Egyptian Arabic

On the Mansours' balcony Salma shows Leo her October, a group every day and Fridays too, and they plan around it with the real if: if I finish at four, I'll be back at six.

Leo brings Salma a sandwich at the Egyptian Museum while the loudspeaker closes the building in Standard Arabic: I'd love a coffee, I'd love to sit by the Nile, I'd love it to be May.

Salma comes home pale after a dawn start, and Madame Nadia and Leo tell her what she needs to do and what she'd better do: eat, sleep early, and wake her at six.

At the workshop Mr. Fathi hands Leo the wooden screen of an old house, his first project of his own, with his orders: if you find rotten wood, don't touch it; if the owner insists, send him to me.

Mr. Ibrahim climbs the scaffold with the tea and tells Leo what he wants him to do: make the wooden screen new, finish before the winter, drink tea every day; Leo wants to keep it old.

Salma calls from a bus stuck in traffic and Leo has two concert tickets: what a pity, you should have booked Friday, you should have looked at the traffic, give the tickets to Karim and Mona.

Hassan the master carpenter lends Leo the two apprentices for the day, and Leo gives his first orders: let Ali sand, let Ramez measure, let them bring the wood up, let's start before the sun.

At the museum cafe Salma tells Leo about a lost tourist and one who shouted, and Leo says what he would do in her place: take a day off, tell the manager two groups, forget the man and get her a coffee.

At a cafe in Zamalek Salma offers Leo the cinema or the concert, and he would rather sit here, hear about the wooden screen rather than mummies, and have her talk slowly.

On Qasr el-Nil bridge after the last group of the month, Salma and Leo play with the unreal if: if you weren't a guide, I'd be an archaeologist, if I weren't an architect I wouldn't be here.

At the Mansours' table Karim announces the wedding date, the last Thursday of January at a hall on the Nile, and the family asks what if: what if it rains, what if Grandma won't come, what if the hall is booked.

Mona, Salma's friend since school and the bride to be, finally meets Leo at the Mansours' and plots to make Karim dance at the wedding: so that, and so as not to.

At a goldsmith's in Khan el-Khalili, Karim and Leo drink the tea before the gold and buy the bride's gold for Mona: without tea no gold, without a budget no help, without a chain no bride's gold, without bargaining no deal.

At Mona's parents' flat, before the pen, Grandma makes Leo wish Karim luck in Arabic: may God complete it well, God willing, good luck, God keep you, and next year it's you, Leo.

At a tailor's downtown Karim tries on his wedding suit while Leo relays Mona's questions from the phone: whether it's navy or black, whether he minds, whether he'll dance in it, whether the trousers should be narrow or straight.

Mona, Salma and Leo measure the newlyweds' flat for curtains in fabric from Uncle Mahmoud's shop: if only the living room were wider, as long as the fabric is from Dad's shop, if only Karim had measured before he bought the sofa.

Over mint tea at the cafe under the building, the week before the wedding, Uncle Mahmoud gives Karim his advice for husbands as orders: listen to her, say so quickly, never argue in front of the family, don't be late, don't lose the rings.

The drums bring Karim and Mona into the hall by the Nile and the congratulations fly: a thousand congratulations, God bless you, your turn next, with prosperity and children, and the drums are for Leo.

The newlyweds visit Grandma's table the day after the wedding and the wishes go round: may God keep you for each other, may God give you patience with him, may God make you happy, and may God give Leo a bride who cooks.

Karim and Mona leave for a week in Dahab and hand Leo the keys: if anything happens, call; water the plants on Tuesday and, just in case, Friday too; take the second key just in case; and a jacket, because it is January.

Leo's landlord in Dokki needs the flat back for his son's wedding: you'll have to, there's nothing for it, I'll have to find a flat in a month.

A broker on Tahrir street in Dokki shows Leo flats in one morning: it must be near the metro, it must be quiet, the rent must be under ten thousand.

A second floor in a lane off Tahrir street, a lemon tree below the balcony, Karim along: it's worth it, no need for a deposit today, forget the lift, I'll take it.

The first Saturday of March, Sayed's cousin's pickup truck and too many books: if I'd known, I'd have brought the big truck; if I'd measured, I'd have taken it apart.

The workshop office in March: Leo's residence runs out in May and Mr. Fathi has the list; when the letter is ready, go to the passports office: when, not if.

A translation office in Dokki, the diploma and the contract: bring the original, otherwise it won't do; every page, or else they'll send you back; Thursday before two.

The passports office: the sign over window four in Standard Arabic, a blue background on the photographs, and a photographer downstairs: it won't do unless the background is white.

The twenty-first of March at the Mansours': flowers for Madame Nadia while the papers wait, and even if they refuse, you apply again, and you eat; Grandma: even if the sky falls, lunch first.

Window four again in April: a residence card valid for one year, its back in Standard Arabic, and what happens in the event of loss, a new job or marriage; Leo was only asking.

Leo's new balcony in Dokki, his parents on the phone from Chicago and Salma beside him: whether July is hot, when the house is finished, and if it weren't for the letter, if it weren't for you.