Return of the Faisal

I owe Faisal some money, so one wouldn't think he'd avoid me, but, about two months ago, he stopped answering his mobile. I couldn't understand it.

Today, finally, he called. Not a good night to meet up, as I have to leave for work tomorrow at 6:00 a.m., but I wanted to pay up and get things finished (only he didn't have the completed work, so I still owe him the money).

He said his shop had been raided. Like most small UAE businessmen, he uses some workers without asking too many silly questions about their employment visas. The cops came in, arrested all his workers, and asked where the boss was. His workers gave the police his mobile number.

The police called, said he had to come to the police station to be arrested, and he responded by tossing his mobile. So I couldn't call him, and he didn't call me for two months.

He said, after he got the call from the cops, he now spends every day in various bars drinking to forget about the fact that he's now wanted in two hemispheres.

He told me to meet him at the Dulf in Deira (the GPS said it was in Bur Dubai, and, between the GPS and Faisal's directions, it took me almost an hour to make a 10 minute journey). Then he took me to Chelsea, where, he said, Halliburton provide free American girls for their workers' R and R (but we didn't see any).

So I got home late, and have to get up early tomorrow. And I still haven't finished my business with Faisal.