I remember that first day very clearly. I had willingly chosen to abandon my suitcase in front of the imposing gates of my uncle's villa with only the clothes on my back, my mother's crucifix, a switchblade, tarot cards, and fifteen pounds for the words of a creature I was warned to never speak with. Down I followed him passed villas, churches, mosques, and European style apartments. Looking back, it amazes me how I never lost sight of the 'afreet's figure despite the crowd that accompanied the ancient twisted streets.
We walked for so long that I could see the sun about to set and wondered if we would ever reach a destination, but when I was about to say something, we stopped. We looked to be in some alleyway, wedged between two apartment buildings and in front of us was an old door.
At the front were two boys creating fireballs and moving around them in some strange game.
So this is the Magic District. It doesn't look any different from Shoubra.
Turning to the 'afreet, I tried to hide my surprise as his crimson skin turned to a deep olive tone, his horns and wings receded, and his face rearranged itself so that what stood in front of me was an old fashioned middle aged man with albeit oddly colored gold eyes.
The man-who-was-not-a-man reached into his pants and pulled out a key and seeing that I had not moved, said, "Come now. I do not have all night."
"How do you have a key?" I asked as I followed him inside the old apartment complex.
"I rent here."
Of course he does.
"So I guess it's true what they say," I commented.
As we started climbing up stairs, the 'afreet asked, "And what is it they say?"
"That a djinn is so wealthy that they are known to sometimes reward mortals with wealth," I answered.
"Child, when you live as long as I have, you find that wealth is but a trifling acquisition,"
I nodded like I knew what he meant, but otherwise remained silent for the rest of the climb up.
On the sixth or seventh floor, I wasn't sure, we turned right and stopped before room thirty two for the 'afreet to dig around his pockets for a different key. When he procured it, he froze.
"Salim, did you just get back?" called out an elderly voice.
For a moment, the 'afreet, no excuse me, Salim, looked really annoyed, but he quickly masked his expression with a smile as he said, "Ahmed, didn't you say you were meeting your granddaughter in the Islamic District?"
"I just got back. It was starting to get late and it's only a month until the middle school exit exams. You know she wants to be a healer just like her grandfather. Who's this?"
Before I could answer, Salim replied, "Just a girl."
"Yes, but anisa its starting to get late. Aren't your parents worried for you. Salim and I are okay, but it's not safe for one of your kind to stay here so late. Furthermore, it's not good to keep a family waiting."
"My family is close with this family, and...and my dad asked me to check in because he heard the son was ill," I lied.
"Magdi is sick? When did this happen? If you want I could take a look or have my daughter-in-law or son check on him. We don't come from a healer family for nothing, you know. What's he have?"
The door opened and a man in his thirties shouted, "Baba, dinner's ready and we're waiting on you!"
"In a minute, did you know Magdi is sick?" Ahmed told the hungry man.
"Magdi? Magdi who?" asked the now curious man.
Great, its genetic.
"Magdi, the quiet one from next door."
At this moment, I felt someone grab my arm and was pulled into apartment 32 with a notable click on the lock.
"I thought we'd never get in. That Ahmed has got some talent but can talk longer than a group of old women."
I noticed.
"Now, wait here."
"Why isn't...Magdi in here?" I replied hoping I remembered his name right.
"Not exactly."
I was going to ask more, but he had already disappeared, leaving me in a strange apartment. Next door to nosey neighbors who happened to have healing powers. A few hours long walk from where I was supposed to be. In the Magic District. At nightfall.
This better be worth it.
Salim returned in his 'afreet form with a bundle in his hands.
"Here," he said as he shoved said bundle into my arms.
Looking at it, I saw an 'abaya and slippers the color of red wine with gold and white embroidery and beads sewn in and around the dress. To complete it were shoes with some complicated pattern sewed in that I could never hope to imitate.
"What's with the beladi clothes."
"Change into them."
"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"
"They belong to this world and these clothes are embroidered with magic. They will provide some protection in case something happens."
I looked down at my clothes, eyed the bundle carefully, and asked, "What do you mean by 'belong to this world' and why would I need magic clothes to protect me? Where are we going?"
"Qaf."
"Like the letter?"
He shook his head in response.
Thinking on the stories my dad told me, I said, "Then like the emerald mountain?"
"So that's your people's latest term for it."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I've heard your people call it the farthest point in the earth, that it exists under your earth, and that it is the reason that the sky is blue. The stories keep changing so I hadn't been keeping up with them lately," Salim replied.
"Are they true?" I asked not able to contain my curiosity and only half-believing him.
"Some are and some aren't. All tales hold some truth, but the best way to describe Qaf is that it was once part of your world, but then became its own as time passed."
"Time passed?"
"That's enough questions. First I brought you here for a job, you can change in my son's room and when you're done let me know."
It would have been a lie to say I wasn't curious, but he did have a point. So somewhat reluctantly, I crossed the living room and entered the room he pointed out to me.
Opening the door, I was a little surprised at how empty the room was. I saw a desk with a computer and some textbooks, and a fully stacked bookshelf, but other than that nothing personal. There weren't any posters or religious items and if it wasn't for those few items and the unkempt bed, I wouldn't have believed anyone lived here.
I'm not here to deal with his issues. Let's just get this over with so I can find my parents.
With that thought, I slipped my pocket knife into my bra just in case everything went to hell and quickly changed into the village-like clothes I was given.
When I had finished dressing, I froze in my tracks.
Hold on a moment. If he was told to meet me, but didn't know the me he was meeting was me how did he get clothes that give me "protection" in my size?
Nervously, I began biting on my thumb and pacing the room. Looking out the window of this Magdi's room, I had to bite my tongue to stop myself from saying a curse. Tasting the metallic taste of my blood I relaxed my jaw and tried to think on what to do in this situation.
I'm too many stories up to jump from the balcony, but maybe I could find something in here to use against Salim in case this is some elaborate trap.
Just as I began opening and closing different drawers, Salim asked, "Are you done?"
"In a minute," I replied as I made a beeline for the white double doors that I assumed to be Magdi's closet.
As soon as I opened them up, I stared for a solid three split seconds because staring me back was a sea and kingdom straight out of One Thousand and One Nights. Then, I promptly shut the doors closed. I was probably just hungry and beginning to hallucinate. After all, I hadn't eaten since noon.
Though just to make sure, I opened those seemingly normal double doors again before quickly slamming them shut. This time some mythical beast straight out of one of my dad's stories growled at me and I didn't fancy being devoured.
This time, I heard the door unlock and Salim say, "I see you've found the door. Now let's be off."
He then opened the door to reveal a staircase that seemed to descend into hell itself.
Staring at it, I remarked,"I never wanted to leave Egypt."
"What do you mean?" asked Salim.
"A lot of people at school always talk about how they want to leave after Senior High and never look back, but I've never wanted to leave here," I replied.
"It's not forever and I told you we were heading to Qaf," he responded.
"Yes, but-"
"-you didn't believe me," Salim cut me off.
I nodded.
"But don't you want to find your parents?"
I looked away in response.
"I cannot force you into the gate, but child, how important are your parents to you? To me, my son is everything. It is why I would even put my trust in a child if they could save him. Just how badly do you want to see them?"
"...Badly. I want to see them badly," I responded with clenched fists.
"Then shall we?" Salim asked while stretching out his blood-red hand.
In that moment, all my hesitation vanished. I took his hand and crossed through the doors.913Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLc1jbrtuRe
