June 12th 2025

Solomon:

The layover in Frankfurt was extended for two hours. Our flight to Cairo was delayed. Terminal One had many cafés and duty shops, but we couldn't just sit around in the lounge or wander around the shops to buy what we don't need. We decided to book a room at the Airport's Sheraton Hotel for some hours to take a small nap, freshen ourselves up, and then go back to gate B to catch our connecting flight. It was a long walk from the gate to the hotel. I felt bad for my friends because it was exhausting for them. We were a happy group of four, visiting Cairo for our archaeological studies sponsored and assigned by our university. Our university had collaborated with a travel company based in Cairo and had especially designed this trip to have an emphasis on the major historical sites of the country. This three-day study tour's aim was to combine an enjoyable travel experience with an opportunity to learn about the history and archaeology of the places we visit. A university qualified historian and archaeologist from Australia, with expertise in archaeology and the history of the ancient world, who now resided in Egypt, was our instructor.

I was six-feet-five-inches tall and the center of attraction. I'm glad I didn't exceed the height of the tallest basketball player, which my father wished, for he was a diehard fan.

We carried our handbags, packed our scattered stuff, and checked if we missed anything in the lounge. Pete was looking here and there for his glasses. They were stuck between the heavy cushioned seats. If not for my senses, he would never have found them.

"Solomon, my life saver, I owe you a treat." Pete spoke while grabbing his glasses from my hand.

"How many times have you said that and actually given me one?" I replied, patting his back slowly as his body moved back and forth .He was as lean as I but muscular, with a height that reached my shoulders.

The airport was massive, clean, and luxurious. The Germans were friendly at the help desk. One of them even guided us to the hotel. While walking to the hotel with the group, my eyes fell on a turban displayed on the glass window of one of the duty-free shops. The souvenir shop had a lot of other Arabian things like Turkish prayer mats, beads, crystal showpieces, and portraits in Arabic.

Pete called out the others, "Hey guys, let's get some of this stuff before landing on their land." Tim and Ricky were even more excited to get it all.

I picked up the turban I was attracted to at once. It was reddish purple like a beetroot, with a chain of pearls attached to it. It fit me well and made me look grand. The man at the counter was very short in height—he wore his gray trouser above his belly. He flashed off his yellow teeth when I looked at him to ask for the price.

"Only 250 Euros. It looks like it's made for you."

I shook my head in refusal. It was expensive. "Never mind, we will buy some prayer beads and the white cotton head caps." His items were attractive and new to us so we bought some stuff willingly. I bought a string of crystal prayer beads for mom and a prayer mat, and a white cotton cap for my father. I was sure they would love this unique stuff.

When we stepped out of the shop, the man called me back, "Sir, the turban for 150?" I shook my head again, but Pete bought it immediately. He said, "This is for all the treats that were due. Now don't ask for anything until forever." I laughed out loud and pulled him in my arm in appreciation as we left for the hotel.

We chose a family executive room with one king-sized bed and two single beds. The room looked quite comfortable, especially the bed with a soft yet bulky mattress. There wasn't any noise in the room as it was sound proof. We also had free Wi-Fi and a complimentary meal.

We didn't do anything except sleep—we straight away fell on the bed and that's it. We were woken up by an attendant an hour before our flight as we had asked while checking-in. Tim spoke, "Guys, hurry up. We need to reach the boarding gate half an hour early."

I grabbed all the complimentary snacks kept besides our bed and put them in my bag. There were Oreos, pretzels, roasted nuts, and some mint candies. Everyone rushed to gate B33, almost jogging, but I was walking leisurely while munching on the snacks.

Passengers were already lining up and the gate agents were preparing to stamp the boarding passes. They called out for the first class and the elderly people first, then ladies with small children and the economy class last. I didn't understand the logic behind rushing to get in the line at the boarding gate when we would board anyway, so our group deliberately decided to go in after everyone else.

When it was my turn to show my pass, the gorgeous agent at the gate intentionally brushed her hands with mine while collecting it, and spoke, "Hey handsome, have a great flight." I told her thanks and moved on. We all had to get into the airport bus to board our plane.

My seat was near Ricky and Tim's. Pete got a seat near an elderly woman in the middle of the aisle. After showing the safety instructions, the plane took off in half an hour. Meals were served in short intervals. I loved their cheese sandwich and coffee. I turned on the small TV; it automatically played a movie in Arabic. My eyes felt droopy just staring at the characters. I knew a little Arabic since I always wanted to know what the people in my dreams wanted to convey, but never understood the message properly since it didn't make any sense.

نحن بحاجة للسلام ، نحن بحاجة إليك

"Solomon, wake up. We are landing." Tim woke me up from my catnap while the air hostess instructed us to fasten our seat belts. I pulled up my window shade to look outside. It was evening, so we couldn't see much out of the window except the glittering colorful lights below. The landing was smooth.

Cairo International Airport was crowded but clean; the floors were shining and the carpets were well vacuumed. The airport was decorated with big artificial date and coconut trees. There were a few overpriced duty-free shops and places to eat. We got our visa upon arrival. The immigration officer took my passport, stamped it, and threw it in front of me, which was rude. We got our luggage on time at the baggage claim.

As we exited from Terminal 3, a lot of taxi drivers tried to grab us. Our cab was, however, pre-booked by the travel company. My friends were cussing and waiting for the daylight to have a perfect view, especially after driving on the air bridge to the Ring Road.

It was humid in the evening, with heavy traffic and so much noise. There were a lot of mosques, malls, and newly constructed buildings on the way to Downtown Cairo. Cairo was a lot better than my imagination.

Our hotel was in a peaceful location. The moment we arrived, we were amazed by the interior décor of the lobby and hotel. Who would have thought it possible to have so many full-sized palm trees and wonderful flowers growing inside the atrium? The lights would change colors every now and then. There were a good number of restaurant choices inside the hotel and all were located within the atrium. We were offered welcome drinks and cold towels upon arrival. The attendant checking us in—Ahmad—was very friendly and spoke great English. After checking-in, we were given a tour of the facilities of the hotel and they explained the features available in our room.

From our luxurious and much cozy room, we could view the graceful river Nile. And before we hit the bed, we were served with a simple yet delicious dinner.

We got up early in the morning to beat the traffic and the rush at the pyramids following which, we would head to the Cairo Museum. We only had three days to complete our research. I put on the turban, my favorite shades, a plain white shirt and a pair of faded jeans. We went down to the lobby to wait for our group leader, Dr Aiman.

He was an experienced guide and tour leader who worked with many other companies before setting up his own Archaeology Tour. He had also traveled widely in Egypt, the Near East, and Southern Asia and spoke Arabic. His company had arranged everything for us here, including a private cab, which was going to take us around the city. I knew a few things in Arabic and knew the greeting was important to the Arabs. So, I said 'Salaam Alykum' to everyone while walking out of the hotel, and they would say 'Walaikum Salaam' back with a huge grin.

We had a round of introductions with Dr. Aiman on the way. He had a B.A. Honors Degree in Archaeology from the University of Sydney and an M.A. and a PhD in Egyptology from Macquarie University, Sydney. He had been a Macquarie University lecturer and tutor since 2000 with extensive experience in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses in archaeology and history.

The cab driver dropped us right outside the ticket booth at the Giza pyramids. The camel sellers jumped in front of us to rent out their camels, and the vendors were forcing us to buy their wares. Even the photographers were hyperactive. Dr. Aiman warned them off and suggested us to rent the camels, so it would be an easier and enjoyable ride for us.

The site of the pyramids was remarkable. The flat rocky soil was like bedrock for a stable foundation of the pyramids. Each pyramid was made of stone blocks using granite and white limestone that was quarried from the river Nile. The pyramid remained symmetrical, with the exterior casing stones equal in height and width. It seemed the workers might have marked all the blocks to indicate the angle of the pyramid wall and trimmed the surfaces carefully so that the blocks fit together. The pyramids of Giza were constructed to house the remains of the deceased Pharaohs who ruled over Ancient Egypt. We went inside the pyramids. It was hot and confined, so I removed my turban. Cameras weren't allowed inside—all we could do is jot down whatever knowledge we could grasp. The great Sphinx was attractive, designed like a majestic mythical creature. It looked like a lion with the face of a man. We all had different descriptions for it.

It took us a few hours to complete the sightseeing of the pyramids. Tim was standing next to me, trying to take pictures on his phone. Pete was looking up at the birds with his binoculars, scrunching his nose. Ricky was sitting on a big rock and sketching the pyramids, while Dr. Aiman was helping him out with descriptions.

A strong wind blew against me with a whirling noise and whispered, "Master." It literally shook me. Maybe it was my imagination. I clapped my hands to call the boys so we could move for lunch. It was twelve noon.

In an endless cacophony of car horns, in the heart of Egypt's bustling capital, our cab driver Rasheed didn't bat an eyelid as he narrowly dodged a black tuk-tuk—-a three-wheeled vehicle—driving in the wrong direction. The traffic was intense; rules were rarely respected and traffic jams were a plenty. Dr. Aiman asked the cab driver to take us to some traditional restaurant in the city to eat authentic Egyptian food. He took us to a small restaurant where we ordered flavored rice with tender spicy meat layered on it, and watery chicken gravy with huge pita breads.

However, before entering the restaurant, my eyes fell on a middle-sized open tent built next it. It was made for tarot card reading and palm reading; the wooden chalkboard on the pavement had the drawings of play cards and a white hand, illustrating some strange symbols on it. It read, "Your hand, Your future." I sensed negativity and a suffocating darkness coming from inside.

I asked for some tea after the food, the waiter then asked how many. I replied, "Arbaa," meaning four in Arabic. He gave me a nod and asked, "Hal' ant Lubnani?" I shook my head.

"What's he saying?" Pete asked.

"He is asking if I'm a Lebanese."

Pete held his stomach and started laughing out loud, and mumbled, "See, I told you."

"I always thought the same too. You took nothing from your parents. Your unique emerald golden orbs, your features and auburn curly hair are nothing like anyone's." Tim almost whispered. Ricky and Dr. Aiman joined in their giggles.

I gave them a smile, although it started getting on my nerves. Was there something my parents never told me? I'm gifted with powers and super senses, but why do I look so different?

With time, we were learning of my powers. I never enjoyed them like the superheroes do in the movies, nor was my childhood as amusing as other children's. I had to be careful to never misuse them and be a good example for the others. I wanted to be a normal person who always followed their positive inner instincts. I loved helping others using my powers.

Ricky shook me and I got back to my senses, "Dude, relax."

I finally laughed and replied, "I'm not at all worried if I look like an Arab. But I'm surely thinking whether I'm adopted." We all roared with laughter. We paid the check since meals were not included in the tour package.

As we stepped out of the restaurant, a tall, dark skinned man wearing a faded, purple, polyester Arabian robe quickly came out from the tent. He was clean-shaven and bald; his face looked like a brown egg. He glared at us from head to toe and welcomed us inside his tent for the readings, in his broken English. We refused at first, but when he told us it's free and he would only take a small tip, my friends agreed to try it. I wasn't falling for his traps. I didn't believe in astrology or fortune telling, but I followed my friends.

Inside the tent, everything was creepy. Some voodoo dolls, cards and human bones were scattered around on his table. The light was dim, the smell foul. I couldn't tell if anything was for real. There was only his wooden table and a few plastic chairs. He invited Pete first and said while looking at his hand, "You will discover a merman's skull, and then marry a very beautiful woman who will die after ten years of your marriage." I couldn't stop myself from laughing at him.

Then it was Ricky's turn. He told him, "You are going to die in a car crash."

"Can you tell when?" Ricky asked curiously.

The man replied, "For that, you will have to pay me."

He finally told Tim something good, "You are going to have triplets."

He told Dr. Aiman, "You will win a lottery!"

And then he was eyeing me suspiciously as I didn't put my hand forward. I exclaimed, "I don't believe in this crap!"

He spoke in a loud voice and smirked, "O son of genie, what are you hiding?"

"Something that you are not." I replied curtly, not understanding what he meant, though the hair on my arm stood when he said the word genie.

"Oh. Aren't you a powerful chap?"

"Don't make me break your nose." I yelled, gritting my teeth.

Pete quickly brought out the tip on behalf of us all and put it on his table. "Guys, let's not spoil the mood please. This man is crazy."

He shouted from behind as we were walking out. "I know who your friend is! We will be at his service." I raised my middle finger at him angrily and walked out. I was pleased he didn't come after me.

Nahnbihajatlilsalam, nahnbihajat 'iilayk. We need peace, we need you.