plastic, puncture-proof containers. Soon the path resembles a hospital that’s just been bombed. The only things missing are the dead bodies and walking wounded. Aaron watches in horror as small, innocent hands pick up used plastic syringes and throw them into a pile for recycling. The youngest girl smiles at him as if she’s playing with dolls, not death, and the smell and silence of the afternoon heat press down on Aaron and Jacob like a cloud of sulphur as they walk away.
“Hey! I’ve been looking for you,” a voice shouts. From the end of the lane, Abe breaks away from three of his friends the moment he spots Aaron. “Want a game?”
Aaron catches the ball and for a few minutes they kick it back and forth. But it’s a half-hearted game. Aaron sees Lijah talking to Shareen in the distance.
“Everyone’s after her now,” Jacob says with a clown-like grin.
It turns out that Shareen’s still the most desired girl in Mokattam and, because she’s engaged, even Lijah’s moving in. Aaron’s sickened by the way he just pretended to touch her arm accidentally. What’s more horrible is the fact that she’s obviously enjoying the attention, and when Aaron sees Simon rush to join in with Lijah’s teasing, he can’t help moving closer to listen. Jacob and Abe go with him.
“Are you excited about the wedding?” Lijah smirks.
“I don’t know,” Shareen says, giggling.
“Daniel goes to sleep at seven o’clock every night,” Simon tells her.
“Nah, it’s six, you idiot,” Lijah says. “I’d be worried about keeping your marriage together if I were you.”
“Get lost,” Shareen warns.
Simon bursts out laughing. “You’re too late, Lijah.”
“What are you doing here?” Lijah says to Abe.
“Nothing,” Abe replies, kicking the ball at Simon.
Simon catches it and watches Lijah expectantly. A threatening atmosphere descends until Simon throws the ball back and an impromptu match breaks out, with kids appearing from the lane to join in on their way home from school for lunch.
Shareen is clearly crushed by the sudden lack of interest in her and, arms folded, slumps on the ground to watch, anxious for the stupid kicking to stop. At first she thinks Lijah just wants to show off, but the longer the game goes on, the more she sees he’s enjoying himself, even though he says he hates soccer.
The only way that Shareen can cheer herself up is by imagining her forthcoming party. She’ll have her hair in silky-smooth curls that fall over her eyes and earrings. With dainty shoes and a bright red dress, she’ll be the prettiest girl there. The engagement party has given her something to look forward to and, though she doesn’t have a dress or shoes yet, Malia has promised to do her hair and makeup. She’s having a party and that’s all that matters.
By the time Aaron and Jacob reach the open, clean, beautiful lane leading to the limestone carvings and statues surrounding the church, the ponies and carts have all returned from the first trip of the day.
“When I see tons of cartons, newspaper, corrugated boxes and stuff, you know what I think?” Jacob suddenly pipes up.
“What?” Aaron asks.
Jacob blinks wildly. “That it’s stupid. They turn all the paper into tissues and people throw them away and then we pick them up again.”
“I know.”
As Aaron settles on the warm brick wall and looks back through a haze of heat at the buildings, he imagines what Cairo would be like if, overnight, the Zabbaleen didn’t exist. The city would soon drown in garbage crawling with rats and every kind of vermin. Stray dogs and cats would tear into the bags to eat maggoty meat and drag food across the roads. Disease would spread through every home and the tourists would stop coming. The city would soon collapse into ruin without them.
It’s too hot to talk and Aaron doesn’t have the energy to do much but sit here and dream. After imagining the destruction of Cairo, he conjures up a picture of
“Hey! I’ve been looking for you,” a voice shouts. From the end of the lane, Abe breaks away from three of his friends the moment he spots Aaron. “Want a game?”
Aaron catches the ball and for a few minutes they kick it back and forth. But it’s a half-hearted game. Aaron sees Lijah talking to Shareen in the distance.
“Everyone’s after her now,” Jacob says with a clown-like grin.
It turns out that Shareen’s still the most desired girl in Mokattam and, because she’s engaged, even Lijah’s moving in. Aaron’s sickened by the way he just pretended to touch her arm accidentally. What’s more horrible is the fact that she’s obviously enjoying the attention, and when Aaron sees Simon rush to join in with Lijah’s teasing, he can’t help moving closer to listen. Jacob and Abe go with him.
“Are you excited about the wedding?” Lijah smirks.
“I don’t know,” Shareen says, giggling.
“Daniel goes to sleep at seven o’clock every night,” Simon tells her.
“Nah, it’s six, you idiot,” Lijah says. “I’d be worried about keeping your marriage together if I were you.”
“Get lost,” Shareen warns.
Simon bursts out laughing. “You’re too late, Lijah.”
“What are you doing here?” Lijah says to Abe.
“Nothing,” Abe replies, kicking the ball at Simon.
Simon catches it and watches Lijah expectantly. A threatening atmosphere descends until Simon throws the ball back and an impromptu match breaks out, with kids appearing from the lane to join in on their way home from school for lunch.
Shareen is clearly crushed by the sudden lack of interest in her and, arms folded, slumps on the ground to watch, anxious for the stupid kicking to stop. At first she thinks Lijah just wants to show off, but the longer the game goes on, the more she sees he’s enjoying himself, even though he says he hates soccer.
The only way that Shareen can cheer herself up is by imagining her forthcoming party. She’ll have her hair in silky-smooth curls that fall over her eyes and earrings. With dainty shoes and a bright red dress, she’ll be the prettiest girl there. The engagement party has given her something to look forward to and, though she doesn’t have a dress or shoes yet, Malia has promised to do her hair and makeup. She’s having a party and that’s all that matters.
By the time Aaron and Jacob reach the open, clean, beautiful lane leading to the limestone carvings and statues surrounding the church, the ponies and carts have all returned from the first trip of the day.
“When I see tons of cartons, newspaper, corrugated boxes and stuff, you know what I think?” Jacob suddenly pipes up.
“What?” Aaron asks.
Jacob blinks wildly. “That it’s stupid. They turn all the paper into tissues and people throw them away and then we pick them up again.”
“I know.”
As Aaron settles on the warm brick wall and looks back through a haze of heat at the buildings, he imagines what Cairo would be like if, overnight, the Zabbaleen didn’t exist. The city would soon drown in garbage crawling with rats and every kind of vermin. Stray dogs and cats would tear into the bags to eat maggoty meat and drag food across the roads. Disease would spread through every home and the tourists would stop coming. The city would soon collapse into ruin without them.
It’s too hot to talk and Aaron doesn’t have the energy to do much but sit here and dream. After imagining the destruction of Cairo, he conjures up a picture of
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