مَا كَتَبَهُ رَامِي

فِي صَبَاحِ الْيَوْمِ التَّالِي، وَصَلَتْ لِينَا إِلَى السُّوقِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَفْتَحَ أَكْثَرُ التُّجَّارِ أَبْوَابَهُمْ. كَانَتْ تَحْمِلُ دَفْتَرَهَا الصَّغِيرَ، وَفِيهِ سُؤَالٌ وَاحِدٌ كَتَبَتْهُ فِي اللَّيْلِ.

The next morning, Lina arrived at the market before most of the traders had opened their doors. She was carrying her small notebook. In it was one question she had written the night before.

إِذَا تَغَيَّرَ صَاحِبُ الْبَابِ، فَأَيْنَ وَرَقَةُ التَّغْيِيرِ؟ قَرَأَتِ السُّؤَالَ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى، ثُمَّ دَخَلَتْ مَكْتَبَ التُّجَّارِ.

If the person assigned to a stall changes, where is the change document? She read the question once more, then entered the traders’ office.

كَانَ الْمَكْتَبُ صَغِيرًا. فِيهِ مَكْتَبٌ خَشَبِيٌّ، وَكُرْسِيَّانِ، وَرَفٌّ عَلَيْهِ دَفَاتِرُ وَمَلَفَّاتٌ. وَقَفَ رَامِي عِنْدَ النَّافِذَةِ، وَكَانَ يُرَتِّبُ بَعْضَ الْأَوْرَاقِ.

The office was small. It had a wooden desk, two chairs, and a shelf with notebooks and folders. Rami was standing by the window, arranging some papers.

رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ وَقَالَ: «صَبَاحُ الْخَيْرِ يَا لِينَا. هَلْ أَحْضَرْتِ اللَّوْحَاتِ الْأُخْرَى؟» قَالَتْ: «لَا، لَيْسَ الْيَوْمَ. أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ عَنْ أَمْرٍ».

He looked up. “Good morning, Lina. Did you bring the other signs?” “No, not today. I want to ask you about something.”

أَشَارَ إِلَى الْكُرْسِيِّ. «تَفَضَّلِي. مَاذَا هُنَاكَ؟» جَلَسَتْ لِينَا، وَفَتَحَتْ دَفْتَرَهَا. لَمْ تُرِدْ أَنْ تَبْدَأَ بِاسْمِ خَدِيجَةَ، وَلَا بِاسْمِ أَمَلَ.

He pointed to the chair. “Please, sit down. What is it?” Lina sat and opened her notebook. She did not want to begin with Khadija’s name or Amal’s.

قَالَتْ: «أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَفْهَمَ طَرِيقَةَ تَغْيِيرِ الْأَبْوَابِ فِي السُّوقِ الْجَدِيدِ. مَنْ يَكْتُبُ الِاسْمَ؟ وَمَتَى يَتَغَيَّرُ؟»

“I want to understand how the stalls are changed in the new market. Who writes the name? And when is it changed?”

نَظَرَ رَامِي إِلَى الدَّفْتَرِ الَّذِي فِي يَدِهَا. ثُمَّ وَضَعَ الْأَوْرَاقَ عَلَى الْمَكْتَبِ. قَالَ: «هُنَاكَ وَرَقَةٌ أَوَّلَى لِكُلِّ تَاجِرٍ. يَكْتُبُ فِيهَا اسْمَهُ وَرَقْمَ بَابِهِ، وَيُوَقِّعُ هُوَ وَخَدِيجَةُ».

Rami looked at the notebook in her hand. Then he put his papers on the desk. “There is an first form for every trader. It has the person’s name and stall number, and both the trader and Khadija sign it.”

«وَإِذَا أَرَادَ التَّاجِرُ بَابًا آخَرَ؟» سَأَلَتْ لِينَا. قَالَ: «لَا يَكْفِي أَنْ نَكْتُبَ اسْمًا جَدِيدًا فِي الْقَائِمَةِ. يَجِبُ أَنْ يُوَافِقَ صَاحِبُ الْبَابِ الْأَوَّلُ عَلَى التَّغْيِيرِ بِالْكِتَابَةِ».

“And what if a trader wants another stall?” Lina asked. “It is not enough to write a new name on the list. The original stallholder must agree to the change in writing.”

كَتَبَتْ لِينَا هَذِهِ الْجُمْلَةَ فِي دَفْتَرِهَا. سَأَلَتْ: «هَلْ هَذِهِ قَاعِدَةٌ جَدِيدَةٌ؟» قَالَ رَامِي: «لَا». ثُمَّ أَخَذَ مَحْضَرَ اجْتِمَاعٍ قَدِيمٍ مِنَ الرَّفِّ، وَأَرَاهَا السَّطْرَ الَّذِي يَذْكُرُ الْمُوَافَقَةَ الْمَكْتُوبَةَ.

Lina wrote the sentence in her notebook. “Is this a new rule?” she asked. “No,” Rami said. He took the minutes of an earlier meeting from the shelf and showed her the line requiring written consent.

سَأَلَتْ: «وَأَيْنَ تَحْفَظُونَ الْوَرَقَاتِ؟» أَجَابَ: «الْأَصْلُ فِي مَلَفِّ الْمَكْتَبِ، وَالتَّاجِرُ يَأْخُذُ نُسْخَةً. عِنْدَنَا أَيْضًا مَلَفٌّ لِلْأَوْرَاقِ الْقَدِيمَةِ. أَمَّا الْقَائِمَةُ الْمُعَلَّقَةُ فَهِيَ لِلْإِعْلَامِ فَقَطْ».

“Where do you keep the papers?” she asked. “The original belongs in the office file and the trader takes a copy. We also have an old-records folder. The posted list is only for information,” he answered.

سَكَتَتْ لِينَا قَلِيلًا. كَانَتْ تَعْرِفُ أَنَّ الْقَائِمَةَ الْجَدِيدَةَ تَضَعُ حَامِدًا فِي الْبَابِ السَّادِسِ، وَأَمَلَ فِي الْبَابِ التَّاسِعِ. لَكِنَّهَا لَمْ تَكُنْ تَعْرِفُ مَا الَّذِي حَدَثَ فِي الْمَكْتَبِ.

Lina was quiet for a moment. She knew that the new list placed Hamid at Door Six and Amal at Door Nine. But she did not know what had happened in the office.

قَالَتْ: «هَلْ رَأَيْتَ وَرَقَةَ مُوَافَقَةٍ مِنْ أَمَلَ؟» تَغَيَّرَ وَجْهُ رَامِي قَلِيلًا. نَظَرَ إِلَى الْمَلَفَّاتِ، ثُمَّ عَادَ بِنَظَرِهِ إِلَيْهَا.

“Have you seen a consent form from Amal?” she asked. Rami’s expression changed slightly. He looked at the folders, then looked back at her.

قَالَ: «لَمْ أَرَ وَرَقَةً بِهَذَا الِاسْمِ». لَمْ تَقُلْ لِينَا إِنَّهَا تَعْرِفُ أَمْرَ الْوَرَقَةِ الْقَدِيمَةِ. سَأَلَتْ فَقَطْ: «فَكَيْفَ وَصَلَ اسْمُ حَامِدٍ إِلَى الْقَائِمَةِ؟»

“I have not seen a form with that name.” Lina did not tell him that she knew about the older document. She only asked, “Then how did Hamid’s name get onto the list?”

أَخَذَ رَامِي نَفَسًا قَصِيرًا. قَالَ: «أَنَا كَتَبْتُ الْقَائِمَةَ الْجَدِيدَةَ. أَعْطَتْنِي خَدِيجَةُ الْأَسْمَاءَ وَالْأَرْقَامَ، وَقُلْتُ إِنِّي سَأُعِدُّهَا».

Rami took a short breath. “I wrote the new list. Khadija gave me the names and numbers, and I said I would prepare it.”

«هَلْ سَأَلْتَ أَمَلَ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَكْتُبَ اسْمَهَا عِنْدَ الْبَابِ التَّاسِعِ؟» سَأَلَتْ. أَجَابَ بَعْدَ لَحْظَةٍ: «لَا. ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّ الْأَمْرَ قَدْ اتَّفَقُوا عَلَيْهِ».

“Did you ask Amal before writing her name beside Door Nine?” she asked. He answered after a moment: “No. I thought they had already agreed.”

قَالَتْ لِينَا: «مَنْ قَالَ لَكَ ذَلِكَ؟» أَجَابَ: «خَدِيجَةُ. كَانَتْ تُنَظِّمُ الْعَمَلَ، وَأَنَا أَثِقُ بِهَا. لَمْ أَظُنَّ أَنَّ عَلَيَّ أَنْ أَسْأَلَ كُلَّ تَاجِرٍ».

“Who told you that?” Lina asked. “Khadija. She was organising the work, and I trust her. I did not think I had to ask every trader.”

لَمْ يَكُنْ صَوْتُهُ غَاضِبًا، وَلَكِنَّهُ لَمْ يَبْدُ مُرْتَاحًا. قَالَ: «رُبَّمَا كَانَ عَلَيَّ أَنْ أَتَأَكَّدَ. كَانَ الْوَقْتُ ضَيِّقًا، وَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أُنْهِيَ الْقَائِمَةَ قَبْلَ الِانْتِقَالِ».

His voice was not angry, but he did not seem comfortable. “Perhaps I should have checked,” he said. “Time was short, and I wanted to finish the list before the move.”

نَظَرَتْ لِينَا إِلَى يَدَيْهِ. كَانَ يُحَرِّكُ قَلَمًا بَيْنَ أَصَابِعِهِ. لَمْ يَقُلْ إِنَّهُ رَأَى مُوَافَقَةَ أَمَلَ، وَلَمْ يَقُلْ إِنَّهَا وَافَقَتْ. قَالَ إِنَّهُ ظَنَّ ذَلِكَ فَقَطْ.

Lina looked at his hands. He was moving a pen between his fingers. He did not say that he had seen Amal’s consent, or that she had agreed. He said only that he had thought so.

سَأَلَتْ: «إِذَا لَمْ تَكُنْ هُنَاكَ وَرَقَةُ مُوَافَقَةٍ، فَهَلْ تَتَغَيَّرُ الْقَائِمَةُ؟» قَالَ: «لَا. الْقَائِمَةُ لَا تُغَيِّرُ الْوَرَقَةَ الْأَصْلِيَّةَ».

“If there is no consent form, does the list change the allocation?” she asked. “No. The list does not change the original document.”

أَغْلَقَتْ لِينَا دَفْتَرَهَا، ثُمَّ فَتَحَتْهُ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى. كَانَتْ تُرِيدُ أَنْ تَسْأَلَ عَنْ الْمَلَفِّ الْقَدِيمِ، وَلَكِنَّهَا لَمْ تُرِدْ أَنْ تَطْلُبَ فَتْحَهُ لِوَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا وَحْدَهُ.

Lina closed her notebook, then opened it again. She wanted to ask about the old folder, but she did not want to ask for it to be opened for only one of them.

قَالَتْ: «وَإِذَا اخْتَلَفَ تَاجِرَانِ عَلَى بَابٍ وَاحِدٍ، فَمَنْ يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يَرَى الْأَصْلَ؟» أَجَابَ رَامِي: «يَطْلُبُ التَّاجِرَانِ ذَلِكَ مَعًا. يَكْتُبَانِ طَلَبًا، وَيُوَقِّعَانِ عَلَيْهِ».

“If two traders disagree over one stall, who may see the original?” she asked. Rami answered, “The two traders must request it together. They write a request and both sign it.”

«وَبَعْدَ ذَلِكَ؟» قَالَ: «نُحَدِّدُ مَوْعِدًا لِمُرَاجَعَةِ الْمَلَفِّ. وَيَحْضُرُ مَعَهُمَا شَخْصٌ مِنَ الْجَمْعِيَّةِ. لَا نَفْتَحُ الْمَلَفَّ لِكُلِّ مَنْ يَسْأَلُ عَنْهُ».

“And after that?” “We set a time to review the folder. Someone from the association attends with them. We do not open the folder for everyone who asks about it.”

كَتَبَتْ لِينَا هَذِهِ الْمَعْلُومَةَ أَيْضًا. لَمْ تَكُنْ هُنَاكَ إِجَابَةٌ نِهَائِيَّةٌ، وَلَكِنَّهَا عَرَفَتْ خُطْوَةً وَاضِحَةً. لَا بُدَّ أَنْ يَطْلُبَ أَمَلُ وَحَامِدٌ مُرَاجَعَةَ الْمَلَفِّ مَعًا.

Lina wrote this information down too. There was no final answer, but now she knew one clear next step. Amal and Hamid would have to request a review of the folder together.

نَظَرَتْ لِينَا إِلَى مَحْضَرِ الِاجْتِمَاعِ الْقَدِيمِ فَوْقَ الْمَكْتَبِ. لَمْ تَكُنِ الْقَاعِدَةُ سِرًّا، وَلَا كَانَتْ خَاصَّةً بِأَمَلَ أَوْ حَامِدٍ. لَقَدْ وَضَعَهَا التُّجَّارُ لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ.

Lina looked at the old meeting minutes on the desk. The rule was no secret, and it had not been written specially for Amal or Hamid. The traders had made it for themselves.

قَالَ رَامِي: «هَلْ تَتَكَلَّمِينَ عَنْ بَابِ أَمَلَ وَحَامِدٍ؟» نَظَرَتْ إِلَيْهِ. «نَعَمْ. لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا وَرَقَةٌ، وَلَا أَعْرِفُ أَيُّهُمَا يَصِفُ مَا حَدَثَ».

Rami asked, “Are you talking about Amal and Hamid’s stall?” She looked at him. “Yes. Each of them has a document, and I do not know which one describes what happened.”

قَالَ: «أَمَلُ غَاضِبَةٌ مِنَ الْقَائِمَةِ». أَجَابَتْ لِينَا: «هِيَ لَا تَقُولُ إِنَّهَا غَاضِبَةٌ فَقَطْ. تَقُولُ إِنَّهَا لَمْ تُوَافِقْ».

“Amal is angry about the list,” he said. Lina replied, “She is not only saying that she is angry. She says she did not agree.”

سَكَتَ رَامِي. بَعْدَ قَلِيلٍ قَالَ: «لَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَظْلِمَ أَحَدًا. كَانَ عَمَلِي أَنْ أَكْتُبَ الْقَائِمَةَ، لَا أَنْ أَخْتَارَ الْأَبْوَابَ».

Rami was silent. After a little while he said, “I do not want to treat anyone unfairly. My job was to write the list, not to choose the stalls.”

قَالَتْ لِينَا: «أَفْهَمُ ذَلِكَ. وَلَكِنَّ الِاسْمَ الَّذِي كَتَبْتَهُ غَيَّرَ مَا يَرَاهُ النَّاسُ. بَعْضُهُمْ يَظُنُّ أَنَّ الْأَمْرَ قَدْ انْتَهَى».

“I understand,” Lina said. “But the name you wrote changed what people see. Some of them think the matter is settled.”

نَظَرَ رَامِي إِلَى الْقَائِمَةِ الْمُعَلَّقَةِ خَارِجَ الْمَكْتَبِ. قَالَ: «هَذَا صَحِيحٌ. كَانَ يَجِبُ أَنْ أَكْتُبَ أَنَّهَا قَائِمَةٌ مُؤَقَّتَةٌ».

Rami looked at the list hanging outside the office. “That is true. I should have written that it was a temporary list.”

لَمْ تَطْلُبْ مِنْهُ لِينَا أَنْ يَغَيِّرَهَا فِي تِلْكَ اللَّحْظَةِ. قَالَتْ: «رُبَّمَا يَجِبُ أَنْ نَنْتَظِرَ حَتَّى يَتَكَلَّمَ أَمَلُ وَحَامِدٌ مَعًا. لَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَتَكَلَّمَ بَدَلًا مِنْهُمَا».

Lina did not ask him to change it at that moment. “Perhaps we should wait until Amal and Hamid speak together. I do not want to speak for them.”

قَامَتْ مِنَ الْكُرْسِيِّ. وَعِنْدَ الْبَابِ، قَالَ رَامِي: «إِذَا وَجَدْتِ خَطَأً فِي الْقَائِمَةِ، فَأَخْبِرِينِي. لَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ يَبْقَى اسْمٌ فِي مَكَانٍ خَاطِئٍ».

She stood up. At the door, Rami said, “If you find a mistake in the list, tell me. I do not want a name to remain in the wrong place.”

خَرَجَتْ لِينَا إِلَى السُّوقِ. كَانَتِ الْأَبْوَابُ تَفْتَحُ وَاحِدًا بَعْدَ وَاحِدٍ، وَكَانَ صَوْتُ التُّجَّارِ يَمْلَأُ الطَّرِيقَ. وَقَفَتْ أَمَامَ الْقَائِمَةِ، وَقَرَأَتِ الِاسْمَيْنِ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى.

Lina went out into the market. The doors were opening one by one, and the traders’ voices filled the lane. She stood in front of the list and read the two names again.

لَمْ يَكُنْ رَامِي قَدْ كَذَبَ عَلَيْهَا. وَلَكِنَّهُ كَتَبَ شَيْئًا لَمْ يَتَأَكَّدْ مِنْهُ. وَكَانَ هَذَا كَافِيًا لِيَجْعَلَ النَّاسَ يَرَوْنَ الْقَائِمَةَ كَأَنَّهَا الْحَقِيقَةُ.

Rami had not lied to her. But he had written something he had not checked. That was enough to make people see the list as though it were the truth.

وَجَدَتْ أَمَلَ عِنْدَ عَرَبَتِهَا. كَانَتْ تُرَتِّبُ الصَّنَادِيقَ، وَتَضَعُ الْخُضْرَوَاتِ فِي مَكَانِهَا. لَمَّا رَأَتْ لِينَا، مَسَحَتْ يَدَيْهَا بِقِطْعَةِ قُمَاشٍ.

Lina found Amal by her cart. She was arranging the boxes and putting the vegetables in their places. When she saw Lina, she wiped her hands with a piece of cloth.

قَالَتْ أَمَلُ: «هَلْ عَرَفْتِ شَيْئًا؟» أَجَابَتْ لِينَا: «نَعَمْ. عَرَفْتُ كَيْفَ يَجِبُ أَنْ يَتِمَّ تَغْيِيرُ الْبَابِ. لَكِنَّنَا لَا نَعْرِفُ بَعْدُ مَاذَا فِي الْمَلَفِّ الْأَصْلِيِّ».

Amal asked, “Did you find anything out?” “Yes. I found out how a stall change must be made. But we still do not know what is in the original folder.”

شَرَحَتْ لَهَا أَنَّ صَاحِبَ الْوَرَقَةِ الْأُولَى لَا يُغَيَّرُ بَابُهُ إِلَّا بِمُوَافَقَتِهِ الْمَكْتُوبَةِ، وَأَنَّ أَمَلًا وَحَامِدًا يَسْتَطِيعَانِ أَنْ يَطْلُبَا رُؤْيَةَ الْمَلَفِّ مَعًا.

She explained that the first allocation cannot be changed without its holder’s written consent, and that Amal and Hamid could request to see the file together.

نَظَرَتْ أَمَلُ إِلَى عَرَبَتِهَا. قَالَتْ: «أَنَا لَا أَرْفُضُ أَنْ أَتَكَلَّمَ مَعَ حَامِدٍ. وَلَكِنِّي لَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ يَأْتِي إِلَيَّ شَخْصٌ آخَرُ وَيَقُولَ إِنَّ الْأَمْرَ قَدْ انْتَهَى».

Amal looked at her cart. “I do not refuse to speak with Hamid. But I do not want another person to come to me and say that the matter is already settled.”

قَالَتْ لِينَا: «إِذًا، يَجِبُ أَنْ يَأْتِي هُوَ بِنَفْسِهِ». أَجَابَتْ أَمَلُ: «نَعَمْ. أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَسْمَعَ مِنْهُ، وَأَنْ يَسْمَعَ مِنِّي».

“Then he must come himself,” Lina said. Amal replied, “Yes. I want to hear from him, and I want him to hear from me.”

لَمْ تَطْلُبْ أَمَلُ مِنْ لِينَا أَنْ تَذْهَبَ إِلَى حَامِدٍ فَوْرًا. وَلَمْ تَقُلْ إِنَّهَا سَتُوَافِقُ عَلَى الْبَابِ التَّاسِعِ. كَانَتْ تُرِيدُ مُحَادَثَةً وَاضِحَةً، لَا وَعْدًا جَدِيدًا.

Amal did not ask Lina to go to Hamid immediately. Nor did she say she would accept Door Nine. She wanted a clear conversation, not another promise.

عَادَتْ لِينَا إِلَى مَكَانِهَا عِنْدَ أُمِّهَا. وَضَعَتْ دَفْتَرَهَا عَلَى الطَّاوِلَةِ، وَفَتَحَتْ صَفْحَةً جَدِيدَةً. كَتَبَتْ: «الْقَائِمَةُ لَيْسَتْ وَرَقَةَ التَّغْيِيرِ».

Lina returned to her place beside her mother. She put her notebook on the table and opened a new page. She wrote: “The list is not the change document.”

ثُمَّ كَتَبَتْ تَحْتَهَا: «أَمَلُ تُرِيدُ أَنْ تَتَكَلَّمَ مَعَ حَامِدٍ. وَحَامِدٌ قَالَ إِنَّهُ سَيَتَكَلَّمُ مَعَ أُخْتِهِ». تَوَقَّفَتْ عِنْدَ هَذِهِ الْجُمْلَةِ. لَمْ تَعْرِفْ هَلْ تَكَلَّمَ حَامِدٌ مَعَ خَدِيجَةَ بَعْدُ.

Then she wrote beneath it: “Amal wants to speak with Hamid. Hamid said he would speak with his sister.” She paused at that sentence. She did not know whether Hamid had spoken to Khadija yet.

كَانَتْ خُطْوَتُهَا التَّالِيَةُ وَاضِحَةً، وَلَكِنَّهَا لَمْ تَكُنْ سَهْلَةً. عَلَيْهَا أَنْ تَجِدَ وَقْتًا يَجْتَمِعُ فِيهِ أَمَلُ وَحَامِدٌ، وَأَنْ تَتْرُكَ لَهُمَا مَكَانًا لِلْكَلَامِ.

Her next step was clear, but it would not be easy. She had to find a time when Amal and Hamid could meet, and leave them room to speak.

وَفِي آخِرِ الصَّفْحَةِ، كَتَبَتْ سُؤَالًا آخَرَ: «هَلْ يَسْتَطِيعُ النَّاسُ أَنْ يُصَحِّحُوا خَطَأً، إِذَا كَانُوا قَدْ بَدَأُوا يُصَدِّقُونَهُ؟» ثُمَّ أَغْلَقَتِ الدَّفْتَرَ.

At the bottom of the page, she wrote another question: “Can people correct a mistake after they have begun to believe it?” Then she closed the notebook.