Two weeks in heaven, Day four

Day 4, Wednesday
I seem to like the habit of sleeping till late morning. I again got up around noon. The night life in amman is so amazing, even if you spend it chatting with family members or playing cards. Today I’m supposed to visit my wife’s family. This is the first time I visit them after my father in law died, may he rest in peace. It is also the first time after my young brother in law was killed at an early age. Till today, my wife’s family refuses to accept the deyyeh. I think it’s a matter of time before his killer is killed.
We got there about 2 pm as we were invited for lunch. After greeting them, and comforting them, I sat in the guests room. My dad and my mom were with me. My uncle showed up a little later, with his wife. My brother in law, who is teaching chemical engineering in Jordan, also arrived a little later. We sat down and started chatting about the usual. How is mrs bo3bo3 and how is America. Is it true that America is deliberately changing the name “pigs flue” to H1N1 to hide the fact that pork is bad? This proves that Islam was always right. I know how people think over there. I don’t blame them. I tried to dodge such questions as much as possible fearing that I speak my true mind and anger some people there.
Lunch is ready. AAAAh..music to my ear. They made lots of food. Kabsah, stuffed chickens, kuftah, and the usual grape leaves. I ate very good. I couldn’t help it, but the food was truly good. I am now thinking how am I gonna handle that my brother invited me for late luch, and that tonight, at 8 pm, I’m meeting good friends from Mahjoob for dinner. I know today is gonna be a bad day for my stomach. Oh well, I wanted to enjoy the moment.
We then sat back in the guests room and started talking. There is money for my wife from her inheritance that I was given. I then took my brother in law, the one who has a chemical engineering degree, and started talking about Jordan. Projects like withdrawing water from the red sea to the dead sea was one of the topics. He is doing great handling projects that the EU is supporting. Of course, government again was blamed for so much bad things in Jordan. Typical discussion in the homes of amman.
It was time for me to go home…tabarboor that is. So at 5 pm, we got back to the house. I quickly went upstairs to my brother’s apartment for late lunch. Hos wife made kabsah and mlookheyyeh. Agaon, and against the pleas of my stomach to stop, ate pretty good. His wife makes great pastries as well. I wish I could call the guys and cancel tonights appointment, but I couldn’t. I really wanted to meet these guys and finally put a face on a nick name.
At about 7:45 PM, I walked towards the French bakery in tabarboor. That was the meeting place with Ala. I bought a pack of Marlboro ultra light from the store next door. I was standing on the street, puffing on my Marlboro. I called Ala and told him where I was. Few minutes later, this guy shows up in his car looking at me smiling. He called my name and I answered. So he made a U-turn to pick me up. I got in his car and we drove to the town. I asked where we were meeting, and he mentioned “qasr almandi”. Only if he knows that I had two kabsah already today. I was ok for a third one.
On the way, he called the remaining gang members to let them that we are on the way. So we got there, and we stood outside. The first victim showed up, Enigma. I looked at his plates to see if they were mokhabarat plates. They were not. A sign of relief that is. After greeting, the Jordanian way, we waited for the fourth member of our meeting, Hector. He showed up less than 5 minutes later. A very quiet shay man. Enigma was of course the tallest one. It took me some efforts to greet him. I needed a ladder to get up there.
We went inside and got a table on the second floor. After making sure that their lamb is balady, we ordered mandi. The four of us were eating. Ala was surpassing all of us. He wasn’t talking a lot of course. We tried to talk about general things, still, we got dragged to talk about mahjoob. The fifth member then showed up. “wa7ad mo7aseb” was his nick name. Another quiet man.
The bill came, and as usual, a fight erupted on the table as who will pay. Since Enigma is mokhabarat, and he was the tallest one, he won the battle. We then headed out to habiba. We had some knafeh. Most of us ordered one style; i.e. either kheshneh or na3meh. But of course, Enigma had to be different, so he ordered half and half. He wasn’t happy with his choice, but good, he deserves it. 2 hours later, the waiter came and kicked us out. It was about midnight now.
Our next stop was bel monde coffee shop on mecca street. We got there, parked the car, and got inside. I rushed to the bathroom of course. The waiter came and asked us what we would like to order. Ala was going to order banana split, but after everyone looked at him, he changed his mind. We started talking about the encounters with police. Each had good stories to tell. We laugher hard that night. At about 1 am, the waiters there again kicked us out, but kindly. You know, they placed the chairs on the tables as a sign that they are finished for the night. The other sign was that we were the only table there. So we got up and left.
Ala and I were given rides back to his car. His car was not responding. Mtann7ah like it’s owner. We charged the battery and of we went. Enigma stayed behind us to make sure we got to tabarboor’s traffic light safely. Ala’s car is now without head lights. If he stops, we are done. Luckiely, he kept going in the dark. We got to my house safely. Later, I found that he also got home safely.
The sad thing is that the night is over. How can it be over? I wish I can rewind the clock back few hours to enjoy one of the best nights I spent in Jordan again. My stomach was sure happy that the night was over. I laid back thinking about tomorrow. Come to think of, I don’t even know if this was Wednesday or Thursday. I am not even sure. Regardless, it was a night never to forget. I met some good people that I never seen before, yet, I felt that I known them for long time. See you tomorrow..which is probably Thursday…or Friday…who knows..I may have forgotten a day here or there.