The Call of The Stars (a Kid vs Kat story)

13. Welcome to Toronto

The summer had passed. Ibrahim excitedly packed his suitcase. It was finally time for him to head to Toronto and start university. In Alexandria, Ibrahim said goodbye to his family properly this time, not sneaking away unexpectedly. Gerges and his father drove them to Cairo International Airport.

-You know, getting to Toronto is harder than getting to London, because there is no direct flight from Alexandria, and we have to change planes in Paris. - Gerges explained.

Sitting in the car, Ibrahim said goodbye to Alexandria again, as the image of the city receded.

-You'll see, Toronto is different. It offers countless opportunities and the culture is more diverse than in England, - Gerges said.

-I'm curious about everything. Oxford was informative, but maybe the teachers in Toronto will be more open, and I won't be completely alone in a foreign country," Ibrahim mused. Gerges hugged his father.

-Thank you for bringing us, Amo Samuel,- Ibrahim thanked Gerges' father.

-Have a safe journey, call me son when you arrive, and you call your father too, Ibrahim - Gerges' father replied before driving away.

As the plane prepared for takeoff, Ibrahim and Gerges tried to distract themselves from the upcoming long journey with their conversation.

-I hope I get a more normal roommate in Toronto than the one I had in Oxford. - Ibrahim said, laughing.

-Oh, Rajeev? - asked Gerges. - The guy who always meditated?

-Yes, whenever I tried to talk to him, he was meditating in the middle of the room and would say, - Ibrahim mimicked Rajeev's deep voice with a strange Indian accent, "'Not now, Ibrahim, I have not yet reached the Zen state." And I couldn't decide whether to wait for him to reach Zen state or rather talk to the wall.

-I think you won't find a stranger roommate than my Steve -said Gerges.

-Yeah, Steve, your English major roommate who acts as if he were Edgar Allan Poe. You wrote that he organized a literary evening on Halloween and scared everyone with his performance of 'The Tell-Tale Heart.' It must really feel like Poe himself moved in with you," said Ibrahim, intrigued.

Gerges laughed, sharing more details.

-Yes, that night! Steve likes to make a big impact. He creates a peculiar atmosphere, with candles, old music, and even scents tuned to 19th-century America. And what I haven't told you, we have a large portrait of Poe in our room that he painted. You can almost feel it watching us,- said Gerges, and Ibrahim nodded appreciatively.

–That's incredible. And how do you handle the dark, mysterious side of it?

"Well, it was strange for the first few weeks, but I got used to it. Now I appreciate having someone who dives so passionately into his themes. But I hope you get a more balanced roommate in Toronto, maybe someone less 'deep.'"

Both laughed, and Ibrahim agreed.

-I agree. While it might be interesting to live with Steve, a calmer environment would suit me better, especially after what I experienced in Oxford with Rajeev. By the way, did you also attend the Halloween party? You know that our religion considers it demon worship.

-Yes, I was there, - admitted Gerges, somewhat embarrassed. "But you know, this holiday really has no religious significance anymore; it's more about playfulness and community fun. Although...it was shocking when Steve started leading some ritual. We walked around with black candles and fell into a trance. Then, suddenly, the room darkened, and there he was in front of us, the terrible dog-headed god, Anubis.