The Technical Glitch
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By Omayma Abdel Aziz
His feelings flared the moment he saw her. He remembered her at once: the beautiful young woman he had met the day before in his boss’s office. She was running past a line of cars, heading in his direction. He slowed down a little. She did not see him. She kept moving, and he followed her in silence from behind his dark sunglasses.
He had never seen such grace. He was used to the women at work, those who faithfully loaded their tables with mahshi and rich, heavy dishes, leaving behind excess weight and chronic joint pain.
He did not stop watching her. He barely blinked, afraid of losing sight of her.
She walked with softness and certainty. He was bewitched by her graceful turns and by the long strands of hair falling over her shoulders, swaying right and left with every step.
He spoke to himself in anxious despair. What now? How could he win her affection? Would someone like her ever accept someone like him? She must be attached already.
Could all this beauty still be alone, like me? I doubt it.
Disappointment drooped over him. He stopped for a moment, almost turned back, but then she suddenly stopped, and her handbag fell from her hand. He stared at her in surprise.
He hurried toward her, and in his mind a stage appeared, curtains rising to reveal him on a white horse, moving through a modest garden designed by an inexperienced set decorator, while Cinderella stood at center stage waiting for him to sweep her away...
He rushed closer and found her standing still, eyes closed. His mind froze for a moment, then started working again, trying to return to reality.
He circled around her. She remained motionless. He watched for the movement of her breath. For a moment, he thought she was not breathing at all. What was this? What had happened to her? His head nearly burst. He stepped closer and said:
“Mademoiselle... Mademoiselle...”
No answer.
He picked up her handbag. Passersby gathered around them. A woman came forward to help, whispered a prayer, held the girl by the shoulders, and said:
“My daughter, what is wrong?”
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Tahani Elghazaly5421 Posts
