Egyptian Timewave

Chapter 2

Abayomi scrunches her face at the sunlight trying to work its way into her eyes. She rolls over to hide from the light but cracks her eyes open at the sound of a deep laugh. It's her dad's voice, and it doesn't take long for her to find him across the room. He's making coffee, the rich smell of it filling the air. Abayomi smiles at him with a yawn.

"Morning, Baba."

"Good morning, Aya. Did you sleep well?"

Abayomi nods and slides out of the bed. She tugs the hem of her tank top down as she does so, automatically preparing for a hint of cold to brush against her skin. But of course she is in Egypt, so that won't happen. Instead of cold, Abayomi is wrapped in the soft heat of Egypt at daybreak. It's more humid than she would expect, until she remembers how close their hotel is to the Nile.

She is pulled from her moment of thought when her dad hands a cup of coffee to her. Abayomi takes the mug, sniffing it as she goes to sit at the small table. He already put sugar and cream in it, and Abayomi sends her father a small smile of gratitude. With her legs folded beneath her, Abayomi takes a small sip of the brown liquid, rolling it around on her tongue. Her dad says something, and she looks up.

"Hmm?"

He chuckles. "Did you have any good dreams last night, Abayomi?"

She frowns. "I'm not exactly sure. I think so, but I can't quite remember the dream."

"Those are always the best ones, aren't they?"

Abayomi nods, smiling. "Yes, they are." She pauses. "What are we doing for breakfast today?"

Her dad shrugs. "I thought we could go find somewhere to eat before we check out the market or the temple. Your choice."

Abayomi laughs. "Is it really even a choice? The temple first, of course!"

Abayomi's father shakes his head. "Why did I even ask?"

"Maybe because it's polite?"

He laughs. "I suppose so. Come on, places should be opening up soon."

Abayomi drains the dregs of her coffee and sets it down. She steps over to the dresser and pulls open one of the drawers, rummaging through it for a change of clothes. Abayomi grabs them and darts for the bathroom to change. When Abayomi returns, she pulls a cream-colored scarf from another drawer and slings it around her neck to cover the hints of skin from the broad collar of her dusky brown top.

~~~

Abayomi digs into her ta'ameya, smiling at the blend of flavors. Food back in the States is great, but the flavors of the food here in Egypt already seem to be so much better. The ta'ameya  - oh wow, the ta'ameya - whoever said that the egyptian variant of falafel was the best was nowhere near being wrong.

The change in ingredients is a bit different than anything she's used to, but somehow it makes the ta'ameya tastier than it would be if it was normal falafel. Abayomi takes a sip of limoon and finds it to be pleasantly similar to lemonade. It's just slightly tangier, and there is something subtle too. Abayomi takes another, longer sip. The owner of the small restaurant hurries over to them, smiling. He speaks in thickly accented English.

"The food. Do you like it?"

Abayomi smiles back at him, taking a heartbeat to decide if she wants to reply in English or Arabic. She decides on the latter.

"'Iinah ladhidhun. Shukraan jazilana." It's delicious. Thank you.

The man beams in delight. "'Ant tafahum allaghah alearabiah?" You know Arabic?

Abayomi nods. "Nem. Laqad nasha'at mae allugha." Yes. I grew up with the language.

He nods. "It suits you, tifl. Shall I bring out some drinks for the end of your meal? Coffee, perhaps? Real stuff, not the shoddy stuff westerners drink."

Abayomi's father grins. "Please. Saada, if possible. My daughter will have Ziha."

"I can do that, sir. But have you ever tried Sahlab, ya aanesa?"

Abayomi frowns. "Isn't that a winter drink?"

He nods. "It is, but my wife drinks it year-round and so I keep plenty of ingredients."

"Then I would love to try it. Shakar."

The owner dips his head. "Of course, miss."

He leaves the table and disappears into the back. When he returns again, he is carrying a tray with three mugs on it. Abayomi frowns at it in confusion for a moment, but she is quick to smooth her expression back into a small smile. He sets the darkest mug in front of Abayomi's father and the other two before Abayomi. He points to the darker one first.

"This is your Ziha, and this other one is Sahlab. Enjoy."

Abayomi lifts the mug of Ziha and takes a sip of the rich liquid. It is sweeter than the coffee she is used to, or at least it would be. She normally drinks coffee with sugar, and she has read up on the turkish coffee favored here. It is meant to be sweeter, and both her and her father selected their form of it accordingly. So as it stands, this coffee is just right for her tastes. She takes another sip, and glances at the other mug.

The Sahlab inside of it is white, and it looks to be a thick liquid. She quickly drinks the rest of the coffee and lowers the mug. A strand of hair slips into her eyes and she swipes it away as a tendril of heat shivers down her back. When she drinks something hot, she always feels warm for a few moments afterward. She shakes it off and reaches for the Sahlab, sticking her tongue out at her father when he looks as if he is about to laugh.

Abayomi takes a tentative sip of the unfamiliar brew and gasps in delight. Sahlab is like hot chocolate, except it has the taste of vanilla instead of chocolate. It has hints of cinnamon and other spices, forming a blend that Abayomi quite likes. She drinks it greedily, but finds that she wishes she had consumed it more slowly when the mug is drained. Her father laughs at her expression.

"We'll find a recipe, Aya."

Abayomi nods.
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First off, someone please correct me if I'm getting any of the Arabic wrong.
Second, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, please do tell me what you thought of it and check out my discord! Link is in my profile about me section.
Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~ Goddess of Fate, signing out