Cairo Time Page #3

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I'm hoping to see him.

He works for the UN.

- Oh, I find them a bit useless.

- He thinks so too, sometimes.

- And what does he do?

- Uh, he organizes

a refugee camp in Gaza.

- Oh, he speaks Arabic, then.

- He's become

quite good, actually.

- I'm very surprised you

haven't visited Cairo earlier.

- You know,

we talked about,

actually planned for it,

but something always came up.

Children, work...

- Do you have a photo?

- Of my children? Yes.

- They're pretty.

- Thank you.

She's about your

age, I think.

- She should have come.

- Ah, she's busy.

She's traveling across

country. She just graduated.

- She doesn't live with you?

- Oh, no.

- She's married?

- She's single at the moment.

- And you still talk to her?

- Of course.

- She's lucky.

- [Whispering]:
What's

happening?

- You'll be fine.

- Oh...

- I needed to give something

to a friend of mine.

He has no idea I have left.

Please, it's very personal

and "complicate."

- What- what is it

you want me to give him?

[Man speaking in Arabic]

- Please, please! Please

take this to him. Please!

[Man speaking in Arabic]

- Passport.

Passport.

What are you doing here?

- Uh, my husband

works for the UN.

- What's his name?

- Mark Laroche.

[Speaking in Arabic]

- Ms. Grant, why

are you here?

- My husband works

for the UN in Gaza.

- Yes, we know. We have already

informed his people that you

are in our possession.

- Is he coming?

- No.

This bus isn't

going anywhere.

You got to call somebody

to pick you up.

You want to stay?

[Soft melody]

[Traffic]

- Thank you.

- You're welcome.

- Tareq...

- You should go to your room.

Mark will be trying

to contact you.

[Traffic]

- Good morning.

- Good morning.

- Anything?

- There is an envelope that

came for you yesterday.

- Yesterday?

- Yeah, here it is.

- Yesterday?

- Yesterday.

- Shukran.

[Ambulance siren

sounding from afar]

[Call to prayer from afar]

[Phone ringing]

[Call to prayer]

Hey. Mm-hmm.

No, I'm fine.

I'm- I'm fine. Yeah.

No, I know.

I'm sorry.

I just- I wanted to

see you. I thought...

It's all right.

I understand.

Mark...

I understand, Mark.

I understand.

[Call to prayer]

So...

You don't know when

you're coming. Okay.

[Sighing]

[Call to prayer outside]

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Okay, I guess

I'll talk to you...

soon.

I- I have to- I have to go.

I- I have to go. Bye.

[Sighing]

[Gasping]

- Oh!

- I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

- Oh, no, no. No, it's okay.

It's okay.

- Are you all right?

- Yes, oh yes. Yes.

Yes, I'm fine. Thank you.

Shukran. No, I'm fine.

Your hi- hijab is-

it's- it's very beautiful.

- Oh, shukran.

- It's...

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

[Soft Middle-Eastern music]

[Call to prayer from afar]

[Praying silently]

[Call to prayer]

[Call to prayer

still resonating]

[Background chatter]

[Middle-Eastern music

in the background]

- Ahlan, Ms. Juliette.

- Ahlan. Uh,

I'm here to see Tareq.

- Uh-huh. Welcome.

- Shukran.

- Welcome.

- Hello.

- Hello.

[Word in Arabic]

Please.

- Oh.

- Sit down.

- Thank you.

Hello.

- Hello.

- I trust, uh, you are well.

- Uh, yes.

Thank you.

- Will you take some coffee?

- Oh, coffee I've heard

so much about.

[Tareq laughing]

- Is- is it okay?

- Sure. Why not.

- Oh, uh,

I've interrupted

your game.

- I was teaching Abu Hamedi how

to play. But he doesn't like it.

- I hate.

- He hates it.

- Um, well, uh...

I'd love to play.

- Hmm...

Should I be worried?

- Uh, is this the queen?

[Abu Hamedi laughing]

[General laughter]

This is delicious.

- You are my guest.

Please, go first.

[Soft Middle-Eastern music]

- Check.

[Men laughing]

[Speaking in Arabic]

What did they say?

- They agree things

look bad for me, okay?

[Men still laughing]

- Thank you.

I need your help with something.

It's a sensitive matter.

- Of course.

- Uh, on the bus,

I sat next to a young woman

who urged me to, uh,

deliver this letter

to her lover.

- Her lover?

- Women's intuition.

- It is addressed to a man.

- What are you doing?

- I'm going to read it.

- No, it's private.

- You must understand that this

letter could incriminate us.

- I- She's a young

student, Tareq--

- Juliette, Juliette...

- I sat next- I talked

to her for quite a while--

- Underneath the facade, Cairo

is still a dangerous city.

- We are not- I am not reading

the letter. I'm not reading it.

- A few weeks ago, two

Americans were murdered

right outside that hotel.

- Why were they murdered?

- Because they're American.

She's pregnant.

- Yes, I know.

Hi.

- Hi. Welcome.

- Hello.

Do they ever go to school?

- School here costs money.

They need to save

for their weddings.

- The eldest couldn't

be more than 13.

- Maybe.

[Background chatter]

- Thank you very much

for the tour and don't

forget to visit us again.

Thank you.

[Background chatter]

- Magdy.

- Yes?

[Both exchanging hellos]

- Um...

[Ruffling papers]

Jameelah wanted

you to have this.

- Jameelah? Where is she?

- Shh. Read the letter.

- That's her brother. Don't

tell him anything about her.

[Traffic]

- I hope Jameelah

is all right.

- This is none

of our business.

- I'm going to have

Mark look into it.

- Between you and your

husband, you may yet save

the entire Middle East.

We've delivered the letter.

Let them take care of

their problems.

There's nothing

you can do to help.

I hope you're

sleeping better.

- You're changing

the subject.

I'm not sleeping better.

- I'm sorry to hear this.

- I'm beginning to

like it, actually.

I'm- I'm thinking about all

the work I'm going to get done

when I get back home by

not wasting time sleeping.

- I remember the ungodly

long hours you work,

the strange commutes

you all do.

- No, I don't do them.

I live in the city.

- Yes, yes, I know, but

how many hours do you work?

- Eight.

Okay...

Twelve.

Sometimes longer,

if I have deadlines.

- This does not sound

like a good life.

- A good life?

- Here, we work until 3.

We go home, relax,

maybe meet with family,

and organize the

evening's activities.

- Well, those girls certainly

don't get off at 3

and certainly don't look like

they're living the good life.

- This is different.

- What is the difference?

- This is different.

- How?

- They're not educated.

- So, the carpet school

doesn't offer a Ph.D.

- How many carpets

do you have?

[Traffic]

In your home?

How many do

your friends have?

Look, Juliette, I know,

I'm not blind. Any--

Coffee?

- That'll help me sleep.

- It might.

[Background chatter]

You know,

tomorrow I will

take the day off.

- When did you decide this?

- Just now.

- You can do that?

- Yes. Of course.

- But your caf...

- It will survive without me.

[Soft music]

[Phone ringing

in the background]

- Hi.

- I did not do

so well on this, uh, quiz.

- Oh.

Well, this may be

the lowest score ever.

- This is very upsetting.

- Where did you find this?

- In a British bookshop.

- Well...

[Laughing]

It says here that, uh,

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