Although there was an endless expanse of buildings in front of me, I could hardly see any lights visible, save for the giant billboard that shown brightly to the right of us. Al-Saafi was standing behind my left shoulder, looking out the window along with me. There was a dog on the roof below us. He had been there the night before, and the night before that, when I arrived here. Al-Saafi called him night boy, ابن الليل.
I would be leaving for Alexandria the next morning and we both knew I wouldn't be back here. We sat quietly on the low couches for most of the night, the backdrop of Cairo lending a dim glow to our conversations.
"When you leave here, all I want you to remember is love."
They said it again and it sounded even stranger that time. We had just met, why would they say that? What was the use if I was leaving the next day?
I brought this point up, worried they'd get hurt by caring so much for me.
"شوفي،"
they started, "will the bear not fight the bee for his true desire, knowing he will be stung?! No! The bear will always try!"
I just stared, not understanding.
"So wait, am I the bear or the bee in this situation?"
They laughed.
"You are the true desire. You are the honey."
