My Palestinian Mama!

I had the window seat…. as always. Am off to Europe for nearly 2 weeks on a Business Trip. Looking forward to the trip? Yes and No. Yes, as Europe is beautiful! No, because I don’t know what would happen in my absence! Just worried… though I know the company will continue functioning! Silly me! That’s me!

It’s an 8 hrs flight to Amsterdam….it would be nice to have an interesting person sitting beside me…I thought to myself as I settled into my seat. The minutes ticked. Then an old woman was shown to the seat beside me by the Hostesses. She wore an “abaya” and had a blue headscarf on her head. She settled in....with not even a glance at me. Oh No! It’s going to be a long flight....I thought

The Captain announced the flight, their names and gave the usual basic information. We were going to fly via Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Some passengers would disembark while others would board. I wondered if the old woman was going to Dammam…..I asked her. No, she replied. She was going to "Amreeka".

Meet Mama Um Hadil. Mama is a Palestinian living here in this country where I am currently based, for more than 45 years. She has 5 sons and 2 daughters. Three of her sons and a daughter are in "Amreeka". She was going to visit them in St. Louis.

In her broken English and me with my "shoiya" Arabic (shoiya = little) we learnt more of each other....as we flew in the open skies. Mama's husband was a Teacher. Her youngest...a son just finished his College. She is a Sunni Muslim. No she does not want to go to Palestine as it is not nice. She likes the country she has unofficially adopted. Its been good to her.

She learnt a bit of me....where I worked and what I do. She wants me to come over to her place and spend time with her family. She took my number and said she would call once when she returns. She also took a small passport photograph of me! She is now my Mama....my Palestinian Mama!

# To Amsterdam 2305hrs, Sun 10th Aug