“None of your business.” Jen smacked his shoulder with a sly grin. “What about you Natti?”
“Um, I’m not sure—”
“Ah, guys.” Kevin interrupted holding his stomach. “Food. Now. I’m starving.”
“Do you always think about your stomach?” Jen snapped.
Wanda and Natti chuckled at the two as they continued past the ‘Oracular Judgment’ sector.
“Oh, I’d really like to try that.” Wanda pointed to the line of palm readers and fortune tellers. “Maybe get our palms read or futures told.”
“You do realize that’s just a bunch of hocus-pocus, right?” Natti retorted. “They can’t really tell you anything.”
Wanda shrugged. “Still, it’ll still be fun.”
Natti shook her head in disbelief. The small group of friends walked into a court where a roller coaster had been set up, a black serpent whizzing around a boat where an Egyptian god sat. Natti glanced at the banner above: ‘Ra and Apep.’ A shiver shot through her spine, and a weight dragged on her heart while the man collecting the fees for the ride watched her. His constant gaze cast a shiver down her spine. She tried to ignore him and drew closer to her friends.
Stop it, Natti, she hissed to herself. You are not in your mother’s shoes. Nothing will happen here. Just relax.
Forcing herself to take a deep breath, her attention turned to the other side where children lined up at the kiddy games in the ‘Sphinx’s Challenge’ sector. Water guns, ring tosses, and darts were lined up, ready from the contestants to give their best shot. Kevin guided their group through a few displays at ‘Cleopatra’s Delights’ and gathered them by a fountain where children ran through undulating spouts. Before them was the ‘Festival Hall’, a huge tent depicting a grand Egyptian feast. All different kinds of aromas—charcoal, sizzling beef, herbs, spices, popcorn, and cotton candy—drifted from inside. The tent was filled to the brim, people clamoring over each other to reach the central tables.
Jen spun around. “Right, we should each buy something different so we can all get a sample.”
“What kind of food are they serving?” Natti asked.
Wanda pushed up her glasses. “Duh! All kinds of Egyptian cuisine as well as American if you wuss out. Personally, I love the Egyptian potato salad.”
“Oh, salata batatis?” Everyone stared at her, and Natti shrugged. “My grandmother was really into the Egyptian cuisine. Her cook was even from Egypt.”
“Her cook?” Kevin stared. “Like what is she? A millionaire?”
“Was, kind of.”
“Well, let’s split up, and we’ll meet at the tables.”
Jen suddenly took off, dragging Kevin clumsily along with her. Natti and Wanda laughed, and then entered into the hall together. The area was packed with grills and food carts. Wanda immediately headed to the vendor serving salata batatis and kufta bil-fahma. Deciding to wander a bit, Natti scanned the selections. From saniyit kufta to cotton candy and popcorn, the ‘Festival Hall’ had all kinds of foods being served at ten different counters. Natti finally settled on one that had Egyptian cuisine she recognized from her childhood.
“How may I help you?”
“Hi,” Natti greeted. “Um, the kofta, please, and a glass of karkady.”
The man raised his brow with a smile. He placed out two long, sizzling meat strips served on skewers and poured her a glass of hibiscus tea. Natti paid the vendor and started for the tables, searching for her friends. Jen and Wanda waved their hands from one of the far-off benches in the back. Natti carefully weaved through the masses of moving bodies.
“So what did you get?” Natti asked, taking the seat next to Jen.
Wanda held up the potato salad and scooped some onto her friends’ plates. “Like I said, I love this stuff.”
Jen also began to hand out even shares of her stuffed potatoes. “Batatis mahshiya. Or that’s what the lady told me anyway.”
Natti nodded, also splitting her kofta into four equal shares. Kevin pushed his way through the crowd and took a seat next to Wanda. A big, cheesy grin spread on his lips while he showed off his prize.
“Corn dogs?” Jen snarled. “You’re eating corn dogs?”
Kevin handed them each their very own. “What can I say? I’m pure American.”