‘Yasheen’ Once More

A lovely day reuniting with Hazem (Yasheen’s real name) for the first time in six years, although we have been in What’s App and Western Union touch throughout. Many will know his backstory from here, and my book on Egypt.

We met when he was twelve (he’s now twenty-five) and it was also lovely to see him being such a caring father to his five-year old son, Omar.

A few of his phrases will stay with me (Ayman was with us to translate):

‘You noticed me, took an interest in me - no one else did at that time and during all the years that followed.’ His own father died of kidney and stomach problems when he was nine years old, leaving him unable to defend his father’s flower business against greedy cousins.

‘I was fatherless and you were son-less when we met and that’s why we are father and son now.’

‘A mistake is only a mistake if you don’t learn from it.’, referring to his failed marriage which he embarked upon when he was only twenty.

‘I need to get off the street [selling flowers to car drivers], I can’t have Omar growing up like this. I want to return to my village in the Delta and open a shop.’

Hazem was amazed and thrilled to hear and see blips of my telling of our story in one of IESE Business School’s senior executive programme’s twice a year, along with KiH’s and Amandoalentejo’s reactions to it which were translated word for word, with a few wet eyes around the table.

It was a happy time chatting and drinking tea beside the Nile.

More in extras . . .