Saturday, May 18, 2019

The Kiss of the Chiclets Girl

I didn't sleep very well last night and ended up having this in-between dream and recollection thing. I think most of it is true recollection:

I am ten-years old or so. I am sitting in the front passenger seat of our car. my younger sisters are at the back. My mum is driving and my dad is not around. It's Christmas and we're driving through Beirut's Hamra Street looking at the street's reputed xmas decoration. It must have been 1967 or 1968. It's a cold rainy night and 'Nights in white satin' is playing on the car radio.
There's a lot of traffic and the car is almost stationary. I am looking at all the decoration and all the shoppers. Its sparkle sparkle everywhere made more sparkly by the wet road. It had just rained but its not raining now and I have the window open. my hand is resting on the car windowsill. night in white satin, sparkle sparkle. Suddenly the dark face of a girl my age was struggling to look through the window. She was selling chewing gum 'Chiclets', a common Beiruti mode of begging-as-if-one-is-not-begging. 'Allah y khalleelik yeh' (May god keep him safe for you) she said to my mother hoping we would give her some money. Mum ignores her but I was connecting to her face which I found beautiful. And then she said to Mum. 'Allah yehr-so' (may god protect him) and suddenly she kissed my hand.
I was a bit shocked and withdrew my hand. My mum saw her kiss my hand and she screamed at her: W'lee! -untranslatable I think, but an equivalent of 'You' (said with a tone to imply You little shit). Rooheh N'ebreh (Go and get buried). I on the other hand, didn't want her to go and get buried at all. I was still feeling the kiss. Too young to think 'sex' but definitely felt it as libidinal/sexual experience. I certainly didn't dwell on the structure of inequality and humiliation that constituted the kiss both as something pleasurable to me and as an intrusion in the eyes of my mother. Mum was fuming and I was dreaming of her face and the car moved: Night in White Satin, Merry Christmas, Sparkle Sparkle.

2 comments:

  1. My name is Samuel, I was in love with my wife and we were married for eight years with a son his is Liam,I loved my wife so much she had access to all my bank account and even my cash app which my accountant agreed to and said it was a great idea, then it took my wife and my accountant two month to get hold of all my properties,all accounts but I had a cash app which they knew nothing about,I was thrown out of my own house was sleeping in a hotel for weeks she also took possession of my son could only see him once a week then I found out she was in love with my accountant all these while so I went online and I came across a private investigator who help me get all my properties and my accounts back even my company back how he did these I don’t know but I gave all the information he asked for and followed all his instructions and now I’m happy my life’s better now.
    Thanks to premiumhackservices@gmail.com
    I just said I should share my own story here
    Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  2. Emergency Cash Loans Hello Everybody, My name is Mrs. Phyllis Sue South. I live in UK London and i am a happy woman today? and i told my self that any lender that rescue my family from our poor situation, i will refer any person that is looking for loan to him, he gave me happiness to me and my family, i was in need of a loan of $350,000.00 to start my life all over as i am a single mother with 2 kids I met this honest and GOD fearing man loan lender that help me with a loan of $350,000.00 U.S. Dollar, he is a GOD fearing man, if you are in need of loan and you will pay back the loan please contact him tell him that is Mrs. Phyllis Sue South that refer you to him. contact Dr. James Eric via email: financialserviceoffer876@gmail.com Whats-App +918929509036

    ReplyDelete