Chapter 8

The days passed slowly at first for Amer in his new house in Luxor. Life differs in village much more than it is in the city as he was far away from his family. In his last days in his poor village he missed his friends Jamal and Zakaria, now he missed them more in addition to his relatives. He missed the farms he used to live and work in all the day. He thought he was orphan without everything he used to have in his village. He was very sad and depressed, his wife felt sorry for him, tried to calm him down and reminded him of being responsible for her and his children and his baby coming in the next weeks. She knew her husband was a true man that sacrifices himself for his family and would never make them sad or uncomfortable and would get up and be in time for all of them, so he got up after a little while considering it was a rest of warriors.

Now in Luxor he worked all day in this shop that he bought, then returned at the end of the day when the sun was approaching sunset, and was satisfied with two hours of rest in the afternoon, where he would go to his house near his workplace, have lunch with his wife, take an hour’s nap, and then return to work again. The days passed quickly after that, as he got used to his new life in the city, until his wife’s due date approached, and she asked him to go to her family’s house so that she could give birth there, then wait for some time until she recovered, then return again, as there was no one in their new house in the city to help her from her family when she gave birth, and she needed someone to take care of her and her baby. Amer agreed to that, on the condition that she wait until the end of the week so that he could go with her to check on some of his family and relatives, as well as his friends, whom he had not seen since he moved to live in the city.

Amer and his family actually returned to their small village near the temple of Khnum in Esna and met his family who welcomed him and were happy with his arrival, but their joy did not last long. Three days later, the Nile flooded as it had never flooded before and its waters hit the simple mud houses as well as the huts and nests in which the villagers lived with great force. Most of the houses and huts were destroyed and many of the villagers were victims of this severe flood, led by Amer who tried to save his pregnant wife as much as he could but could not prevent fate from its measures. His wife, who was about to give birth to his child, died and he also died while trying to catch up with her before the torrential current of water took them to where no one knows until he died after the current swept him in another direction where he collided with one of the large stones and his strength failed him and he was unable to survive. Many of the villagers died in this massive flood.

Who knows his fate? Who can realize his fate and destiny? The truth is no one can do that. Amer returned to his village, hoping to bring back a new member of his family, but he was not born and did not survive, just as Amer himself and his wife did not survive. Could he have refused to leave the city and asked his wife to return temporarily to his village or even not go with her? He might live, but for how long? No matter how long a person lives, he will perish and die, as if we go to our destinies, as if that life had its features, ways, and conditions drawn beforehand, as if man only proceeds according to the plan that fate wanted, or rather God wanted.

Within about three months, the three friends died, and some of their relatives died as well. They died as everyone will die sooner or later. They died without enjoying the money they had acquired and seeked, the money which they had always wished to obtain and indeed could have them but didn't have time to spend or enjoy.

Yes, that was their fate, no doubt, but was that coffin an omen of evil and misery for them? Did it cause their deaths? Was their discovery of that mummy just bad luck or an omen of evil for them? Or was it all a coincidence that could not have prevented their destinies in the end.