He laughs. “In the summer, yes, but you would be surprised to know that Egypt can be cold in the winter.”
I take a tiny sip of the juice and the first flavor to touch my tongue reminds me of the way grass smells when it’s freshly cut, followed by a sweetness that is neither syrupy nor heavy. “This tastes like . . . well, if green had a flavor, it would taste like this.”
“I have never thought about colors having flavors.” Adam considers. “But I think you are correct. Green.”
Like at the fūl cart, we have to give back the cups, so we drink the juice quickly.
“There is something else I think you might like to see.” He leads me to a row of vendors selling nothing but animals. There are cages filled with all kinds of different birds—cockatoos, lovebirds, finches, cockatiels, parrots, budgies, chickens, geese, pigeons—but there are also dogs, goats, snakes, donkeys, and goldfish. I pause at a cage of lovebirds, watching a pair groom each other. I love their sweet red faces and I think about buying one, but I’m not sure how my parents would feel about that. I’ve never had a pet.
The vendor says something to us in Arabic.
“He asks if you wish to buy a bird,” Adam translates.
“Maybe, but not today.”
We move off through the market and he scores good deals for me on a couple of tapestries, a pair of scarves, some houseplants, and a junky-but-ornate old mirror that will look great with a coat of paint. We go back for three of the lanterns and return to the furniture stall to collect the chair. Arms loaded, we head to the car.
“You did very well today,” Adam says as he ties the trunk lid down around the chair, which doesn’t quite fit all the way.
“No, you did very well.”
“I am sure my father would be happy to teach you a few bargaining phrases.”
I feel a little deflated by the suggestion. Not because I don’t want to learn to haggle for myself but because hanging out with Adam has been fun. Spending time with his dad, while maybe more appropriate, won’t be the same.
As we drive back to Manial, I share with Adam the way his father frowned when Dad paid full price for the fruits and vegetables in Manshiyat Nasr.
“I’m certain he was disappointed,” Adam says. “He loves to haggle and lives to win, but I am sure the woman was happy to receive your father’s kindness. He seems to have a big heart.”
Masoud lends a hand as we carry my new treasures up to the apartment, his eyes flitting suspiciously back and forth between Adam and me, as if he thinks he is the only thing keeping us from making out on the elevator floor. Warmth rises to my cheeks at the thought of making out with Adam anywhere.
“Thanks again for rescheduling your life for me, but I think I’ll wait for your dad to get better before I call again,” I say after everything is inside and Masoud is finally gone. “I mean, you’ve got a kitchen to conquer and I definitely don’t want to stand in the way of a dream.”
Adam’s face softens into a smile that burns itself into my brain, an image that resurfaces as I hang the largest tapestry on the wall behind the couch and as I position my new chair beside my balcony door.
? ? ?
“This is such a great start,” Mom says when she comes home and sees the lanterns hanging in a cluster in the corner of the living room and the plants perched on the sunny end table.
I tell her about al-Gomaa, about trying fūl and drinking cane juice. What I don’t tell her is that I’m kind of disappointed that I won’t get to hang out with Adam Elhadad again.
CHAPTER 10
Wake up!” Mom sings as she flickers my bedroom lights to wake me up. The sun has barely cracked the horizon. “Mr. Elhadad will be here soon. Today’s the day we’re going to the pyramids!”
I wonder if Adam might come in his father’s place again, but not long after I take a quick shower and eat an even quicker breakfast, Mr. Elhadad arrives. He looks a little tired around the eyes but otherwise recovered.
“It’s nice to see you,” Mom says as he opens the car door for her. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better, but the more important question is how the good work at your clinic is going.”
My mother shakes her head. “Every day brings a new challenge. Yesterday, for instance, an elderly man brought his wife in for cataract surgery. It’s a simple procedure that takes about fifteen minutes. When I finished with her, I asked him if he would like the surgery—his eyes were clouded worse than hers—but he refused and there was nothing I could say to get him to change his mind.”
“This is not uncommon, especially with older and more conservative Muslims,” Mr. Elhadad says. “These men believe that being examined by a woman doctor, allowing her to touch them, is fitnah—giving temptation the opportunity to occur. Only if there is no male doctor available is it permissible to see a woman.”
Mom stifles a laugh with her hand. “I’m sorry. We’re talking about medical conditions here. There is nothing sexy about cataracts.”
Mr. Elhadad chuckles. “I understand, but this is what some people believe.”
“And I understand that,” Mom says. “It’s just frustrating to deal with men who would choose to stay blind when they have a chance to see. I am not leading anyone into temptation, only using the talents God gave me.”
The driver offers a sympathetic smile in the rearview mirror. “Be assured there are many Muslims whose minds are more open, but you will remain frustrated if you allow yourself to think this way. In Egypt? Better to hire a male doctor and move forward with your work.”
“Yes,” she says. “I supposed you’re right.”
“Now,” Mr. Elhadad says as we reach the outskirts of Giza. “I must warn you that there are many touts offering camel and horse rides, souvenirs and such, and they can be very aggressive. Do not accept anything from them or they will demand payment. Nothing is free. And do not believe the only way to reach the pyramids is on the back of an animal. It is a long walk, but you may choose to walk.”
Despite his warning, we are not prepared when a man comes running up alongside the car—before we’ve even reached the parking lot—knocking on the window and trying to open the door, all the while shouting, “Best camel ride! Best camel ride!” I slide closer to my mom as Mr. Elhadad speeds up, forcing the man to release his hold on the door handle.
“I have arranged a guide for you.” The driver pulls into the parking lot. “So I am hoping his presence will keep the touts away, but the best method is to avoid eye contact with them and just say no.”
The pyramids are closer now—more enormous than I could ever have imagined—and the sheer magnitude makes my breath catch in my chest.