Who I Saw

My likes/dislikes gets radically changed over a period of time, but some remain constant. For example I still like Di (Princess Diana), Harrison Ford, Brendan Fraser, Ellen DeGeneres, and so on. Dislikes which were likes before are Mel Gibson, Alec Baldwin, Kristen Stewart, Clint Eastwood, Oprah …..

I have never met any famous persons in real life, except like the Pakistani actor Muhammad Ali, and Indian actor Daleep Kumar. I was excited to see BF (Brendan Fraser) during my trip from Boston to Dallas via New York. Son, and I were parting ways there. He was going to Austin, and my destination was Dallas as daughter lives there. Son was standing in a long line for food (it looked everyone was hungry), while I was waiting way back.

Looking meaninglessly here, and there, I caught sight of BF. I was trying to determine whether he was the same person I thought him to be, all the while giving him sneaky glances.

He was too clever for me. Once he caught on that I was watching him covertly, he would look at the same time I would look at him. I would feel embarrassed at being caught, and look elsewhere. Oh, I dearly wanted to speak to him to ascertain whether he was the same guy I wanted him to be, but at heart I’m so chicken hearted. For the life of me I couldn’t figure out how to speak to a person whom you know figuratively but he may not want to be discovered.

I went, and tapped Son to ask his opinion. Son’s reply was a total No, no. Disappointed I moved back. BF had done the disappearing act.

The Return

On my last two forays to shops, I got terribly bored by Son dawdling over things, trying to make up his mind. This time I armed myself with a book — just in case I needed it to occupy myself, rather than staring aimlessly at pieces of merchandise. Bad idea!

Halfway home I realized with mounting dismay, that I had indeed left the book in the last store we visited. With great trepidation I announced it to Son, who wrathfully told me that I should never, ever take a book along on shopping. I told him to turn back, as I couldn’t face the embarrassment of telling a librarian that I had lost a book.

We entered the store from the exit side. The 🛒 wasn’t where I had last abandoned it. It had already being whisked in place. The first person we approached was a cleaner. He was intent on his work with a brush. Son asked him where should we go for the Lost&Found things? He looked uncomprehendingly at us???

I decided to elaborate,”I left a 📖 in one of the 🛒.

At that he said, “A book?”

“Yes”, I nodded my head.

We were lucky, as he was the one who had found the book. He led to us to a side office, and went inside to point us out to the woman inside. He held the book up. My face lighted at the sight of the missing book.

As a thank you I slipped a note to him, which he refused at first, but accepted it at my insistence. He had saved me from acute embarrassment, and a fine. He was my Saving Angel sent by Allah to help me.

Embarrassment

It happened to me yesterday. I was on the flight from Houston to Atlanta, and onwards to Roanoke, Virginia. When the flight reached Atlanta, for some reason the aircraft’s doors weren’t opened for the passengers to disembark. We remained sitting for quite some time.

After getting off the plane, I asked for directions to the next terminal for boarding the plane. It wasn’t mentioned on my boarding pass. The lady put me in a cart to catch the train to the terminal.

I didn’t look at the time, figuring I had enough until boarding started. I went to a restroom, leisurely brushed my teeth, and freshened up. After putting my hijab back on, I wandered to my terminal.

Some people were standing in lines, while others were sitting. I thought the lines were for a different flight, so I didn’t take any notice.

I immersed myself in playing Sudoku on my IPad. I had not set the time to change automatically on my IPad. It was set to Houston time. Atlanta was one hour ahead.

After finishing my game it registered with me that the whole sitting area was empty. I went to the desk to enquire, and was told that the flight was already boarded. The chap knew my name without my telling, as I was the last one straggler.

Wasn’t I embarrassed to see everyone waiting for me. I was looking for my seat number. It was at the back of the plane. The sweet couple sitting at the back of my seat laughed, and said, “Here you are. It’s all yours”. The man got up to help me in stowing my carry on.

Thank God I didn’t miss my plane, otherwise I would have caused unnecessary worry to my children.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/isnt-your-face-red/

Isn’t Your Face Red

When was the last time you were embarrassed? How do you react to embarrassment? 

What to Say?

Daily Prompt: Head Turners
We often hear strange snippets of conversation as we walk through public spaces. When was the last time you overheard something so interesting, ridiculous, or disturbing you really wanted to know what it was all about?

As a teenager though I understood my mother tongue Pushto, I couldn’t speak it fluently. The reason was — at home our servants talked to us in Urdu or Punjabi, and at school English was mandatory. I grew up with basic rudimentary words of Pushto.

My Pushto improved with my marriage to my husband. Although I can’t write in it, but I can speak it fluently, and can read it too. In the beginning people around me would laugh at the words I spoke. At home R would hold his stomach, and laugh at my feeble attempts (at Pushto speaking).

A few years back at a village wedding, some village women were discussing me right in front of myself. Thank God for mercies, it was all complimentary. Nothing derogatory was said. They thought that I wouldn’t know what they were talking about. I moved away from them.

On one occasion my cousin’s wife went to visit her young widowed relation to offer condolences.

She laughingly asked me, “Do you know what you’re called behind your back?”

I braced myself for embarrassment. She kept on laughing making me assume God knows all sorts of things.

“The villagers call you an Angrez (a foreigner).”

Ooh! I breathed a sigh of relief. I was mentally prepared for something worse.

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/head-turners/
http://wp.me/p23sd-neE