The Missing Luggage

All I could see were too many dark faces rushing around and talking loudly. It was dark and cold. The whole scene was taking place within a small area. Half of that area was outside under the moonlight and the other half was inside under a dirty roof where smell was almost unbearable.

All I cared about that night was my luggage. It was lost somewhere among hundreds of other bags. Jumping around left and right in search of that small bag. The bad news was that I couldn’t find it. And the later it was getting, the lesser bags were remaining. And the chances that my bag got stolen were rising.

Returning to the set description, I would say I was somewhere in South Asia. I had just landed in an awful airport in some extremely poor city. It was so dark that people sounded just like walking clothes. They were dark people walking in the dark.

There was no sign of any checking control. Just few police guards standing at the ends of the halls. The sounds were loud. Some sounds coming from the planes landing, some others from the planes taking off and mostly the disturbing sounds of a language that was too hard to hear.

The idea of having lost that luggage was tough. Since they were all thrown around the place and stacked above each other, I was running from one end to another bumping into all kinds of people who looked strange like Vampires of Hell.

Yes. Losing that luggage was a problem indeed!

I was so scared to a point where I almost lost my mind. Yes, I was crying and screaming as if my whole life was inside that bag. And I just couldn’t find it.

I got so disturbed that I had finally decided to wake up. I pushed my eyes to open. And they did. I woke up.

I kind of regret it now. It’s like a mystery that might never be solved.

I just wonder what was inside that luggage!

Shadow of the Day

Again, we wake up wishing we hadn’t. Again, people die and others live. Again, we comfort ourselves with patience. But people die and we live to see them die. And patience is just another mean of killing the notion of time in favor of death and the killers.

Others say we fight them by standing still and by keeping that walk toward freedom and stability. I wonder how far freedom and stability are.

And what a long walk that is!

We hope and we dream. But mornings like today’s make us lose hope and see things as they are. We can’t close our eyes and imagine birds and trees under a shining sun with clear blue waves hitting the beautiful legs of a gorgeous lady having a tan. All we see are people rushing to wherever they’re rushing, fighting over the way others drive, not even smiling to their Gods and talking nothing except who died.

And what another shadow morning that was!

Haven’t we realized that the strategy is just not working? No we haven’t. Some are still following their leaders on the left and others doing the same on the right. I wonder when I will meet some others in between. Maybe some of you, my OtherEnders, would be interested in joining me on that track which can take us somewhere, who knows where, but surely somewhere. Those others, sticking left and right, will only stick to the border of an extremely steep slope which could only lead down there.

And that’s not where I want to be!

People dream of that higher step which cannot be reached easily. Europeans and others dream of that one-month vacation they will be having next summer. We, Lebanese and some others on this planet, dream of that day where we wake up in the morning and go to sleep in the evening knowing that we had a peaceful normal day.

And that’s what has become of our life ambitions!

I wish to be one of those who raise an issue followed by a solution. I have raised an issue today but how would a solution help if there’s no one to listen? I’m just a young man struggling in his own country instead of struggling in this world on a much larger scale. I’m just some guy marching on a path with no one except me. All others are walking along the borders, either left or right, and waiting for their fall. If it doesn’t come today, it will come another day because we will be seeing yet another shadow.

“And the shadow of the day,
Will embrace the world in gray
--Linkin Park

Red Wine

You died on a sunny morning. Good thing it wasn’t in the evening. The last thing you saw was light. Much better than being in the dark. I assume it’s very bright in Heaven. You’ll have to tell me about that. Otherwise we’ll have to wait until my time comes and I see for myself.

You had a nice trip up to Heaven. It shows from the smile you had on your face. You were like an Angel. And an Angel you have always been.

I know you love me. And I know that you know that I love you. No doubt. But I also know that I should have visited you more often. What I don’t know is what you thought to yourself when weeks passed without me visiting you. And the idea annoys me.

I just hope you can forgive me, or maybe you already have.

I’m sure you remember when your sister died. I was having my reading period at your house. It was morning as well. You cried like a baby. Back then, almost a 70 year old baby. I’m sure you cried the same when you died. Of course from inside. You loved life and every accessory that comes with it. You have always spread love around you but in return accepted both love and hatred.

Today, I’m remembering you through my words, but everyday I remember you through my thoughts and memories.

You have visited me in my dreams many times these last few weeks. And I thank you for that. You sure are as pretty as always: elegantly dressed, great perfume, amazing smile. You are the lady that you have always been.

Sometimes people leave us. We cry. And then we say it’s OK. It passes. But what if we try to imagine the world “today” with those people around? How would our lives be with you around? Much better. Crystal.

Grandma,

Believe me. The Heaven that you now live in might be much nicer than the place I’m now at. There are things you wouldn’t have wanted to see. Someday we will meet again, on the OtherEnd, and I might tell you all about it. But you know what? I’d rather not.

We’ll keep Heaven as clean as it is, and all we’ll do is laugh and enjoy dancing over a good bottle of red wine.





(P.S. Remember those Christmas eves and the red wine? I’m sure you’re smiling.)