The Tales Of Beirut ~On Hold Due To Writers' Block

Hiba

“As you see, the weather for the upcoming week is going to be sunny and bright so grab that picnic basket and head out because you do not want to miss the fun this week’s weather brings! Tune in to our evening news broadcast here on L.T.V and have a good day everyone. This is Hiba for you and bye!” The cameraman said we were off air and immediately I took off the fake smile I had put on for the sake of my viewers. I just finished broadcasting the weather report because after all that was my job. I was the weather girl. I wasn’t ashamed of my position as the weather girl; on the contrary, I held great regard for my fellow “weather reporters” but it just wasn’t the position I was aiming at when I chose journalism as a college major. Right after my graduation, I found that the LTV News Station was recruiting journalists. I quickly sent my resume and shortly after that, I was called in for an interview. The station’s manager, Mr. Salem Libbous, called me two days after the interview and told me I had gotten the job. I was ecstatic and very proud. All those nights spent studying rather than sleeping and that “with honor’s” written in my diploma had paid off, I thought to myself back then. As I walk through the station’s hallways towards my office, as I don’t stretch my lips in a fake smile to please people watching me in their homes, and as I stand in front of my office door and look at the template that doesn’t say Hiba Gibran: journalist but rather Hiba Gibran: weather girl, I can’t help but realize how the wrong were the thoughts of that girl who believed a “with honor’s” would actually be a criterion in receiving a job position.

I went into my office and started checking the weather report for tomorrow morning. I didn’t like my job but I also didn’t let my personal feelings affect it. People depend on you in their lives, I thought to myself. You are a vital factor in a community’s life. I couldn’t help imagining what could happen if I started slacking at my job. People would wear shorts in heavy storms, dress in coats when the temperature is so high they can fry eggs on their roofs, and probably start more effective rallies against global warming. After all, based on how Mother Nature is acting opposite to what Hiba Gibran: weather girl is reporting, global warming is the only logical explanation right?

At about 6:00 pm I could hear the phone in the office next to mine start ringing. No one answered for a long time so I decided to see if there was anyone in the office in the first place. I walked over and knocked a couple of times. The office belonged to my coworker and friend, Riham, and she was a journalist. Although she had the job I always wanted, I was never jealous of her because she got that position after a lot of hard work and perseverance. I checked the office and no one was there but the phone kept ringing so I decided to answer it.
“Hello?” I said to whoever was on the other line. “Yes, good evening ma’am. Is this Riham Kiwan?”A man replied. “Mmm, no this is Miss Hiba Gibran. May I know who I’m speaking to?”
“Well Miss, my name is Yousef and I’m an officer in the police station down on 3rd street. If you could take a message and deliver it to Miss Riham I would be very grateful.”
“Sure, what is it?”I told him. “Miss, there has been a kidnapping and my partner and I think it is best if we put the case up on the news. Maybe someone has seen the kidnapped person or knows any information that could help the investigation. Now if the station can send someone over so they could do a report it would be best.” As I was telling him that I’ll talk to the manager, Riham stepped in her office. She asked me about what was going on and I quickly mouthed what the officer had told me to her. We put him on speaker and Riham told him that we were going to head over. We ended the call and she quickly called Mr. Libbous on his cell phone and told him about the new case and subsequent news report. He was very supportive and told her to start on it. He also told her to tell the editing team not to wait for his ok on whether or not to put the report in the evening news because he was going to be busy all evening with work outside the station building.
“We?” I asked her with a raised eyebrow. “Hey, you answered the call so that makes you the person who got the story first.