
regards..

BOOKISH said...

hi Yasmin

I found your blog by chance but I am glad that i found it. I realy like these stories.
i really enjoyed reading it. I began to feel homesick even though I am living in iraq.

fortunately, there are many iraqian blogs links in your blog "I must read them"

your blog is great.Please keep writing

Yasmin (Blanche) said...

hello Bookish,
welcome to my humble blog..
thank u for yr kind words, im more than flattered.. and im so glad that u enjoy the posts..
i did not get what do u mean by Mosul electronic College..is it something new? reader? ..r u a student but through internet ?? Please inform..
I try to write down whatever memories i have of the old days.. the memories i chersih so much..
Please keep visisting..
take care..

BOOKISH said...

hi Yasmin

Thank you for your warm welcome
thank you very much for sharing these beautiful memories and for giving a very interesting
exposition of our old life style (iraqieen). Your way of using iraqis' words is a very nice


about reader

I can't name my work in english but in arabic is mo3eed
my job is to explain the experiments during the laboratory time, as well as, I am giving tutorial (solving questions after the theoretical lecture ).

reader isn't it? I am not sure of the validity of matter

about electronic college

yes it is a new college originated before the occupation

for more information about it, go to
http://www.mosuluniversity.org/colleges/eng2/home_a.htm

about visiting ur blog
definitely,I will keep visiting ur blog

regards

3eeraqimedic said...

Yasmin
With your love of cartoons and of buses I though you might enjoy this as much as I did!
This is a childrens story line with a blue cow who thinks about things, then just asks the bus driver to take her to where whatever she thought about might be, and the driver will take her anywhere! there are story lines where she goes to another planet / another country etc, I would love to catch that bus!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/storymakers/stories/bluecowplayground.shtml

Yasmin (Blanche) said...

3eeraqi Medic hi,
how v sweet of u to remember telling me about the blue cow.. i will definately visit this site..u definately know my weak points towards busse and cartoons..a blue cow in a bus will sure cheer me up..
hope u enjoyed yr eggs w eyes..
take care..

A&Eiraqi said...

Yasmin
Another absence, I wish you're fne and nothing is wrong.

Waiting for another reminence from the nice days in Iraq

Take care

Yasmin (Blanche) said...

dear a&e iarqi,
Many thanks for yr warm words..how very kind of u..
Indeed im passing through one of my dark - grey moods..
cant stop missing the old days of Baghdad, where my real life was once..i know we all share the same feeling, but sometimes i find it too hard to take..inshallah it will pass..
again, thanks for asking ..
take care u too..

3eeraqimedic said...

Yasmin
Are you still there?
You are getting me worried now!
The bus must have got stuck somewhere, or is it parked in the depo with you and Kareem still on the top floor chatting??
You are missed
Take care

Yasmin (Blanche) said...

dear 3eeraqi Medic,
thank u for yr kind words asking ab me..
Yes, im still There.. just going through a bad gloomy time ..its just taking a bit longer than ususual.. what to do ??..
regards..