Saturdays With My Childhood

Sunny, cloudless blue skies

A typical Egyptian late summer sky 

The smell of jasmine wafts in the air

As I crush a few petals under my bike

I take out my 12-year-old 

We struggle to carry the bike till the parking 

It’s all worth it as we

Glide down the slope

exhilarated,

wind filling our lungs. 

Hair swaying behind, knotting itself 

Like a peanut at the hands of squirrels, our cheeks break into a delightful smile 

unbridled joy

Thighs burn as we go back up the slope, 

steadfast and dedicated we make it to the top and glide down to

do it all over again until we’re exhausted

Poof, she disappears as I enter the house, 

The 5-year-old skips over hold my hand 

Leads me to our blue room, 

Such a conscious kid of gendered colors, who loved pink yet 

Blue room 

We twirl and pirouette to reach the comb and hair ties

Rush to Mumma with the things in one hand

the other making waves from

the last tom n jerry episode. 

That’s probably where I lost my faith

because no matter how hard I prayed, how much I hoped

I would never see the lady’s face 

The dilemma, my grandma’s soft hands folding mine in a prayer 

She is so wise how can she be so wrong 

From the syrupy bittersweet moments of friction

yes, I’m referring to my hair

yes, I’m referring to perspective’s conflict 

Rose my 16-year-old, 

Eyes heavy with sleep and smudged kohl 

Chapped lips

Speaking words that found their way in many’s lives,

albeit unknowingly. 

Their quiet rebellion of staying up till 3

reading the honest truths both bad and good of the world

It was only with her that I noticed the night sky, 

Sparkling stars, an old wisened moon sitting upon its throne.

Clouds whose colors were hidden by the darkness, emphasizing the blank state of the world

Ready to be colored in my colors 

The clock strikes midnight

I put away my chits, my portals to these kids

notes people left me from those time

Like Cinderella, they’ll vanish into hibernation,

Till next Saturday 

When I go to meet them again 

-p