Breakfast with Farook. Again.

Yesterday, Farook invited me to breakfast and kept me (‘Please, just a minute more. I have something very important.’) until 6:00 p.m. I had an appointment with Fahad yesterday, and Farook knew about it, told Fahad to meet me at Farook’s office, then talked to Fahad in Arabic until I tried to leave (‘Please, just a minute more.’) until, at 6:00 p.m., I’d had enough. I told Fahad, ‘Tomorrow. I will come to your place in Sharjah at 1:00 p.m. Please be in Sharjah.’

Fahad said, ‘You must go? I be here maybe several more hours. You wait, I take you home. I really need talk to you.’ Fahad is very wealthy, and said he desperately needs my help.

‘Tomorrow. 1:00 p.m. Your place.’

‘OK, you come, I bring you back Dubai before six.’ And I left Farook’s office.

Today, at about 8:15 a.m., Farook called. ‘I waiting to take you Fahad’s. Come now. I park beside your flat.’ I wasn’t even dressed.

‘I can come in 30 minutes.’ ‘No. Too late. You must come now.’ I began to get dressed. The phone kept ringing every 5 minutes until I got down. Farook seemed very annoyed.

‘I know you go Sharjah today. I help you. Why you keep me waiting here in car? Car very uncomfortable. I try help you, and you no respect me.’ He sounded very hurt at my inconsiderate behaviour.

So off we went. First to the hospital so he could visit an old friend. Then to breakfast in the cafeteria marked ‘Staff Physicians Only!’ Farook quite likes the fact that he can get away with breaking rules that apply to almost everyone else. Then to try to sell some real estate. Then to distribute some sweets for an occasion he said he couldn’t tell me about, that my asking was like pouring salt on something. I couldn’t quite make out from his Arablish what the salt was being poured on. Then we had to drive around Deira looking for flats Farook could sublease.

We finally got to Sharjah at 3:00 p.m. I was annoyed by now. ‘Why you annoyed? I give you ride.’

‘I could have worked until noon, taken the bus, been at Fahad’s at one, and finished his project.’

‘You take bus? Only Indianos take bus. Bus very bad. Maybe you meet another Faysel on bus. And you no need five hours with Fahad. You arrive, say hello, goodbye, get back to Dubai. You no help Fahad. Fahad Arab. Arab help Arab. Western help Western.’

After we arrived at Fahad’s, Farook and Fahad talked about life and Islam. All in Arabic. Fahad speaks English, but refrained since Farook was present and he didn’t want to be impolite.

Promptly at 6:00 p.m., the time he’d promised to have me back in Dubai, Fahad gave us dinner. As soon as dinner was over, he left.

I had to ride home with Farook, who had to look at some properties in Sharjah on the way. I got home after 9:00 p.m.

Farook said, ‘You get to spend all day listen Arabic. Arabic language of God. You get many blessings for listen Arabic all day. You should say “Thank you,” because I am really help you. Fahad no need your help. I get him Arab person help him.’

‘You’re right. If I make an appointment with Fahad and take the bus to Sharjah, when I get to his house, they’ll just tell me he forgot about the appointment and is in Dubai.’

So I didn’t get to help Fahad at all. Fahad says he still desperately needs my help. And he’s still very wealthy. But he tends not to keep appointments.

So, if I foolishly decide I still want to help Fahad, I’m going to try to schedule an appointment that Farook doesn’t know about.