Chapter 8

Love... the surging emotion that sweeps through the strings of our hearts to beat with tenderness, passion and sweetness; the heart aches when it loves, or needs this gentle feeling of love or even remembers the one it loves or remembers other ancient lovers who fill history books and poets' poems. The love of Layla and Majnun, Romeo and Juliet, Antar and Abla; as well as Mahmoud and Huda; remains immortal in the hearts of lovers even if no one witnessed it specifically and even if history books falsified its existence from the beginning. We do not love lovers for their personalities, we love the love and the idea itself without looking at the form, personality and appearance of the lovers. You see yourself as the hero of their stories; the dreaming, hopeful hero waiting for the heroine of his own novel who may or may not come... ever.

The heart beats with love and lives with love and may suffer and be killed because of it; But to be honest, my dear, no one dies because of love. Time passes, love changes, and lovers change, but life remains one and you have no one else. So, don't waste it with a love without a future, or a lover without a clear path. Before you fall in love, just remember to answer yourself with all honesty and candor: Is he the right lover? Is it the right time? Is it the right way? You can ignore or overlook these important questions, but don't forget that you alone are paying the price with your life, regret, and energy.

In an upscale neighborhood in Cairo, Mahmoud Hefzy, a bank accountant, has been married to Huda Zahran for twenty-five years. He is forty-nine years old and has three children: Omar, who is twenty-four and works as an accountant like his father; Hadi, who is twenty and studies at the Faculty of Science in Cairo; and Toka, who is seventeen. Mahmoud was a dignified man with high morals and great manners. He was an ideal husband, working hard and faithfully, returning home at 3:30 PM and only leaving for essential needs for himself or his family. Mahmoud worked with all his effort and energy to be able to move to that luxurious apartment, where he has lived with his family for seven years in one of the upscale neighborhoods of Cairo. His wife, Huda, who works as a teacher at a primary school in New Cairo, supported him. As usual every morning, Huda prepares breakfast for everyone before going to work at the school. This morning was no different. She prepared breakfast and then shouted at them all:

- Come on, guys... breakfast is ready.

Tuka replied:

- Right away, mom. Hadi was the first to sit on the table. Huda asked him:

- When will your lectures finish today, Hadi?

- At 4 PM, mom.

Omar who was dressing up said:

- I’m not coming for lunch today, mom. I have work to do, so I’ll eat out.

Huda felt annoyed and said:

- Didn't we say we should cut down on eating out, Omar? Eating out isn't always good.

Omar replied:

- We said yes, but I'll finish work at 5:30 in the evening and have lunch with my friends.

Huda looked at her husband Mahmoud and asked:

- Why are you silent, Mahmoud?

Hadi smiled and replied to his mom:

- Dad doesn't talk when eating, especially in the morning. He'll wake up after having his black coffee.

- Talk politely, Hadi...

Mahmoud interrupted them saying:

- He's right, where's my coffee?

Toka the little girl just came and cheerfully said:

- I came... I know it takes me a long time to get dressed, excuse me.

Omar replied to her:

- No.. No... That's normal for you, ladies, don't upset yourself.

- Just eat quickly while I make Dad's coffee so we can move to school.

- Okay, Mom.

- How's your work at the company, Hadi? Hadi replied his father:

- No, Dad, you mean Omar. I'm still in college, my dear. Mahmoud opened up his eyes at Hadi then moved them to Omar and asked:

- How are you doing at college, Omar?

- Don't worry, my dear, everything is fine, things are going well.

**************

In one of the major banks in Cairo, Mahmoud Hefzy had no idea what was happening to him these days. Ever since the new accountant, Aaliyah Adel, moved to the branch where he works at two months ago, he'd felt something different. Why did he feel this emotion towards her? Did she really care about him as he sometimes did? Was Aaliyah looking for opportunities to ask him about some matters at work? Why was he thinking about this so much? Wasn't thinking about her somehow a betrayal of his wife, Huda, who never hesitated to serve him and his children? Was it a midlife crisis or late adolescence, as they call it?! He didn't know for sure; his constant thinking hadn't led him to settle the matter yet. He didn't believe that this feeling towards Aaliyah was pure love, perhaps temporary admiration, fascination, or a feeling that something was missing in his relationship with his wife that led him to think and feel comforted or attracted to another woman.

What worried him most was what this attraction could lead to? Will he marry her, for example? Will she agree to marry a married man? Does she see him as a suitable husband, even though he is fifteen years older than her?! The worst thing a person can experience is the constant feeling of deficiency, psychological instability, and the constant feeling of the futility of any work or purpose in life. It is death while alive and the fire under the ashes. You do not see it, but it is raging and active, waiting for the spark. This torrent of thoughts and questions was interrupted by a soft voice that had been delighting his ears for two months.