End of July Visit to Faysel

I went to visit Faysel last week, and had tried to call and thank him for the lunch he’d provided, but his mobile was switched off. All week long. Finally, I had some free time, so I thought I’d drop by, see if he was in, and thank him personally. I called his number, and his wife answered, saying Faysel had left his phone when he’d gone out to work, but he should be back shortly. So I took the bus to Faysel’s, arriving around noon.

When I arrived, his wife let me in, and said Faysel was still at work, but I could wait for him. She is pregnant, and had an appointment with her obstetrician at 5:00 p.m. I waited until 4:00 p.m., when she said she had to get ready to leave. No sign of Faysel. His wife repeated that he was out working, but that she’d have him call me as soon as she saw him. I’d heard this before.

Last February, Faysel called and said he needed to see me on urgent business, so I went to his shop about 4:00 p.m. that afternoon. He said he was tied up, but we could talk about the business at midnight. I couldn’t wait, so I left. When I called the next day to reschedule, his mobile was switched off, and remained off for two months. I called his wife several times, and each time she said he was working very hard, but he’d call me when he got home.

Finally, in April, Faysel called and asked me to join him at a hotel in Deira. He said he’d been on the run from the police, but he thought the search must have cooled off by now. The next day, his mobile was again switched off, and remained off for a week.

When he finally called, he explained that, in fact, the police had still been looking for him. His shop had been entirely staffed by workers holding tourist visas, or workers who arrived, late at night, on boats that skipped the usual formalities associated with an international maritime arrival. This happens regularly in the West, of course, but in the US only the workers are arrested. Here, the owner of the shop can be arrested as well.

He said the police had come by his house, but he’d told his wife to refuse entrance, so the police just waited for him outside. He said they’d knocked on his door a few days later, so he’d gone out a window, stood on the ledge, and told his wife to let the police search the place. They made a cursory search and left.

Unfortunately, he’d eventually felt a desperate need to visit his favourite hotel, and had been apprehended leaving his flat. Then, after a couple of days in gaol, he’d been released after posting bail plus his passport. Of course, his wife had known where he was the entire time, but felt safest telling me he was working at his shop and would return my calls ‘as soon as he gets home.’

So, since Faysel wasn’t home and isn’t answering his phone, my guess is that he’s either hiding out somewhere, or ‘helping the police with their inquiries.’ I asked his wife if there was anything I could do to help, but his wife’s official answer remains, as it was the last time, ‘he’s at work selling cars, but he’ll be home soon, and as soon as he gets home I’ll have him call you.’