Chapter 5: The journey begins

Khaled looked at the old man, surprised by what his grandfather had said; he had known him for many years but never knew he was the "madman of the basement" that his grandfather had often spoken about when he was younger.

 The old man broke the silence, saying, "Your grandfather told me how much you want to go down to the Fawrik Basement, and now I'm sure of it."

"Yes, but this is the first time I've heard that the basement is called 'Fawrik Basement'." Khaled replied.

The old man continued, "That's the real name of the basement, and if you search for that name anywhere, you won't find any information about it. People think your grandfather and I are crazy when we talk about the basement, and they don't believe that we actually went down there fifty years ago. But they have a point."

"They have a point? What do you mean?" Khaled asked.

"Yes, they have a point. Maybe this is an information i only know.

 For fifty years, the four of us never went down to the Fawrik Basement. I asked you grandfather to leave us alone because I didn't want to shatter his pride." 

the old man explained.

"What about the tunnel you went went down? What was it for?" Khaled inquired.

"The tunnel was just a passage to the Fawrik Basement. The proof is that the tunnel isn't very deep and has a specific distance. The biggest indication is that the gas lamps went out minutes after we descended," the old man said.

"Oh, the jinn...," Khaled started, but the man interrupted.

 "No, you mean the lack of ventilation. The tunnel, unlike the basement, doesn't have proper ventilation. 

There's little oxygen in the tunnel, and it might not even be present if the entrance door is closed. That's why when the gas lamps went out, I thought it was a jinn. 

Everyone panicked and ran. But later, I realized it was just someone's imagination.

 Inside me, I felt a happiness beyond description because I felt like I had set foot on the first step to the basement. 

I kept hoping I would reach the basement one day. But years passed, illness besieged me, and I continued to wait for the day when someone else would descend into the basement and fulfill my dream," the old man explained. 

Then he pulled out an old book and continued, "This book is a single copy written by someone who went down to the Fawrik Basement before. I found it by chance among my father's books when I was young. Unfortunately, time had taken its toll on it before I found it, and only about ten pages remain talking about the Fawrik Basement."

He handed the book to Khaled and gestured for him to read aloud.

Khaled began to read the handwritten pages of the book, describing Fawrik, one of the wealthy men of the Mamluk era who owned the area where his village was located. Fawrik had ordered the excavation of the basement to serve as a refuge for him and the people of his city in case of any invasion. 

The excavation took more than fifteen years to complete, and it stored many treasures from that time. 

The writer then talked about his journey to the basement and the tunnel that lacked ventilation, emphasizing the need to reach the real staircase of the basement quickly. 

The author mentioned that from that moment on, there would be no problems as the basement was designed with great care, not lacking in ventilation or any other necessity. Khaled was amazed, especially when he read that even on moonlit nights, the basement was not dark.

They sat together, with Khaled reading and the old man listening, sipping his already cold tea. 

Khaled was engrossed in the book, feeling the urge to know what the author had discovered. He felt like he held a secret from the past and asked himself: Did he discover countless treasures? Were there any traces below, and could he be the discoverer of the twenty-first century? He remained lost in waking dreams.

As the sun neared the horizon, he climbed to the top of his house and looked out over his village, as if seeing it for the last time. 

He gazed at its lands, tall trees, and the birds that adorned them. He looked at the neighboring houses as if it were the last time he would see them. He breathed in the fragrant breeze of his hometown and spoke to it, hoping it wouldn't be his last day here. Then he returned to his room to prepare for his journey.

Time passed, and night fell, adorning the sky with the full moon. He waited until the town quieted down, knowing it wouldn't be long.

His town usually fell silent by ten o'clock at the latest. Only his friend, Dr. Majed Munir, who closed his pharmacy sometimes past midnight, remained. He didn't want anyone to see him heading towards that abandoned house on the outskirts of town.

By one o'clock in the morning, he was ready to leave and bid farewell to his smiling grandfather. "I'll be back, With God's will" he said.

"Of course, you'll come back" his grandfather replied. 

Then he asked him to wait for a moment, took out the wooden box, and opened it, taking out an old photo album. 

Khaled asked, "What's this?!" 

The grandfather flipped through some pages until he stopped at a photo he had seen before. 

He asked Khaled, "Do you know who they are?" 

Khaled looked at them, still astonished, and the surprise continued to grip him. His grandfather continued. 

"This is a photo of your father and mother. It was the last photo taken of them before they left me. I've been waiting for this day, torturing myself for it." 

Then his eyes teared up, and Khaled's eyes welled up too. He continued to stare at the photo. 

"This is the first time I've seen their photo," Khaled whispered. 

His grandfather said, "I've been waiting for this day." Then he handed him the photo, wiped his tears with his hand, and hugged him. 

Khaled whispered in his ear, "I'll come back to you, Abdu. I'll come back." 

Then he left.