Trafika Europe 6 - Arabesque

tales of orontes river

She went into hysterics, she actually burst out laughing! And she laughed so hard that suddenly her waters broke, and that baby just slipped out of her belly like a prayer to the prophet!’ –Yeah, and then what happened? –Doctor Mukhtar came out of the room with his jellabiya covered in blood, and said to Abu Ahmed ‘Mabrouk, brother, you’ve got a son.’ Abu Ahmed drew himself up and immediately asked the doctor, ‘Tell me doctor, don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m asking you to tell me in God’s name, did you become blood kin with my woman before you delivered the baby or not?’ Making himself seem very serious, the doctor answered, ‘But of course, Hajji, how could I not have?

What a question! A woman married to a sweet bloke like you, well, it’s a chance not to be missed, to become blood kin . . . What a question, God forgive you . . . You and I have each gained a relation today, what a bonus!’ ‘God bless you, doctor,’ answered Abu Ahmed. ‘In your honour, I’m going to name the child Mukhtar.’ The doctor looked at him and didn’t say anything more. He didn’t know what to say. He chuckled, and he left. Mukhtar, Abu Ahmed’s son, is about twenty years old now. He’s taken over his dad’s job at the wholesale market, after the poor old thing got hard of hearing. Whenever he gets ill he goes to see Dr Mukhtar, and he always calls him ‘Uncle.’ And every time Dr Mukhtar goes through the

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