صَبَاحٌ آخَرُ

بَعْدَ أُسْبُوعٍ مِنِ افْتِتَاحِ السُّوقِ الْجَدِيدِ، وَصَلَتْ لِينَا إِلَى الْأَبْوَابِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ الطَّرِيقُ بِالنَّاسِ. كَانَ السَّقْفُ يُظِلُّ الْمَكَانَ، وَكَانَ صَوْتُ الْمَاءِ يَأْتِي مِنْ طَاوِلَةِ صَبَاحَ.

A week after the new market opened, Lina arrived before the lane filled with people. The roof shaded the stalls, and water could be heard at Sabah's tea table.

عَلَى الْبَابِ السَّادِسِ كَانَ اسْمُ «أَمَل» بِالطِّلَاءِ الْأَزْرَقِ. وَعَلَى الْبَابِ التَّاسِعِ كَانَ اسْمُ «حَامِد». كَتَبَتْ لِينَا الِاسْمَيْنِ بَعْدَ الِاجْتِمَاعِ، وَعُلِّقَتِ اللَّوْحَتَانِ عِنْدَ الِافْتِتَاحِ.

Door Six bore the name “Amal” in blue paint; Door Nine bore “Hamid.” Lina had painted both names after the meeting, and the signs had been hung for opening day.

جَاءَتِ الْيَوْمَ لِتُصْلِحَ طَرَفَ حَرْفٍ صَغِيرٍ عَلَى لَوْحَةِ أَمَلَ. لَمْ يَكُنْ الْحَرْفُ خَاطِئًا، وَلَكِنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ جَمِيلًا كَمَا تُرِيدُ لِينَا.

Today she had come to touch up the edge of a small letter on Amal's sign. The letter was not wrong, but it was not as neat as Lina wanted.

كَانَتْ أَمَلُ قَدْ فَتَحَتْ بَابَهَا. دَفَعَتِ الْعَرَبَةَ الْمُحَمَّلَةَ بِالْخُضْرَوَاتِ فَوْقَ الْأَرْضِ الْمُسْتَوِيَةِ، وَأَدْخَلَتْهَا دُونَ أَنْ تَرْفَعَ صُنْدُوقًا وَاحِدًا.

Amal had opened her door. She pushed her vegetable-laden cart across the level floor and brought it inside without lifting a single crate.

قَالَتْ لِلِينَا: «وَجَدْتُ طَرِيقًا جَيِّدًا لِعَرَبَتِي مِنْ خَلْفِ السُّوقِ. أَقَلُّ زِحَامًا مِنَ الطَّرِيقِ الْأَمَامِيِّ».

“I found a good route for my cart behind the market,” she told Lina. “It is less crowded than the front path.”

قَالَتْ لِينَا: «إِذًا صَارَ الْبَابُ السَّادِسُ لَهُ طَرِيقَانِ». أَجَابَتْ أَمَلُ: «نَعَمْ، وَلَكِنَّهُ لَا يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى دَرَجَتَيْنِ». ضَحِكَتَا قَلِيلًا.

“Then Door Six has two routes now,” Lina said. “Yes, but neither needs two steps,” Amal replied. They laughed softly.

كَانَتْ لِينَا تَعْرِفُ أَنَّ أَمَلًا لَمْ تَنْسَ الْأُسْبُوعَ الصَّعْبَ. لَمْ تَعُدْ تَتَكَلَّمُ عَنْهُ كُلَّ صَبَاحٍ، وَلَكِنَّهُ لَمْ يَخْتَفِ مِنْ حَيَاتِهَا.

Lina knew Amal had not forgotten the difficult week. She no longer talked about it every morning, but it had not vanished from her life.

عِنْدَ الْبَابِ التَّاسِعِ، كَانَ حَامِدٌ يَضَعُ كُرْسِيًّا قَدِيمًا عَلَى طَاوِلَةِ الْإِصْلَاحِ. صَارَتْ أَدَوَاتُهُ الصَّغِيرَةُ فِي صُنْدُوقٍ يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يَحْمِلَهُ عَلَى الدَّرَجَتَيْنِ.

At Door Nine, Hamid was placing an old chair on his repair bench. His small tools were now in a box he could carry up the two steps.

لَمْ يَضَعْ رَفَّهُ الطَّوِيلَ فِي هَذَا الْمَكَانِ. كَانَ الْخَشَبُ الَّذِي اشْتَرَاهُ لِلْبَابِ السَّادِسِ مَا زَالَ عِنْدَ الْحَائِطِ. بَعْضُهُ يُمْكِنُ قَطْعُهُ، وَبَعْضُهُ لَا يَنْفَعُ هُنَا.

He had not installed his long shelf here. The wood bought for Door Six still leaned against the wall. Some pieces could be cut down; others were of no use here.

رَفَعَ حَامِدٌ رَأْسَهُ وَقَالَ: «صَبَاحُ الْخَيْرِ. هَلْ جِئْتِ لِتَكْتُبِي اسْمًا جَدِيدًا فَوْقَ اسْمِي؟» أَجَابَتْ لِينَا: «لَا. جِئْتُ لِأَتَأَكَّدَ أَنَّ اسْمَكَ مَا زَالَ مَقْرُوءًا».

Hamid looked up. “Good morning. Have you come to paint a new name over mine?” “No,” Lina replied. “I came to make sure yours can still be read.”

ابْتَسَمَ حَامِدٌ، ثُمَّ سَأَلَ أَمَلَ مِنْ بَعِيدٍ: «هَلْ عِنْدَكِ وَقْتٌ لِحَمْلِ هَذَا الْكُرْسِيِّ؟ هُوَ أَخَفُّ مِنْ عَرَبَتِكِ بِكَثِيرٍ».

Hamid smiled, then called to Amal. “Do you have time to help carry this chair? It is much lighter than your cart.”

نَظَرَتْ أَمَلُ إِلَى كُرْسِيِّهِ، ثُمَّ إِلَى زَبُونَتِهَا الَّتِي كَانَتْ تَخْتَارُ الطَّمَاطِمَ. قَالَتْ: «بَعْدَ أَنْ أُعْطِيَ هَذِهِ السَّيِّدَةَ بَاقِيَ النُّقُودِ».

Amal looked at the chair, then at a customer choosing tomatoes. “After I give this lady her change,” she said.

بَعْدَ قَلِيلٍ، جَاءَتْ أَمَلُ وَحَمَلَتْ مَعَ حَامِدٍ الْكُرْسِيَّ إِلَى مَكَانِهِ. لَمْ يَكُنْ ذَلِكَ اعْتِذَارًا، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ نِسْيَانًا لِمَا حَدَثَ. كَانَ كُرْسِيًّا يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى يَدَيْنِ.

A little later Amal came and helped Hamid carry the chair into place. It was not an apology and not a forgetting of what had happened. It was a chair that needed two pairs of hands.

كَانَتْ خَدِيجَةُ تَفْتَحُ مَحَلَّ الْقُمَاشِ فِي الطَّرَفِ الْآخَرِ. مَرَّتْ بِجَانِبِ أَمَلَ، وَقَالَتْ: «صَبَاحُ الْخَيْرِ». أَجَابَتْ أَمَلُ بِالتَّحِيَّةِ، ثُمَّ عَادَتْ إِلَى خُضْرَوَاتِهَا.

At the other end, Khadija was opening her fabric stall. She passed Amal and said good morning. Amal returned the greeting and went back to her vegetables.

لَمْ تَعُدْ خَدِيجَةُ تَرْأَسُ تَرْتِيبَ الْأَبْوَابِ بَعْدَ الِاجْتِمَاعِ. وَكَانَتْ مَا زَالَتْ تُسَاعِدُ فِي حَمْلِ الصَّنَادِيقِ حِينَ يَطْلُبُ مِنْهَا أَحَدٌ ذَلِكَ. لَمْ يَقْبَلِ الْجَمِيعُ عَوْدَةَ الْأُمُورِ بِسُرْعَةٍ.

Khadija was no longer in charge of arranging the stalls after the meeting. She still helped carry crates when asked. Not everyone was quick to treat things as normal again.

رَأَتْ لِينَا خَدِيجَةَ تَقْتَرِبُ مِنْ حَامِدٍ بَعْدَ أَنْ بَدَأَ الْعَمَلَ. أَخْرَجَتْ مِنْ حَقِيبَتِهَا مَظْرُوفًا صَغِيرًا، وَأَعْطَتْهُ إِيَّاهُ.

Lina saw Khadija approach Hamid after work had begun. She took a small envelope from her bag and handed it to him.

قَالَتْ خَدِيجَةُ: «هَذِهِ أَوَّلُ دَفْعَةٍ مِنْ ثَمَنِ الْخَشَبِ الَّذِي لَا تَسْتَطِيعُ اسْتِعْمَالَهُ. سَأُعْطِيكَ دَفْعَةً أُخْرَى فِي الشَّهْرِ الْقَادِمِ».

“This is the first payment toward the wood you cannot use,” Khadija said. “I will give you another payment next month.”

فَتَحَ حَامِدٌ الْمَظْرُوفَ وَعَدَّ خَمْسَ أَوْرَاقٍ نَقْدِيَّةٍ. ثُمَّ أَغْلَقَهُ وَقَالَ: «شُكْرًا. سَأَكْتُبُ مَا أَخَذْتُهُ حَتَّى لَا نَخْتَلِفَ عَلَيْهِ».

Hamid opened the envelope and counted five banknotes. Then he closed it. “Thank you. I will write down what I received so we do not disagree about it.”

هَزَّتْ خَدِيجَةُ رَأْسَهَا. لَمْ تَقُلْ إِنَّهُ لَا يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى الْكِتَابَةِ، كَمَا كَانَتْ رُبَّمَا تَقُولُ مِنْ قَبْلُ. قَالَتْ فَقَطْ: «اُكْتُبْهُ».

Khadija nodded. She did not say he had no need to write it down, as she might have done before. She simply said, “Write it down.”

عِنْدَ الْمَكْتَبِ، كَانَ رَامِي يَجْلِسُ مَعَ تَاجِرَيْنِ آخَرَيْنِ. أَرَادَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَنْ يَنْتَقِلَ إِلَى بَابٍ آخَرَ، وَكَانَ صَاحِبُ ذَلِكَ الْبَابِ مُوَافِقًا عَلَى التَّبْدِيلِ.

At the office, Rami was sitting with two other traders. One wanted to move to a different stall, and the holder of that stall agreed to exchange places.

لَمْ يَكْتُبْ رَامِي اسْمًا جَدِيدًا عَلَى الْقَائِمَةِ فَوْرًا. أَحْضَرَ الْوَرَقَتَيْنِ الْأُولَيَيْنِ، وَطَلَبَ مِنَ التَّاجِرَيْنِ أَنْ يَقْرَآ التَّغْيِيرَ وَيُوَقِّعَاهُ مَعًا.

Rami did not immediately write new names on the list. He brought out the two original allocations and asked both traders to read and sign the change together.

بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ، وَضَعَ وَرَقَةَ التَّغْيِيرِ بِجَانِبِ الْوَرَقَتَيْنِ الْأُولَيَيْنِ فِي السِّجِلِّ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: «الْآنَ أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أُغَيِّرَ الْقَائِمَةَ».

Then he placed the change paper beside the two originals in the register. “Now I can change the posted list,” he said.

سَمِعَتْ لِينَا كَلَامَهُ وَهِيَ تَمُرُّ مِنْ خَارِجِ الْمَكْتَبِ. لَمْ يَكُنْ هُنَاكَ اجْتِمَاعٌ كَبِيرٌ، وَلَا صَوْتٌ عَالٍ. كَانَ عَمَلًا صَغِيرًا يَتِمُّ بِطَرِيقَةٍ أَفْضَلَ.

Lina heard him as she passed outside the office. There was no large meeting and no raised voices. It was a small task being done in a better way.

عَادَتْ إِلَى طَاوِلَتِهَا وَوَجَدَتْ صَبَاحَ تُعِدُّ الشَّايَ. قَالَتْ صَبَاحُ: «يَبْدُو أَنَّ الْحَرْفَ الصَّغِيرَ عَلَى لَوْحَةِ أَمَلَ أَخَذَ مِنْكِ صَبَاحًا كَامِلًا».

Lina returned to her table and found Sabah making tea. “It seems that small letter on Amal's sign has taken you all morning,” Sabah said.

أَجَابَتْ لِينَا: «كَانَ عَلَيَّ أَنْ أَتَأَكَّدَ مِنْ أَنَّ الْخَطَّ مُسْتَقِيمٌ». قَالَتْ صَبَاحُ: «وَهَلْ أَصْبَحَ مُسْتَقِيمًا؟» قَالَتْ لِينَا: «أَكْثَرَ مِنْ قَبْلُ».

“I had to make sure the line was straight,” Lina replied. “And is it straight now?” Sabah asked. “Straighter than before,” Lina said.

نَظَرَتْ صَبَاحُ إِلَى كُمِّ ابْنَتِهَا. كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِ بُقْعَةٌ صَغِيرَةٌ مِنَ الطِّلَاءِ الْأَزْرَقِ. «أَمَّا كُمُّكِ فَلَمْ يَتَغَيَّرْ»، قَالَتْ.

Sabah looked at her daughter's sleeve. There was a small blue paint stain on it. “Your sleeve, at least, has not changed,” she said.

ضَحِكَتْ لِينَا، وَأَخَذَتْ كُوبَ الشَّايِ. كَانَ حُلْوًا هَذِهِ الْمَرَّةَ. تَذَكَّرَتْ كَمْ كَانَتْ تُحِبُّ هَذَا الْوَقْتَ الْهَادِئَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ السُّوقُ بِالنَّاسِ.

Lina laughed and took her tea. It was sweet this time. She remembered how much she loved the quiet hour before the market filled with people.

قَبْلَ أَنْ تُغْلِقَ عُلْبَةَ الطِّلَاءِ، ذَهَبَتْ لِينَا لِتَنْظُرَ إِلَى اللَّوْحَتَيْنِ مَرَّةً أَخِيرَةً. بَقِيَتْ حَافَةٌ صَغِيرَةٌ مِنَ الْخَشَبِ حَوْلَ كُلِّ اسْمٍ.

Before closing her paint tin, Lina went to look once more at the two signs. A small border of bare wood remained around each name.

كَانَتْ تَعْرِفُ أَنَّ الْخَشَبَ يُمْكِنُ أَنْ يُطْلَى مَرَّةً أُخْرَى فِي الْمُسْتَقْبَلِ. لَكِنَّهَا تَمَنَّتْ أَنْ يَتَكَلَّمَ النَّاسُ وَيَتَّفِقُوا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَطْلُبُوا مِنْهَا اسْمًا جَدِيدًا.

She knew the wood could be painted again in the future. But she hoped people would speak and agree before asking her for a new name.

تَرَكَتْ لِينَا اللَّوْحَتَيْنِ فَوْقَ الْبَابَيْنِ، وَعَادَتْ إِلَى عَمَلِهَا. فِي السُّوقِ أَصْوَاتٌ وَرَوَائِحُ خُبْزٍ وَشَايٍ وَخَشَبٍ جَدِيدٍ. وَفَوْقَ الْبَابِ السَّادِسِ كَانَ اسْمٌ وَاحِدٌ وَاضِحٌ.

Lina left the signs above their doors and returned to work. The market held voices and the smells of bread, tea and new wood. Above Door Six, one name stood clearly.