"I'm going to order pizza. Do you want some?"
"I would like some pizza, yes. Can I see the menu?"
He hands his phone to me. I check the menu out.
"I'll have a small Peperoni Pizza."
"Alright." he holds his thumb up.
I go back to scrolling my phone.
"Do you watch series?"
"Yeah. Who doesn't?"
"Many people."
"Really?"
"Yes. Of course."
I am impressed.
"What kind do you watch?"
"Everything to be honest."
"Right."
It is obvious to me that Nader is trying to make up a conversation. And I am okay with it. But Nader is a little too much for me. I am afraid if we start talking now it will not end any time soon, and I am tired.
"You'd laugh your ass off if you watched Lebanese series." he says.
"Really? Why? Are they funny?"
"Even when they are not supposed to be."
"What do you mean?"
"Lebanese people do not know how to make a good show. Scenarios are so unrealistic and their acting -most of them- is very bad."
"Aha. Interesting. Why do you think that is?"
"I don't know. Did you know almost every woman who has won Miss Lebanon, has pursued a career in acting afterwards? Because that is all that matters; good looks."
"I don't know." he shrugs and continues, going back to answering my question. "It's probably like everything else wrong in this country."
'This country' is a word I keep hearing. In most contexts, negatively. Except for my conversations with Mariam and Danny, everyone else I have spoken to has said the word 'this country' followed by a negative implication.
"What's wrong with this country?" I ask him.
"Everything." he says moving closer to the balcony door. "It is getting a little chilly at night, finally."
I nod.
We sit silent for a while. Just when the conversation got interesting to me, Nader decides to become a quiet guy.
Around ten minutes later, the phone in the room rings. I pick it up.
Nader is getting out of the bathroom when he sees me on the phone. He directly puts his shoes on.
I close the phone. "It's the pizza. The delivery's here."
"Yep. Figured. I'll go get it."
Nader leaves the room. Delivery men are not allowed into the university. So when the security man calls, Nader takes the initiative of meeting the delivery man outside.
Nader comes in a couple of minutes later holding the two boxes and a couple of soda cans.
"Here you go." he says laying them on the table.
Nader and I talk over the pizza. The talk goes smoothly. When I ask him again what is truly wrong with Lebanon, Nader answers me with very general replies. Replies such as 'corruption' and 'traffic' and 'electricity'. And I am sure these things exist and are massive problems, but it seems more to me that it is the overwhelming feeling of having to live under a certain constant pressure of all these things combined that make them speak the way that they do.
Nader explains to me that he comes from a very poor family and that he received a scholarship to come to AUB. The scholarship was intended to help one smart student from the poor villages of Lebanon to attend AUB. And he won it. His parents could not be happier. He left home and came to Beirut. But he goes back every weekend.
"And how much time do you need to get there?"
"I usually take the bus. By bus, it takes me around... three hours or so. Depends on the traffic."
"Wow."
I stand up and start to clean my side of the table. I hold the bag and look around the boxes. I do not see the receipt.
"Hey Nader."
"Yes?"
"Where's the receipt?"
"Oh I threw it on my way up. Why?"
"Just wanted to check how much I owe you."
Nader laughs.
What is it about these people, I do not comprehend.
"What?"
"You're not going to pay me! It is our first meal. You're a guest here in Lebanon. It is Aayb to make you pay."
"It is what?"
"Aayb. Means... shameful. I cannot do that."
I laugh. "For real?"
"Yes." he nods, assuring me that he is serious.
He stands up and starts cleaning after himself.
"Thank you, Nader."
"Walaw."
"Another Arabic word?"
"More like Lebanese. Walaw. It means, what the hell are you talking about? I did not do anything important for you to thank me for."
I laugh.
"All of this?"
"Yeah yeah. It is implied."
After washing and going to the bathroom and brushing our teeth, Nader and I laugh for a while in bed. He tells me some funny things and teaches me a couple of words as well as a swear. But he tells me not to say it in front of anyone. So I will keep it to myself.
I wake up early in the morning to get ready for my 8am class.
I am about to see Mariam again. Twice today. I plan on talking to her a little more than I used to. It has been a week and it is time to take this friendship one small step forward.
Mariam comes late to the 8am class, again. The professor does not care, again.
When the class is done, I go outside and wait for her to come out. A couple of girls who were in the class stop by me on their way out. I figure they want to stand in the corner I am occupying as well. But they keep looking at me until I turn my face and look at them back.
"Hi." one of them says.
"Hello." I answer. In the portion of a second that follows the 'Hi', I bring my attention back to the door, waiting for Mariam.
"You're new here, right?" the other girl asks.
"Yes, I'm here on an exchange program for a semester."
No wonder they noticed I am new. Everyday in the morning, almost everyone in the class talks to each other. Even those who are sitting still and silent, they are doing that by choice -it occurred to me- and not because they have no friends. So when a new guy like me comes in, I am sure many of them would notice.
My general look does not scream 'newbie' at all. I look similar to many guys around me. I dress in a similar manner. I have one earring on the whole time, which is not as common here, but it is also not that rare. The reason they realized I am new is simply because they know each other.
"Would you like to join our WhatsApp group for this semester? We kind of help each other with courses and studying and we joke a little." one of them asks me.
In another situation, the question would have made me very excited. But right now, my eyes are still on the door. And no one is coming out anymore.
"It sounds great."
"Great! Let me take your number then and I will add you to the group."
I spell out my number. I try to say goodbye as fast as possible while not sounding rude. When they finally leave, I open the door to the class and look inside. No one.
Just when I am about to close the door, I notice another back door that leads right towards the outside of the building. Great. She is gone.
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Author's note:
Hello again,
I hope you are enjoying this story. I promise that each new chapter will be more interesting than the previous one. You will notice that, hopefully.
Please do talk to me if you are currently reading this story about anything. I would love to hear from you.
Yara.