Post #7:

It’s been a while since I’ve had the opportunity to say anything about what’s been happening in Choo8i’s life. Here I must say not much was happening to begin with-- he’s bid farewell to 2008 the same way he’s welcomed it one year before; maj6ool 3al 8anafa bel dishdasha, murmuring a few things to the effect of “an3al abu el denya”!

Needless to say, my life has consisted of watching that, and collecting the crumbs of his table. Bountiful crumbs, I must say, since it was 3ashoor, otherwise marked on my calendar as the 8eema festival (Though oddly enough, some people sent some Biryani. And of course, Hareesa!) and for a while, I was spared the horrors of his cooking as he was spared the horrors of having to change and go out to get food. Lunch was virtually always served to his door, and he enjoyed it for a few days from his headquarters on the living room couch.

There’s been this interesting thing as well, the war on Gaza thing. I know about that because Choo8i turns on television and tries to figure what could be happening in the streets of Baghdad, and is instead plastered with a “3ajil” banner, Gaza subtitles, and a live reporter talking about the miseries of the situation there. Olmert said, Abbas said, Hannyeh promised revenge. Sometimes I wonder whether humans forget that the world is watching.

At first, I could see that he was sympathizing; I’ve heard him groan and murmur some “tara77umat” on the souls of women and children lost in the conflict. It’s somewhat difficult not to, with all the graphic material being shown on television to draw sympathy for one party and…well…reap anger for the other. That is, between snickers and fits of laughter over Arab Summits and responses…or the lack of thereof. But after a while, even I could tell he’s lost interest. I overheard him complain about it on the phone just last night:

-Ya akhi it’s been 60 years. Had it been any other nation in this world, they would have sorted their things out. Mtayheen 9ol ch3abhum, and now innocent people are paying for it.

-….

-W tali? Well, we’ve been da nehtefelhum for 60 years as well. What did we get?

-….

-Nope. My money stays put, in my pocket, for when I’m hungry or out of fuel. Not donating anything.

-….

-Speaking of humane, where were they since 2003? Beside selling us terrorists and naffug-ing shi3arat fargha and accusing us of having given Americans some kryptonite, betraying Saddam!

-….

-Ahoo…w ani yahoo matti? Khallafit Fala96een w niset-ha? Nobody tossed a nickel about Iraqis. If I were so humane, I’d be donating my quid to one of the hundreds of thousands of families that have lost someone in this country. Humma awla beeha, ham 3ira8iyeen. I’m inhumane and I’m content that way, now, have you watched any new movies recently?!

And that was the end of the Gaza discussion from Choo8i’s end, and apparently, from the other end as well. Because an hour or so later, Mazin showed up with a good stack of new DVDs with all the US Box Office top 10 pirated for a buck each. And that was some 10 bucks he’s spent happily for the wellbeing of himself.