Somewhere! (Hunaak!)

by Abbas, Ibraheem

  “Me? Huh! I do not cry from movies!” — I replied.

  She ignored my lieas she went on —“I also cried with you!”

  Should I ask her how she knew? I am sick of asking!

  “You saw me even when I was living with my family?” — I asked.

  She gently nodded with innocence as her tears hanged from her eyelashes.

  “I would see you, and I would suffer a thousand times longing for you” — Malak added.

  Her gaze wondered off towards the horizon and she let out a gasp that melted me — “I remember every moment in your life; I was more joyful when you got born than your own Mother and Father were!; I could tell you the words you learned and in what order; I could not sleep when I saw you sick; I know the number of laughs you have ever had… the number of tears… for twenty five years, I have waited for you! Every moment feels ever slower than the ones before.”

  I decided to cut off my litany of questions. Malak’s answers only added to my confusion. I jumped off of the yacht and helped her off. I surrounded her shoulders with my arm as if I was in charge of her safety. As we walked through the crowds of pedestrians towards that building that only got larger and larger as we got closer. We stopped in front of it and I looked up. I was barely able to see the city hanging at its top as I felt a slight pain in my neck.

  “Ooooh! I just wish to know who owns all of this?” — I said.

  “Did you not notice the logo?” — Malak replied.

  She pointed to the logo decorating the building’s facade. That logo was everywhere! How is it that I did not notice before? It was a simple logo, just the letter H.

  “I think it is a hotel’s logo. Maybe it is the Hilton?” — I asked.

  “No genius it is not the Hilton!” — Malak said with a big laughter.

  “So what does it mean then?!” — I asked.

  “That is the first letter of my love’s name… Husam!” — Malak added.

  (5)

  The Five

  Had it not been for my concern for my family, I would have wished to stay here forever. Had it not been for them, I would not hesitate for a second to stay here with Malak and enjoy all of this bliss. To hell with my old life, my friends, my job, and my entire city!!

  But my family… oh how I wish I could bring them here to live and forget all of our worries, forget the rent, expenses, bills, installments, forget it all and live, just live!

  I guess this is another one of Malak’s pranks! There is no way that the letter H that is on everything here is a symbol to my name! I think that thought lasted less than a couple of minutes. When we crossed the entrance to the towers, it felt more crowded. Inside the building, I saw a gigantic statue at the center of this huge square. It had to have been tens of meters in height; it was a statue of a young man stretching his hands towards the sky as if he was holding onto the stars. He was standing in the middle of a cyclone of letters and symbols written in all languages that started from the base of the statue. As they wrapped around him, their numbers dwindled until only the letter H remained with his open hands barely catching it.

  The statue was from polished chrome that reflected everything around it. It almost felt like a mold of solid mercury, the letters were made from all sorts of metals and colored glass, floating slowly as if gravity around the statue had been suspended. At times, they would touch and produce mesmerizing sounds. Malak laughed when she noticed how my jaw dropped and said:

  “huh… did you like it?”

  “Who is that?” — I asked.

  “I just told you this was Husam’s Kingdom and yet you still ask me who this is? Who could it possibly be? My Mother? Focus!!” — Malak replied.

  I focused on the statue’s features, that was my face! more accurately, the face of myself that I had discovered in the mirror when I woke up in this place! No! No! This cannot be!

  “Husam! You did not tell me what you thought of the taste?” — Malak asked.

  I looked at her totally baffled as I tried to cope with all these emotions…

  “Husam! Did the cat get your tongue? Did you like my design or not?” — Malak asked again.

  “You designed this?” — I interjected.

  “I designed this entire city!” — Malak explained.

  She pulled me by the hand while I was still in a practical waking coma. As we crossed the end of the round hall where the statue was at it’s center, its diameter would have had no less than three hundred meters! All around it were hundreds of glass rooms that looked like elevators but much larger and they travelled at very high speeds but even followed the curved patterns of the building. Everyone we passed on our way to the elevators had welcomed me as if they knew me well. It felt more like they worked for me.

  We entered one of the elevators and a round white leather couch was at its center. The door closed gently just as we stepped in.

  “Five four two” — Malak said.

  She sat on the couch and pulled me to sit next to her as the elevator began ascending. In mere seconds, I saw the statue’s head. It was a giant version of my giant head! We moved right past it as we went on.

  “I feel like a deaf in a carnival!” — I said.

  “I like your idioms! It is much simpler than you imagine. I just want to introduce you to the organization and its leaders!” — Malak gently laughed and added.

  “So, this was no joke! Who do you work for exactly?” — I shouted as I jumped on my feet.

  “What an imagination! You truly are a piece of work! While you are here, you should forget about all of your world’s complexes! I founded this organization” — Malak said while falling on her back with laughter.

  “For what purpose?” — I asked.

  “For you!” — She replied.

  “Will you elaborate on that or will you leave me in the dark as usual?” — I asked sarcastically.

  “It is a simple tale, really. I will introduce you today to the leaders that I nominated for you to spend some time with. Each of them has been here to help you remember and load your subconscious with experiences and knowledge that would help you regardless of you staying here with me or…” — Malak said as she turned her face away from me and continued —- “… or decided to go back your family.”

  “How did you know that I want to utilize my stay here to learn everything that I can? I never uttered a word about that… can you read my thoughts?” — I asked pointedly.

  “I told you that I can feel you! And even if you had not thought that way, I would have still done everything I could have for you!” — Malak added.

  With that statement the elevator came to a full stop and its doors opened. I was barely able to discern the clear glass path that would connect us to a metal door. Malak stepped out with full confidence on the invisible path. I followed her as I took a quick glance at the terrifying view of the square beneath my feet where we took the elevator from. The enormous statue had now turned into a midget that I could barely see from up here. People were just tiny moving dots.

  We were now five hundred and forty two stories above ground level. My excitement to meet the leaders was uncontainable. Who might they be?

  The metal door slid upwards to a view of the heavens! Inside this floating room, there were five men seated with apparently nothing in common. Their looks, age, race and even their clothing was all different. The only thing that they all had in common were small blinking earpieces.

  Malak handed me an earpiece and I quickly placed it inside my ear. The five men were seated in a semi-circle of chairs. There were two other chairs facing them and these were clearly for me and Malak. The men stood up the moment the door opened upon our arrival. Each of them stepped forward to welcome me in such a friendly manner that confused me as they all looked very prestigious and dignified. Malak opened up the meeting with welcoming statements that she repeated in five languages: English, German, Italian, Chinese and Japanese.

  “Thank you all for coming. I will continue this meeting in
Arabic and the instant translator -the earpiece- will translate everything we say to the appropriate language for each of you. I present to you Husam, of course he needs no introduction…” — Malak said as she progressed with the meeting in Arabic.

  An old African man talked in English but everything he said echoed in Arabic through the small earpiece that I had.

  “We are all —but happy and honored— to meet you Mr. Husam. This is truly a historical moment in our lives!” — the man said.

  The rest of them shook their heads and mumbled in languages that the earpiece translated back into Arabic. Malak went on to introduce them to me starting with the old African man who wore a very elegant suit.

  “Thank you Mr. Lucas, and many thanks to everyone: Mr. Leo, Mr. Ludwig, Mr. Ginzo and Mr. Bruce.” — Malak added.

  I tried to show my appreciation, so I intruded and said in traditional Arabic:

  “Thank you all, being here amongst you today is a huge honor!”

  “Each of you has already gone through the files of Husam’s life. Along with the objectives, we hope to achieve in record time…” — Malak began explaining but was abruptly interrupted.

  Mr. Ginzo interjected Malak’s conversation as he spoke in an Asian language that did not match his European appearance and his thick mustache.

  “We all went through all of the details, but Ma’am, the time frame is too short, no one can master these skills in this time! It is impossible!” — Mr. Ginzo added.

  “Trust me Mr. Ginzo you will change your mind when you work with Husam directly. Gentlemen, I absolutely understand the time challenge that we face. We cannot guarantee Husam spending much time with us” — Malak added.

  Sadness swept over Malak’s face as she went on:

  “If we had more time, we would have had tens of geniuses of all skills to train Husam. I chose you specifically because you are the most important for Husam. I am sure you will not let me or him down!” — Malak added.

  Mr. Leo –who from his looks and apparel seemed to have dropped in from the middle ages- said as he fiddled with his beard:

  “There is something that I still cannot figure out: Even if Husam does return, he already has all of the tools to learn anything at anytime! Information that we would spend parts of our lifetime to find –if we were so lucky- he can get with a click!”

  Mr. Leo faced me as he went on elegantly in his deep Italian:

  “Don’t misunderstand me Mr. Husam, we are —as Mr. Locus has said— very honored and happy to have been selected by Ms. Malak to train you. However, you truly do not need us with the information revolution you live in!” — Mr. Leo added.

  Mr. Ludwig seemed much less enthusiastic and his frustration seemed even more telling as he began speaking in German:

  “Gentlemen, talent is much more important than knowledge! With all due respect to Mr. Husam, even if he succeeds in soaking up all of the information we throw at him, it would be a waste of time if he did not have the unique talent that qualifies him to convert that information into skills!” — Mr. Ludwig added.

  Mr. Bruce –who had hidden part of his face behind dark glasses- followed up in Chinese:

  “I totally agree with you Mr. Ludwig! We can provide the information and experience to Mr. Husam, but we could never control his talent’s ceiling, let alone his physical limits!” — Mr. Bruce added.

  It seemed that I was the only fool in that meeting! I did not understand anything they were talking about despite my alleged super brain powers.

  “I appreciate your concerns, but everything you said only adds to my insistence on going through this experience! I shall do what I can… that is all I can say” — I added.

  I got the collective feeling of approval and Malak smiled at me as she brought the meeting to a close:

  “The program has been scheduled, I will deliver Husam to each of you on time. Thank you all again for coming!”

  The men bid Malak and I a farewell as friendly as how they had welcomed me. Regardless, I got out of that meeting in the same idiocy that I had arrived with.

  “Can you please explain to me who were those guys?” — I asked Malak.

  “Did you not remember any one of them?” — Malak inquired.

  “Why? Are they my relatives?” — I jokingly asked.

  “You have never met any of them, but you know them all very well. Those men are the ones that will teach you everything you have ever wished to learn in your life! And they shall also help you remember everything you loved!”

  The elevator was already waiting for us.

  “One Zero Zero Zero” — Malak said just as we entered the elevator.

  “Oh my God! One thousand floors??” — I asked in astonishment.

  “That is the roof… the hanging city level” — Malak explained.

  “And why are you taking me to seventh heaven?” — I jokingly asked.

  “Someone wants to meet you there!” — Malak said.

  “Again?” — I quipped.

  “I’m sorry Hasam. It is imperative that he meets you, don’t worry we will not be late as we have a lot of work ahead of us!” — Malak said.

  “What kind of work?” — I asked.

  “Like learning German before meeting Mr. Ludwig tomorrow…” — Malak explained.

  “Why don’t we just use that invention that translates?” — I asked.

  “Translation is not going to cut it, you must master the language so you can learn in all details and emotions” — Malak explained.

  “Respectable Miss, I have lived one and a half decades learning English. The results have been dismal and disappointing —at best— to my teachers! You want me to learn German in one session?!” — I said to Malak.

  “Did you forget that when you talked to the waiter earlier, in English, it was perfect?” — Malak asked.

  “So, if I suddenly could speak in perfect English, why is it that I don’t yet talk in other languages as well?” — I asked.

  “Because they are not yet registered in your soul!” — Malak explained.

  “You mean, my subconscious?” — I asked.

  “Stop blabbering, we have arrived!” — Malak interrupted me.

  The elevator’s capsule had passed through an opening in the base of the city and popped to its surface. It truly was a complete city: people, houses, cafés and even a beach.

  The elevator’s door opened and a man who was clearly longing for us. As he observed me, his eyes filled with tears.

  “Husam… I can’t believe I have finally found you!” — the man hugged me and said as he cried.

  “Husam, this is Mr. Khaled. He has been waiting to meet you for a long time” — Malak said as we were hugging.

  I still could not understand anything. I felt I was in an infinite carnival. Here I was, the only deaf! Deaf, cripple and squint! I know nothing of what is going on!

  Mr. Khaled took us to a platform near a viewpoint. As we approached the platform, in one of the seating arrangements, there sat a lady. Her presence made Malak quite tense. The lady jumped to her feet when she saw me, she did not say a word, but looked at me with all the fondness and sadness of the world, her tears poured as she hugged me and collapsed into a wail until Mr. Khaled took her by the shoulders and sat next to her just as the rest of us also sat.

  For the first time ever, I saw Malak quite agitated and nervous.

  “I cannot thank you enough Malak, I honestly did not expect to meet Husam this fast!” — Mr. Khaled said to break up the awkward moment.

  “He is now amongst us Mr. Khaled, and you can see him whenever you like!” — Malak replied with a seemingly fake joy.

  Mr. Khaled then looked towards the lady next to him.

  “As you can see, Malak, things have changed!” — he gently said to Malak while glancing with his eyes

  “Changed?! What do you mean?” — Malak asked.

  “Husam must go back to his family, they have no one else. What do you think Husam?” — Mr. Khal
ed said just as he handed me a glass of a creamy drink that had the aromas of pineapple and coconut decorated by a slice of pineapple, a cherry and a small umbrella.

  “Do you remember that you used to love Piña Coladas?”

  Malak was visibly furious. As I picked up the glass and was ready to begin drinking it, the other lady continued crying. As the lady hunched and covered her face in her hands, Malak quickly snatched the glass out of my hands and threw it away. The glass shattered loudly on the floor.

  “Malak? Have you gone nuts?” — I shouted at her.

  “Malak! You have no right to take such decisions on your own!” — Mr. Khaled shared my resentment.

  “Is it your right to interfere and take such decisions?” — Malak asked.

  “You know what Husam means to me!” — Mr. Khaled exclaimed to Malak.

  “Husam now means more to me than he does to you!” — Malak continued.

  I wondered who that person might be. What did he mean? And who gives either Malak or Mr. Khaled the right to negotiate decisions that affect me? He must know a lot about me… I wouldn’t let him go until I knew everything! Whether I was in a dream, coma or in a virtual world. I had to interfere to put an end to all of this madness!

  “Mr. Khaled, please tell me what you know about me. How do I know you? have we met before?” — I asked politely.

  Mr. Khaled looked away from me and avoided my question.

  “Go ahead! Mr. Khaled! Tell him! Or would you like me to tell him? It is clear that Mr. Husam insists on knowing everything now!” — Malak said in a challenging tone.

  “No! Please kid, do not tell him… please!!” — the other lady who had been crying suddenly pleaded to Malak.

  “Mr. Khaled, this meeting is officially over. You asked to meet Husam, now that is done.” — Malak stood in cold decisiveness, and pulled me from my arm.

  Malak did not even wait to hear his response, while he did not thing but hold the sobbing lady.

  As we went down in the elevator, I was about to turn all of my confusion and anger into a fully fledged war in Malak’s face but she silenced me before I even speak as she said calmly: