Chapter two
Late August, 2008
Summer was about to end and English tutors has started to form groups and I just had my first session of seventh grade English. I was heading home with my cousin and my best friend at this time Ra'ef after we had English session. It was 11 a.m and the weather seemed to be good although it was august ,so we decided to walk home instead for riding Ra'ef's bicycle as we used to . Unforeseen but as usual ,Ra'ef started a fight, it was with a kid I don't even remember from the English session group. I decided not to interfere as I actually never had a fight and even when I had it didn't reach the stage of hitting and punching, so I was just trying to cool everyone off which is I'm better at doing it than fighting. This time I couldn't do that ,it was too violent for someone skinny as me to end a fight like that.
Out of the blue someone just came in and grasped Ra'ef tightly and controlled him, he held Ra'ef tightly and got him out of the fight. I began then to calm down Ra'ef while that was holding him and I shouted at the other guy in the fight to just go home and cool it down. Ra'ef told the kid holding him to let him free and he was okay, as the other kid did that I thanked him as I shook his hands firmly as I was admiring his physique ,for a kid at my own age he was muscular and athletic.
- "I'm Ahmed Shady and this is my friend Ra'ef Mahmoud , thank you for what you did there man .... It was brave" I said to him as I said to my self why did I said it was brave , it didn't make any sense.
- " I'm Ahmed Maher , no need for thanks ,I just saw what happened and I decided to get him out because I thought it was a good way to make friends " he said that while he was laughing and looking at the ground as if he was embarrassed of saying that in front of someone he just met.
- "I guess it worked , so we're heading home down The Good Hope st. if yours in our way we can walk together" I said as I crossed my fingers behind my back.
- "Actually it is , let's go then before the sun gets hotter"
- "I'm gonna ride my bike now ,I forget to get my mum some groceries , see you later guys" Ra'ef said as he rode his bike and disappeared between the people in the street and I said to him see you.
- " We have the same first name ,cool isn't it ??" I said that to Ahmed as I was actually laughing at myself in my mind, that because most of Egyptian are named Ahmed ,Mohamed or Mahmoud ,it's common name that if you forgot someone's name and you called him with on of these names ,there is a ninety percent chance it will be correct.
- " Yeah ,I guess ..... what's your surname ??" he asked.
- " Mohamed "I said as I saw him laughing , "You're laughing !!" I exclaimed .
- " You won't believe this but mine is Mohamed too " he said as he was laughing and I did too .
We walked home that day and as I was near my turn where my house is , I said "This is my turn . See you next week ? "I asked him
- " Do you live in this street ? My aunt live here too ,I come here often but I haven't see you here before !" he said .
- " I don't go out much" I smiled then I asked him if he could pass by so we could go to the Session together next week .
- " Okay when do you want me to pick you up with my bike? " he said .
- " How about 9:45 ? Is it okay with you? " I asked
- " It's perfect , see you next week ?" Ahmed said as was walking away from me.
- " See you " I said while I was looking at him walking down the street until he disappeared on the first turn .I didn't think much of him that day .
Life was just as always ,I had just discovered the word gay and I was still exploring and questioning my sexuality in the way that every teenager at this time did ,in which was through the internet . I used to look up hot guys on Google images as I was naive enough not to know how to watch porn. I didn't tell anyone as anyone in my situation would have did the same.
We went to the session together the next week and we continued doing that until it a weak and a half before school , "I can't believe how I forgot this question ." I said .
- " What ?" Ahmed asked.
- " What's your school ? That's what I forgot to ask you " I said .
- " I'll be going to The Modern prep school for boys and you ?" he said.
- " Oh my god ,it's mine too" I smiled as I said that and then he said " I'm going to to spend the first semester there but my father is going to transfer me to The Union prep 'cause he used to go there when he was at my age."
- " Well ,we could still meet at English sessions " I said , I was a little bit sad but it didn't matter .I knew that I could use everyday of this one semester well, and I did.
The first semester passed faster than I thought it would ,I know it was because of my new friendship with Ahmed ,which Ra'ef didn't like at that time and he was even happier that he left the next semester .
- " God I'm so glad he left our school , I didn't like him that much you did " Ra'ef told me as he crossed his arms on the desk and put his head on them turning his face at me. We were chatting as we used to do on the fifth period on Tuesday ,which it was Art class and as in my country class like this has no meaning and no importance ,thus teachers used to let us to chill ,chat or do whatever we want on condition of not making much noise or start a fight.
- " I don't see why do you hate him that much " I said as to my opinion I found what he said was unreasonable ,Ahmed was always nice to him ,"Did you forgot how he got you out of the fight ?" I asked him that trying to change his mind while I was doodling in my notebook.
- " I don't hate him ,I just strongly dislike him " he said as he looked like he was trying to prove a point.
- " Like there is a difference between hate and strongly disliking !!" I said as I laughed on what he said.
- " Seriously ,he is too intimidating and sometimes I think he has a mental illness or something ,he don't talk like normal people " he said as left hi head and this time he put his chin on his arms looking at the the big green board which was clean except that Art that was written up on it.
- " Not all peoples are the same as us ,your fingers are not the same and it's really rude to think that he have a mental illness ,have you said that to him before? "I asked Ra'ef while he was preparing his back bag to get ready for leaving as the class had ten minutes and then we leave.
- " I didn't I'm not that rude man, and by the way he had many fights in one semester ,even more than me " He said.
- " What ? Seriously man ?! Are you jealous just because he had more fights than you ? " I said as I was confused of what Ra'ef was trying to prove to me, as I remembered that Ahmed actually did have so many fights and arguments with many people that was about to turn into fight but I didn't let him do it.
- " Just think about it if does that so much ,that means something is wrong with that kid ,I mean it's too much violence for a fourteen year's old kid" he said and I found him reasonable and serious about what he was trying to say.
- " You know that he plays Kung Fu ,maybe it's the reason he fights too much"I said trying to make excuses for Ahmed. I picked my back bag as the bell rang and all the students went out of the class like they sort of were a prison and they broke free.
- " Marshal arts teaches to be in more control of yourself ,not to fight with any person you meet or you have an argument with" Ra'ef said as we were walkind down the hall together.
- " He didn't fight with me or you " I said as I was trying to tease him." When did you get so smart like that ? ". Joking I said to him and I saw his face getting more serious.
- " I'm serious " he said and then continued " What I wanna tell you is be careful when you're near him or hanging out with him ,he may get you involved in a fight that could get you out really hurt or may be with a serious injury " he said that and I started to be more convinced with what he was saying.
- " Okay , I'll be more careful " I said trying to stop him from saying anything more. "You sounded like my mother for a moment, you know ?" Joking I said to him as he punched me in shoulder like we always do and laughed as we walked home.