“A sentence? What is it?”
“There’s something about Beirut that makes the ending obvious from the beginning.”
Zeezee sits quietly. I look at her, waiting for her response, and I see a wicked smile forming on her lips.
“So that’s how you write? You, the famous writer? A sentence pops into your head from the valley of the genius and you find a place for it in your equation?”
“I’m never going to become a famous writer as long as one of the people reading me is you.”
“So you have people reading you now?”
“Oui.”
“You sound like a six-year-old sometimes.”
“Well, mom, twenty-four days from now I’m going to be thirty-three. I’ll be as old as Jesus! I’m going to die soon!”
“Oui, that’s true. You wore us out at thirty-two. So what are you going to do when you’re thirty-three? Wipe us out? What’s your thirty-three going to look like?”
“Same as thirty-two. Don’t worry about me, worry about yourself.”
“Why should I? I’m still young, do you remember what that was like?”
“I didn’t mean you worrying about your stinking age, I meant my birthday. Have you thought of my gifts yet? You’re running out of time Zeezee deary, you better act fast.”
“Old bat.”
She sticks her hand out in my face, telling me to be quiet, and looks away. I look away too.
I say “bekhhh,” she responds with “ufff.” Then we both go quiet. She reads.
I smoke a cigarette and watch the television, then doze off. I wake up to find Zeezee has finished reading. She looks exhausted.
“Bless your heart.”
“Merci.”
“Tired?”
“Yeah.”
I avoid the obvious question: “I hope I didn’t bore you with it.”
She responds coolly: “No, you didn’t necessarily bore me.”
I lose my patience: “Then what?”
“Well, you didn’t bore me.”
Glossary
Abdel Halim Hafez: (1929–77) One of the most popular Egyptian singers; considered an icon in modern Arabic music. Also known as “el-Andaleeb al-Asmar” (“the Dark-Skinned Nightingale”).
Balqis: Also known as the Queen of Sheba; a queen regnant who appears in the Bible. She is the subject of one of the most widespread and fertile cycles of legends in the Orient.
David Charles Samhoun: Israeli agent; a character in the Raafat al-Haggan television series.
Fairuz: One of the most widely admired singers in the Arab world. She is commonly known as the “Jewel of Lebanon” and “Ambassador to the Stars.”
Faten Hamama: (1931–2015) Egyptian actress and producer who helped shape the cinema industry in Egypt and improve the role of women in cinema and Egyptian society.
Fitnah: Or fitna. Unrest or rebellion against a figure or leader. In Islam, the term has several connotations, the most common of which indicates forcing Muslims to revert from their religion and embrace sin.
Gamal Abdel Nasser: (1918–70) The second president of Egypt, who served from 1956 until his death. He was most famous for nationalizing the Suez Canal Company and establishing Egypt’s Pan-Arab identity.
Gemmayzeh: A neighborhood in Beirut that has been undergoing gentrification since the end of the civil war and is well known today for its trendy bars and pubs, cafés, restaurants, and lounges.
Hamra Street: Or Rue Hamra. One of the main streets of Beirut and the center of intellectual activity. Although eclipsed by Gemmayzeh and the downtown area, Hamra is considered one of the nightlife spots in Beirut.
Hassan Nasrallah: Often referred to as al-Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah. He is the third and current secretary general of the Lebanese political and paramilitary organization, Hezbollah, which is designated as a terrorist organization by several European/Western and West Asian countries.
Hind Rostom: (1929–2011) Icon in Egyptian cinema; known as the “Marilyn Monroe of Egypt.”
Kamal Jumblatt: (1917–77) Early leader of the Jumblatt clan and father of the current Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt. He was an important Lebanese politician, the main opponent of the Assad regime during the Lebanese civil war, and a major ally of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Kamel al-Sabbah: (1895–1935) Also known as Camil A. Sabbah. Born in Nabatieh, Lebanon, he was an electrical and electronics research engineer, mathematician, and inventor. He worked as an engineer at the General Electric Company in New York and earned forty-three patents for his inventions, among which were innovations in television transmission. He was believed to have been assassinated in New York City.
Mar Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir: Cardinal and patriarch emeritus of the Maronite Church, which constitutes Lebanon’s largest Christian body.
Michel Aoun: A former Lebanese army commander during the Lebanese civil war and a current politician and leader of the Free Patriotic Movement. He is a figurehead of the March 8 Alliance, a coalition of pro–Assad regime political parties in Lebanon that is headed by Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
Nabih Berri: Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon and the head of the Amal Movement. He is a member of the March 8 Alliance.
Nadia Lutfi: Popular actress in Egyptian cinema.
“The Nights of Love in Vienna”: Song; lyrics by Ahmed Rami, music by Farid al-Atrash, and vocals by Asmahan.
Raafat al-Haggan: (1927–82) Also known as Refaat Ali Suleiman al-Gammal, or Jack Beton in Israel. He was an Egyptian spy and a national hero who played an important role in the Six-Day War. A popular three-season Egyptian television series, titled after Haggan, told the story of his life and accomplishments as a spy. It starred Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, Heba Selim, and Youssef Chaban, and it was based on a book by Saleh Mursi.
Rafic Hariri: (1944–2005) Often referred to as Sheikh Rafic Hariri, he was a business tycoon and a former prime minister of Lebanon. He is credited with reconstructing Beirut after the Lebanese civil war, and he was assassinated with a two-ton car bomb.
Ras Beirut: “Tip of Beirut”; a luxurious residential neighborhood of Beirut that has the most diverse religious population in the country. It is also home to Beirut’s most aristocratic families.
Saad Hariri: Lebanese Saudi billionaire, the second son of Rafic Hariri, and the leader of the Future Movement. Often referred to as Sheikh Saad Hariri, he served as the prime minister of Lebanon after the assassination of his
