government to make sure they don’t open fire the second my mother arrives.”
“Oh, thank god! I guess you have your choice between the army and the Intelligence Agency.”
Alissara shrugged and smoked again. It didn’t matter. They shared information with one another.
“I suggest the Agency because their headquarters is close. The nearest army headquarters is hours away.”
“Ok.”
Hala pointed to the Shisha. “You’re supposed to pass it after you smoke twice.” She reached for the hose, but Alissara leaned back, refusing to hand it to her.
“Is that why you’ve been following the hose with your eyes the entire time?”
“I wasn’t,” Hala said, and reached for the hose again. “Just pass it, Shisha hugger.”
Alissara moved the hose out of her reach and shook her head.
“Fine, I’ll get my own,” Hala said and ordered herself another Shisha, which arrived soon. She smoked. “How will you go to the Intelligence Agency?”
“My ship.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea. You’ll cause panic.”
“What do you have in mind?”
Hala smiled mischievously. “The Metro.”
Alissara’s eyes widened. She’d read articles and watched videos of the ancient, crowded, yet efficient transportation network under the greater Cairo region.
Half hour later, an overweight lady sat down on the metal bench next to Hala and squeezed Alissara between Hala and two, thin metal poles in the Metro car. Alissara leaned forward before they crushed her shoulders. She watched the lights in the underground tunnel, go by for a while before she turned her attention inside the train.
The train was old. Clean, but crowded. What it lacked in speed, it made up for in entertainment. Passengers blasted high-pitched music from their phones, assuming others would enjoy it, but the others were busy, shouting at each other in friendly conversations. The best part was the transient sellers who roamed the cars selling food, books, and small goods. One word described the Metro. Chaotic.
Hala must’ve noticed her amusement. “I bought a Gucci bag once for twenty pounds.”
Alissara’s eyes narrowed. “Gucci?”
“Oh, it’s a fancy bag brand.”
“Bag?”
Hala lifted her leather handbag in front of her. “Like this one, but a nicer brand. Much nicer.”
Alissara’s eyes narrowed further. “Brand?”
“Oh my god! What were you doing on the tablet for hours? You’re worse than my brothers.”
Alissara exploded laughing. “I’m kidding, I know what it is.” Then she lowered her voice. “Remind me again, what was wrong with my ship?”
“Believe me, I’m dying to see it, but if you show up with your ship out of nowhere, they’ll open fire without warning. And it’s faster to walk than to take a taxi through the city center.”
Alissara scowled and looked out the window again. Every five minutes, the train stopped at a station, and passengers exited. The lady next to Hala wasn’t one of them. Going by how relaxed she was, the lady was taking the train to the end of the line.
An hour later, the train reached a station.
“This is it,” Hala said. The sign read Hadayek el Kobba. “The Agency headquarters is a short walk from here.”
They got off the train, exited the station, and walked for a while until they arrived to a large, gated area. Behind the metal gate, Alissara saw a huge building in the distance blocked from view by large trees. On a wooden bench behind the gate, two guards in army uniforms sat down.
One of them marched to the gate when he saw them. “What do you want?”
“We need to meet the director,” Hala said.
The guard spun around, exchanged looks with his colleague, and burst into an uncontrollable laughter. It went on for a while. Then he stopped and scratched his head under the hat.
“Do you want us to check if the president is free first?”
Alissara chuckled. “That’s funny!”
Hala smiled and patted her back. “Oh, you get sarcasm.” She turned to the
“Oh, thank god! I guess you have your choice between the army and the Intelligence Agency.”
Alissara shrugged and smoked again. It didn’t matter. They shared information with one another.
“I suggest the Agency because their headquarters is close. The nearest army headquarters is hours away.”
“Ok.”
Hala pointed to the Shisha. “You’re supposed to pass it after you smoke twice.” She reached for the hose, but Alissara leaned back, refusing to hand it to her.
“Is that why you’ve been following the hose with your eyes the entire time?”
“I wasn’t,” Hala said, and reached for the hose again. “Just pass it, Shisha hugger.”
Alissara moved the hose out of her reach and shook her head.
“Fine, I’ll get my own,” Hala said and ordered herself another Shisha, which arrived soon. She smoked. “How will you go to the Intelligence Agency?”
“My ship.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea. You’ll cause panic.”
“What do you have in mind?”
Hala smiled mischievously. “The Metro.”
Alissara’s eyes widened. She’d read articles and watched videos of the ancient, crowded, yet efficient transportation network under the greater Cairo region.
Half hour later, an overweight lady sat down on the metal bench next to Hala and squeezed Alissara between Hala and two, thin metal poles in the Metro car. Alissara leaned forward before they crushed her shoulders. She watched the lights in the underground tunnel, go by for a while before she turned her attention inside the train.
The train was old. Clean, but crowded. What it lacked in speed, it made up for in entertainment. Passengers blasted high-pitched music from their phones, assuming others would enjoy it, but the others were busy, shouting at each other in friendly conversations. The best part was the transient sellers who roamed the cars selling food, books, and small goods. One word described the Metro. Chaotic.
Hala must’ve noticed her amusement. “I bought a Gucci bag once for twenty pounds.”
Alissara’s eyes narrowed. “Gucci?”
“Oh, it’s a fancy bag brand.”
“Bag?”
Hala lifted her leather handbag in front of her. “Like this one, but a nicer brand. Much nicer.”
Alissara’s eyes narrowed further. “Brand?”
“Oh my god! What were you doing on the tablet for hours? You’re worse than my brothers.”
Alissara exploded laughing. “I’m kidding, I know what it is.” Then she lowered her voice. “Remind me again, what was wrong with my ship?”
“Believe me, I’m dying to see it, but if you show up with your ship out of nowhere, they’ll open fire without warning. And it’s faster to walk than to take a taxi through the city center.”
Alissara scowled and looked out the window again. Every five minutes, the train stopped at a station, and passengers exited. The lady next to Hala wasn’t one of them. Going by how relaxed she was, the lady was taking the train to the end of the line.
An hour later, the train reached a station.
“This is it,” Hala said. The sign read Hadayek el Kobba. “The Agency headquarters is a short walk from here.”
They got off the train, exited the station, and walked for a while until they arrived to a large, gated area. Behind the metal gate, Alissara saw a huge building in the distance blocked from view by large trees. On a wooden bench behind the gate, two guards in army uniforms sat down.
One of them marched to the gate when he saw them. “What do you want?”
“We need to meet the director,” Hala said.
The guard spun around, exchanged looks with his colleague, and burst into an uncontrollable laughter. It went on for a while. Then he stopped and scratched his head under the hat.
“Do you want us to check if the president is free first?”
Alissara chuckled. “That’s funny!”
Hala smiled and patted her back. “Oh, you get sarcasm.” She turned to the
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