What made me remember el Otla el Rabieya ?? don’t know.. just another flash back.. is it the weather? Is it the date??
It seems so long ago.. so far away..
When the nightmare of Mid Year Exam ends, the wonderful dreamy days of el Otla starts.. 14 lovely days of freedom, laziness and absolutely No studying.. the weather would usually be fantastic.. still chilly, but it feels like spring..
I remember watching the sun every day once I wake up.. looking out the window.. praying that the sun would be there sending its warmth so as to announce another perfect day of Otla.. I would wake up late, have a long and late breakfast.. Fried eggs would be So favored on these days.. another cup of tea would be so appreciated.. chatting with mama about anything and everything.. of course mama would be up early, finished her breakfast with dad hours ago..and so she would be in the kitchen waiting for me (or us) to wake up , so as to sit with us while eating our Late breakfast.. it sounds like ages ago.. oh it was o much fun..
Being home in the morning was such a special experience.. the sounds that we hear are so old yet so new to us.. Abo el Ghaz with his different musical instruments.. Abo el Nafot with his distinguished tunes !! sounds we never hear usually cause we would b at school or university ..
After breakfast its time for Ghahwa, with lots of Hel in it.. I used to make such special Ghahwa they say.. the taste was great.. I still remember myself making coffee in our kitchen.. the scent was amazing.. i Love ghahwa.. another thing which I stopped making or having now.. don’t know why.. I mean Ghahwa we can find everywhere.. but I stopped drinking it like I used to.. I suppose it stopped tasting the same for me .. like everything else..
Then it would be time for Tarma .. the sun would be pouring its lovely ray over our Tarma.. and so I wouldn’t miss an hour there , with my book in my lap.. sometimes on the Marjooha that we have there.. sometimes on one of Karasee el Nylon.. I used to feel an inner peace like no other then.. Hadiqtna in front of me.. with its beautiful roses.. all kinds.. different colors.. and my special favorite flower.. el Narjis.. oh how I Adore its lovely refreshing perfume.. in Otla , all the Absal I have planted (that was the only thing I helped planting with my own hands) would either be blossoming, or fully opened.. all around Hadiqtna.. fragile white flowers, filling the air with the most beautiful scent ever..
I told u.. in Otla, everything would be filled with color and beauty and serenity .. the world would be a magical one.. a perfect world..
Theer was nothing much going on in my days of Otla, in fact maybe nothing.. but the thrill was there even before it starts.. preparing the books I intend to read once I finish exams, preparing my favorite kinds of Nastala and Charazat.. its all part of the fun.. when I remember Betna now I feel it was in another world.. or maybe what I have in my mind is not real but something I have seen in a dream.. was I there in reality? Did I really once sit in the Marjooha reading ??
Sometimes it gets so hard to differentiate dream from reality..
But I suppose I Was there once.. and Betna was there once..
Unfortunately not any more..
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Barr - Bahar, Hajji Eloo w Alwan..
We were cousins.. different ages, different moods.. my cousins and I used to gather at my Beebee el Hijjiya' s old house every Thursday night..
Or Fridays sometimes, especially in winter.. the house with its big garden, very tempting for our games.. chasing one another up and down the short stairs leading to the Tarma, running in imaginary tours around the house.. running to catch one another in Jommeda.. or (Selleban) -as was called in my old school.. (but cant remember its details very clearly !)..
It always seems like a colorful dream to me, whenever I look back.. no matter how many years have passed or would pass.. which reminds me that one of the favorite games was one called Alwan – Colors.. the assigned one would stand in the middle , and then suggests a certain color loudly.. each one of us should run quickly and locate that same color and touch it, or shouts out : Hayyataa..meaning he has found the required color, so he is safe !! then another color is suggested and on goes..
There was also a game which we all liked .. Barr – Bahar.. we would stand in a looong line, side by side.. on the line where the Thayyal of Beebee's garden ends..and the grayish Shtigher begins..One of us would start shouting repeatedly.. Barr, Bahar, Barr, Bahar, and we would jump from (Bahar) to (Barr) .. the Bahar would be the garden usually..Bahar, Barr, Bahar.. then a sudden repeated word: Bahar, Bahar , Barr.. "B.. You lose.." cause B missed and jumped to Barr instead of remaining in Bahar .. and so on each will miss eventually.. as the "caller" does what he can to make us miss and lose the game.. the losers would stand aside watching the others to find who is the last to win..
My favorite was Hajji Eloo.. always loved it.. again, the assigned one would stand in the middle.. we, in a circle watching him attentively.. suddenly he would shout : EEeeebdaaaaa.. (Start) .. he then starts running chasing us , we must all run at once and find a higher (something) to stand on.. the stairs, a chair, a Qanafa, anything high to be safe.. that’s where the name comes, Eloo meaning Height..the one who gets caught of course loses..
The laughs, the endless running , the green Thayyal.. Ashar el Hadiqa.. our parents would all gather inside to escape the noise .. drinking their Chai in the (Hall) with its old Qanafat.. warm family gathering and usual family chat.. my Beebee would be watching everybody with her eyes..too tired to talk..but her presence overwhelmed us all with love and Aaman..there was nothing to fear.. at that time there were nothing to fear..the outer world was as peaceful as can be.. what could happen ??!! definitely nothing..!!
Happy old days.. happy old games.. all so vivid in my mind.. I can see K, she was the oldest..B with here ever laughing face..A with his silly arrogance.. G always kept to herself.. H and F were always not so friendly.. O was trying to be the one to lead ..L was always mad, judging each one of us.. M ever so sophisticated ..and me.. I was a very bashful little girl..
How many years separate us from the past ? How many miles separate us now ?
But the colorful memories will always stay on.. warming our hearts..
Or Fridays sometimes, especially in winter.. the house with its big garden, very tempting for our games.. chasing one another up and down the short stairs leading to the Tarma, running in imaginary tours around the house.. running to catch one another in Jommeda.. or (Selleban) -as was called in my old school.. (but cant remember its details very clearly !)..
It always seems like a colorful dream to me, whenever I look back.. no matter how many years have passed or would pass.. which reminds me that one of the favorite games was one called Alwan – Colors.. the assigned one would stand in the middle , and then suggests a certain color loudly.. each one of us should run quickly and locate that same color and touch it, or shouts out : Hayyataa..meaning he has found the required color, so he is safe !! then another color is suggested and on goes..
There was also a game which we all liked .. Barr – Bahar.. we would stand in a looong line, side by side.. on the line where the Thayyal of Beebee's garden ends..and the grayish Shtigher begins..One of us would start shouting repeatedly.. Barr, Bahar, Barr, Bahar, and we would jump from (Bahar) to (Barr) .. the Bahar would be the garden usually..Bahar, Barr, Bahar.. then a sudden repeated word: Bahar, Bahar , Barr.. "B.. You lose.." cause B missed and jumped to Barr instead of remaining in Bahar .. and so on each will miss eventually.. as the "caller" does what he can to make us miss and lose the game.. the losers would stand aside watching the others to find who is the last to win..
My favorite was Hajji Eloo.. always loved it.. again, the assigned one would stand in the middle.. we, in a circle watching him attentively.. suddenly he would shout : EEeeebdaaaaa.. (Start) .. he then starts running chasing us , we must all run at once and find a higher (something) to stand on.. the stairs, a chair, a Qanafa, anything high to be safe.. that’s where the name comes, Eloo meaning Height..the one who gets caught of course loses..
The laughs, the endless running , the green Thayyal.. Ashar el Hadiqa.. our parents would all gather inside to escape the noise .. drinking their Chai in the (Hall) with its old Qanafat.. warm family gathering and usual family chat.. my Beebee would be watching everybody with her eyes..too tired to talk..but her presence overwhelmed us all with love and Aaman..there was nothing to fear.. at that time there were nothing to fear..the outer world was as peaceful as can be.. what could happen ??!! definitely nothing..!!
Happy old days.. happy old games.. all so vivid in my mind.. I can see K, she was the oldest..B with here ever laughing face..A with his silly arrogance.. G always kept to herself.. H and F were always not so friendly.. O was trying to be the one to lead ..L was always mad, judging each one of us.. M ever so sophisticated ..and me.. I was a very bashful little girl..
How many years separate us from the past ? How many miles separate us now ?
But the colorful memories will always stay on.. warming our hearts..
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