Falucca Ride on the Nile

My Parents had called from the University and informed Ateya that I was going with them on a University outing. Ateya had fussed at me, bullied me and hounded me until I got in the shower, washed, and put on clean clothes. I came out in my party dress. He then did not like the dress saying that it was not warm enough and I should put on something with long sleeves and I should also wear ‘sand shoes’. I stood there like a dummy.
“What are sand shoes?”
“It’s what you wear everyday to school”
“Sneakers?”
Ateya smiled. He went to the dresser and pulled out a nice pair of dress pants, a long sleeved blouse and a cardigan.
“Put this on” he said.
“Where are we going? I asked where ever it is not going to be at the North Pole….I will burn up with this on!
Ateya laughed, “You will thank me later mazmazelle, but for now just carry the sweater. The Nile will get chilly tonight and there are lots of mosquitoes. These clothes will protect you.
He left me to change my clothes.

My father pulled the old Fiat up and waved for me to get in. He hated to be late even more than he hated to go anywhere! My mother smiled and whispered, “This will be an adventure.”

We arrive not far from where Salem and I viewed the Nile when I first arrived. It was only a little way down from the old Yacht club.
‘This is where the yacht comes from in Maadi sporting and Yacht club’ I said to myself.
The sun was still up and it was hot, but I did feel a coolness coming off the water. There were lots of university staff and their families gathered having drinks on land while gazing at a huge falucca (Egyptian Sail boat). It was an adult gathering and from the feel of it we would be here a while. I walked around staring up and down the Nile, just looking at the other faluccas go by. In the middle of the river was the Gazeerat al dahab (the golden isle) which seemed to be like fairy tale land.

A kitten rubbed my leg. From the gazeerat al dahab, the call to prayer began. I bent down to the kitten but she ran under the table. “AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH” shrieked a woman. AAAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhh” she shrieked even more loudly and stood on the chair. A waiter came up yelling something in between the word ‘madame’. A man and a girl were there helping the distraught woman. She was pointing to the kitten. I ran over, picked uop the kitten and gently tossed it into the shrubbery.
“Thank you thank you my dear” she said. Your welcome I replied. She then proceeded to introduce her self. “I am Saneya Saleh, this is my daughter Hala and my husband Mohammad.” My father came up behind me and said “Saneya, this is my daughter, Erin.” And he tapped my shoulder again so I said “it’s nice to meet you Saleya”
Hala giggled and Saneya shushed her. She bent down to my level and said “its SAA NAY yah”
‘How stupid of me’ I thought “Saneya” I repeated. She beamed at me. The adults then went back into the familiar pattern of ignoring children and Hala approached. Your name is Eeeereeen” she asked.
No its “Air-in” like someone lets air in the room…
“Oh Airin” said Hala, does your name have a meaning? my name means the rings around the moon...a halo”

Wow! What a cool name! my name only means Ireland I think.....

You are named for a land? This is very strange.

We talked about everything and about nothing for what seemed like and eternity.

The Boat man called, every boarded the falucca. And we set off.
Hala and I found a nice spot where we could watch what was happening at the waters edge. The Land rolled by and with it was the activity of farm life. Men were coming back from the fields carrying their hoes over their shoulders. Some of the harversters where still out using the last of the afternoon sun; separating the grain from the chaff; We saw women and girls come down to the waters edge from their mud houses to collect water in jugs and wash the evenings dishes; we saw the boys taking the Gamoosa (Water buffalo) further down and bathe him after a hard days work at the Saqqiya (water wheel); we saw the doves in thick clouds returning to their cotes; and we listened to the sound of drums and the distant ululations of women celebrating a wedding. This time in Egypt seems to stand still for me. I stared at the shore. The sky was orange glow and everything else was black. The bulbul calls. Radio’s everywhere were turned on and it seemed that everyone was listening to Omm Kalsoum sing.

Then the mosquitoes came. I put on the sweater that Ateya forced me to take and silently blessed him.

Hala was a great person to have around. She explained everything in great detail, even going into customs and religion. She knew so much! I wished she lived in Maadi instead of Heliopolis.