79

Rice straw

From Republic Street, first Faisal

Between Sharif and Saudi Al-Sanadili Streets

Corona time, fireworks and firecrackers

and drugs

Rice straw

 

Moroccan Hosni Hammad packs rice straw in large burlap cotton sacks connected with strong upholstery thread, and is looking forward to another donation of straw that Abbas al-Zajjag will give him before he gets rid of it so that he can complete the manufacture of the mattress for his children Mohsen, Hosniyeh, Aziza, Youssef, Kawthar, Samiha, and Salem

A large caravan of camels comes, each with two pyramids of rice straw on their backs covering two pyramids of stepped wood embracing vessels of glass separated by straw so that they do not collide with each other.

The owners of the kilns snatch rice straw from Abbas al-Zajjaj at a low price, and the man considers it zakat for his health and the health of Najat Mabrouk Okasha and his three children Atef, Saad and Ayman. Hajj Abbas promises his Moroccan worker Hosni Hammad to deduct part of the straw each time until the children and pillows are completed for free.

Mohsen, Youssef, and Salem help their father, and they clean the ground of al-Rahba from straw so that the air cannot carry it to the neighbours' tents.. Hosniyeh inserts the thread into the eye of the needle, and Aziza holds the small pieces at the base of the burlap so that Kawthar, Samiha, and Mother Haniyeh can sew the pieces so that the straw does not leak out

The wicker mat, which contains an army of harmful insects, has eroded, and there is only a little left of it that the seven young children sleep on. Haniyeh was unable to deduct part of a Moroccan’s daily wages to buy another, and one day she dreamed of a mat of colored sticks to wake up to its price, which is close to the price of a cotton mattress. His number is five, according to her husband, who took a promise from Hajj Abbas, and the Hajj is one word

Warmth will radiate from the rice straw, and the mattress will be ten centimeters taller than the moisture of the sand, while the little ones will sleep.

All the people of the neighborhood aspire to get a share, even a small amount, of straw to make mattresses. The owners of the kilns allocate men to guard the caravans of camels while they stand in front of the courtyard until they burn their bricks. A Moroccan stuffs his long pockets with straw as he transports the glass containers.. The owners of the kilns see a sympathetic look in the eyes of Hajj Abbas the glass, so they point to their men who are returning the eyes to their places. The people of the neighborhood leave without dreaming of getting the straw, and Hajj Abbas promises his Moroccan worker part of the straw next week

The Moroccan takes the straw out of his long pockets and puts it in the burlap sacks that are connected and tightly tied to the eye of the large bag, which will one day become a mattress made of rice straw.

 

A short story by / Mahmoud Hassan Farghaly

Member of the Writers Union

Member of the Syndicate of Film Professions

mahmoudhassanfarghaly@yahoo.com