{"id":30168,"date":"2023-12-03T12:59:11","date_gmt":"2023-12-03T10:59:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/themarkaz.org\/oldsite\/?p=30168"},"modified":"2023-12-03T12:59:11","modified_gmt":"2023-12-03T10:59:11","slug":"the-summer-they-heard-music-a-short-story-by-mk-harb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themarkaz.org\/oldsite\/the-summer-they-heard-music-a-short-story-by-mk-harb\/","title":{"rendered":"“The Summer They Heard Music”\u2014a short story by MK Harb"},"content":{"rendered":"
A flight from war and a never forgotten day at the beach.<\/span><\/h5>\n

 <\/p>\n

MK Harb<\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

Armed with his new and shiny new iPod, Malek entered the bus with heightened confidence. He clipped it to his waist and walked to the final row, looking cool and nonchalant. He sat next to Najeeb who was eating a labneh sandwich and drinking a Balqees orange juice. \u201cI see Mimi\u2019s back from the US with a new toy,\u201d Najeeb said with a smirk. Mimi was Malek\u2019s sister, studying architecture in Rhode Island and every summer she brought back the latest gadget to her little brother. \u201cYou bet she is,\u201d Malek said. \u201cI already took it to NabilNet and he uploaded all of Britney\u2019s songs on it.\u201d Najeeb pulled Malek from the back of his neck and said, \u201cPlay oops I did it again right now!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As the song played, Spears\u2019 effervescent voice put Malek and Najeeb in a hypnotic state, until Najeeb with his nasally speech found himself singing with expanding passion: OOPS I DID IT AGAIN WITH YOUR HEART. Their friends on the bus burst into abundant laughter and they awoke Eman who walked to the end of the bus and said, \u201cNajeeb! Malek! Stop with this nonsense. You should be listening to Fairuz and Wadih El Safi, not some dumb blonde from the US.\u201d Najeeb, offended by her comment, took the headset off and said, \u201cMadame, who is Fairuz?\u201d A look of shock crawled across Eman\u2019s face and she said, \u201cYour parents did not raise you well.\u201d She walked away as Najeeb giggled and Malek whispered, \u201cfour-eyed witch.\u201d Eman\u2019s glasses were red, circular, and larger than life. She often took them off and told the kids on the bus the same story: \u201cAfter the war I was part of a widowed women\u2019s commune crocheting traditional Lebanese patterns and selling them to clients in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. It was good money, but it damaged my hands and eyes. Look how my right hand trembles.\u201d Eman used the money she saved up from crocheting and opened a summer camp that would take children and teenagers to different cities, towns, and villages across Lebanon. \u201cMimosa,” she called it, after her favorite summer drink.<\/span><\/p>\n

Najeeb and Malek were on their way to Edde Sands, the newest beach resort in Byblos, and the place to be seen during the summer of 2006. The mood on the bus was somber, Rayya, the chaperone who had just failed her Lebanese Baccalaureate exams was talking to Eman about a potential war with Israel after hearing of border tension in the south. \u201cNo one has time for war,\u201d Eman assured her, \u201cIt\u2019s too hot.\u201d They arrived at Edde Sands at 10:00 a.m., Eman wore her sombrero, looked at Rayya and said, \u201cForget about the exams. You\u2019ll have your remedial ones in August. Go out and enjoy our God-given sun.\u201d Rayya and Eman rounded up the kids, those under the age of 12 went with Eman and those over-12 went with Rayya to the adult pool. They entered the resort as a shirtless man wearing purple shorts gave each of them a bracelet that had \u201clive love Byblos\u201d written on it. They walked across a botanical garden with koi ponds on each side and the shirtless man who introduced himself as Charbel said, \u201cWe imported these beautiful and colorful fish from Japan. No other place in Lebanon has this.\u201d He walked them towards the pool, which was large, rectangular, and engulfed with hundreds of purple chaise longues. \u201cAs for the pool, it’s designed with a Phoenician sensibility \u2014 elevated, and facing the sea to remind us of our ancestors and their journeys,\u201d he said with a wilful smile. Rayya, unimpressed, looked at Charbel and asked, \u201cWhere is the lunch area?\u201d Charbel smiled and said, \u201cGreat question! Bacchus restaurant is up north from the pool and here are your lunch vouchers.\u201d \u201cMerci,\u201d said Rayya while Charbel nodded and walked away. She then looked at the kids, hardening her voice and said, \u201cLaiko ya shyateen<\/em>. You know my rules. I don\u2019t want to see it and I don\u2019t want to hear it. And most importantly I don’t want Eman to hear it. Do whatever you want, don\u2019t drown, and be back here fully clothed and sleepy by 5:00 p.m.\u201d Rayya unpacked her bag on the chair next to her, took out her cigarettes and told Najeeb and Malek to get her a cranberry Bacardi breezer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Malek and Najeeb found a couple\u2019s sunbed at the top corner of the pool with purple towels and under the shade of a fig tree \u2014 not sitting with crowds was a practice that held their friendship of over five years together. Next to the bed was a decorative green and gold statue of a Phoenician man with a pointy hat, rusting in the sun. Najeeb took his shirt off, hung his clothes over the statue\u2019s head and jumped on the bed. Malek, afraid of the sun, kept his shirt on and took out a book from his backpack. \u201cI can\u2019t believe you brought a book to the beach,\u201d Najeeb said. \u201cWell unlike you, I like reading more than Barbar\u2019s food delivery menu,\u201d Malek said. \u201cFine! Give me the iPod then,\u201d Najeeb replied. Najeeb played Cassie\u2019s \u201cMe and You\u201d while Malek read from <\/span>Anna Karenina<\/span><\/i>, writing the names of the characters in an index with little notes so he didn’t forget who they are. \u201cThese Russians have so many names,\u201d he said out loud to himself. The beach and its waves passed between their legs, but they lay still in their own world until Rayya awoke from her morning stupor, walked up to them and said, \u201cWould one of you put some tanning lotion on my back?\u201d Malek nodded in agreement and she gave him a bottle of Carrot Sun lotion. Malek lathered Rayya while Najeeb asked them to put some on his head, which his mother always shaved. Najeeb had rosy lips and eyes so green they sometimes seemed gray. Malek had hazel eyes and did not resemble Najeeb, but they both shared pubescent love handles, fed by orders from the Burger King under Malek\u2019s house in Rouche. Rayya walked back to her sunbed while Najeeb and Malek walked to Bacchus for lunch. They handed their vouchers to the receptionist who with a jaded voice said, \u201cBadkon burger or tabbouleh or tawook?\u201d \u201cI\u2019ll have a burger,\u201d Malek said. \u201cTabbouleh for me,\u201d Najeeb replied as Malek looked at him with a look of surprise. \u201cWhat? I told you I\u2019m on a diet,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

They sat at a table with a sea view, under ceiling fans that wafted the smell of the sea breeze and refined oil from the French fries. They watched the swimmers defy Byblos\u2019 large waves, jumping in and out of them, vanishing into the water and reappearing. A woman standing with her back to the waves was struck with a monstrous one that unclipped the top part of her bikini. She covered herself, frantically looking for it as her friends hysterically laughed and yelled, \u201cMariebelle!\u201d Malek and Najeeb also laughed. \u201cDo you think they would let us order Bacardi breezers?\u201d Malek said. \u201cHabibi you\u2019re 14 and people still ask you if you’re ten years old. Maybe grow a mustache first,\u201d Najeeb said. \u201cMaybe I should draw one,\u201d Malek said. \u201cYou know, my brother told me if you don\u2019t drink water at the beach the dehydration will make you feel drunk,\u201d Najeeb said. And at that moment they both decided not to have water for the rest of the day.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"July
Jude Rae, “July War 2006 (Beirut, men on hill),” etching, 37x42cm, 2006 (courtesy Philip Bacon Galleries).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n


\nWhen their lunch arrived, Malek commented that the burger tasted like kofta while Najeeb looked at it with envy, saying the tabbouleh was too sour. A short while later Malek heard his name being yelled with a frantic voice in the distance. \u201cMalek waynak! Malouk, Malek,\u201d a woman yelled. \u201cWhat does Rayya want now,\u201d Malek said only to look back and realize it was his sister Mimi. Mimi wore an oversized blue polo shirt on top of tight white shorts and sandals with silver cuffs. \u201cI wish I was that thin,\u201d Najeeb said while gawking at her. \u201cMimi, yiy, why are you here?\u201d Malek said. \u201cI called you a million times, why didn\u2019t you answer your phone? War is breaking out and you two are having tabbouleh. What kind of of reckless summer camp is this?\u201d Mimi exclaimed. \u201cMy phone is in my bag, what do you mean war is breaking out?\u201d Malek said as he felt a dry lump forming in his throat. \u201cOn the news the Israelis are bombing everywhere in the south, left and right. They are saying the airport is next. Effat, who works at the duty free, called to tell us they began an evacuation plan,\u201d Mimi said. \u201cSo what should we do?\u201d Malek said. \u201cWell, I don’t think they will bomb this beach?\u201d Najeeb said. Najeeb had a calm fixation that never changed in matters of war and peace. \u201cI called your mom Najeeb and she said she sent a driver to bring you back to Beirut. Malek put a shirt on, I packed you a bag. Mom is already on the way to Syria to buy us tickets to Qatar and be with dad. We have to go before the border closes,\u201d Mimi said. She spoke so fast Malek\u2019s ears did not have time to process it. \u201cI\u2019m not going to Syria! Are you crazy? We waited for this beach day for months,\u201d Malek said. \u201cMimi you are exaggerating. It will calm down. That\u2019s what Eman said on the bus,\u201d Najeeb exclaimed. \u201cEman is delusional and I already told her I\u2019m taking Malek,\u201d Mimi said. \u201cMalek, go shower. It\u2019s going to be a long journey; half of Beirut is on the way to the Syrian border. We don\u2019t want the car to stink of salt.\u201d Malek, reeling from disbelief, looked at Najeeb and said, \u201cCome with us to Qatar. They have a Zara there! And really big malls.\u201d Najeeb laughed and said, \u201cI can’t go habibi. Anyways you will be back here in a few weeks. Don\u2019t worry. Now go before Mimi murders us.\u201d They hugged, Malek walking away with Mimi and Najeeb turning to the beach.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

When Mimi and Malek got in the car, he found his grandma, Anbara, in the front seat wearing a white kaftan with red roses and Abu Arab the neighborhood taxi driver. Abu Arab had bloated arms and biceps and a belly so large he drove with it. He often cleaned his teeth with a miswak after smoking Marlboro Gold cigarettes. \u201cOh god, not this man,\u201d Malek said while Mimi pinched him and said, \u201cKhalas, just ignore him.\u201d During the Civil War, Abu Arab was an accountant for Al-Mourabitoun, a Nasserist paramilitary faction, who fought alongside the Palestinians. Known for exaggeration, he would often say, \u201cWhen I would leave the house, the traitors would tremble and say, \u2018Close your windows Abu Arab is here.\u2019\u201d Malek\u2019s grandma, friends with Abu Arab for decades, would laugh and say, \u201cYou only left your house to buy kaak and flour! Which you would sell to us at a higher price. That\u2019s how you bought all those houses in Bhamdoun. With flour money.\u201d Abu Arab would grimace and say: \u201cAllah Ysamhek Hajjeh.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cListen, Hajjeh, I will avoid the Arida Border Crossing. I am hearing from friends that the Israelis plan to bomb the coastal border between Lebanon and Syria. I will take you through the Klayaat Road to the Masnaa Border Crossing. It’s safer.\u201d Abu Arab said. Mimi and Malek looked at each other knowing that Abu Arab always had wrong information. But their grandma nodded and said, \u201cTawakal and go. There is a nice woman there called Em Jorge who can sell us some manakeesh and lahm bi ajeen for the road. I will call her.\u201d Abu Arab rubbed his hands with Bien Entre perfume and said, \u201cYalla bismillah, let\u2019s drive.\u201d As they attempted to escape the highway towards the Klayaat road, they drove by cars with different license plates and jammed vans with travel bags and sordid faces. Mimi and Malek played a game of spotting a car with a foreign license plate. \u201cNigeria,\u201d Malek said. \u201cOman, Saudi \u2014 oh and there in the distance \u2014 an EU one,\u201d Mimi said. Their grandma told them to be quiet and asked Malek if the beach was nice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was really nice, the best beach resort I have seen in Lebanon,\u201d Malek said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTeta, there is war breaking out and you are asking him how the beach was?\u201d Mimi said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHabibti, I lived through three wars. If you are going to be afraid during each one, you will never have time to breathe,\u201d said Anbara. \u201cIsn\u2019t that right, Abu Arab?\u201d she asked.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEh Hajjeh! It\u2019s the Israelis who are afraid of us. We don\u2019t care, it’s just another day,\u201d he replied.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Abu Arab began chanting revolutionary anthems from the Murabitoun while Anbara clapped and cheered him. Malek ignored them and stared at the sun setting outside a valley, it was so big he wondered if he could live in it. They drove across empty plains as the summer air tired their eyes, causing Malek and Mimi to fall asleep. Anbara dozed in and out of consciousness and occasionally asked if they arrived.<\/span><\/p>\n

Abu Arab drove in silence for an hour, but as the night fell and the atmosphere was bereft of color, a trepidation creeped over him. He opened the radio to a low volume and heard the anchor say: Suspected attack on Klayaat airport. Sight of smoke. \u201cHamdella we crossed it safely,\u201d he murmured to himself. He switched the channel to Sawt Beirut who was hosting the Minister of Tourism, who with a hysterical voice, discussed the potential financial losses of this war saying that they had a \u201crecord two million tourists this summer.\u201d He was then joined by the President of Lebanon\u2019s restaurant syndicate who demanded that the Lebanese government prevent the war from escalating. \u201cThis was supposed to be our summer of recovery,\u201d he exclaimed. Anbara suddenly woke up, joining the disenchantment of the minister and said, \u201cThey never want us to be happy. Every time they see Lebanon prospering, they want to destroy it.\u201d Anbara never indicated who the <\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/i>they\u201d were but her sentiment often carried enormous blame and accusation. Malek, bothered by their sounds, looked for his iPod to play some music, only to realize that he forgot it with Najeeb. \u201cOh no, my iPod, I forgot it. Turn back, turn back,\u201d he began yelling. Mimi woke up and said, \u201cShu fee?\u201d thinking something serious had happened. \u201cYour brother is complaining about something he forgot. I told you to stop buying him these gadgets,\u201d Anbara said. Mimi hugged Malek and said, \u201cIt’s fine, we will buy a new one in Qatar.\u201d Abu Arab looked at them in the mirror and said, \u201cMen these days, all they want to do is wear short shorts and put earphones in their ears. Malek, when I was your age my father gave me a rifle!\u201d Anbara laughed and said, \u201cHe should have given you a mouthguard.\u201d Abu Arab laughed and said, \u201cAllah ysahmek hajjeh. Yalla, all of you prepare your passports. Hajjeh do you have the gift for the customs official?\u201d Anbara nodded and said, \u201cThere is a box of Pepsi and 7 Up in the trunk and a hundred dollars in my bag. That should be enough.\u201d Anbara then looked outside the window, took a long sigh, and said, \u201cOh god, forgive me, Rafik Hariri\u2019s blood is still fresh and we are crossing through the country of those who killed him.\u201d \u201cIt’s okay Hajjeh, god is too busy to care about Bashar Al-Assad and Hariri right now,\u201d Abu Arab said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

They arrived in Damascus around 9:30 p.m. Anbara had asked Abu Arab to take them to the storied Abu Kamal restaurant on May 29th Street. Her son-in-law\u2019s sister owned the restaurant and while Anbara did not get along with the Syrians, she loved their kibbeh. \u201cI\u2019m glad we made it in one piece with your reckless driving, Abu Arab,\u201d Anbara said as she exited the car. \u201cHajjeh, the mountain roads into Damascus are full of wolves, I had to speed,\u201d Abu Arab replied. \u201cKhalas, khalas, stop talking. Yalla, let\u2019s eat. Malek, Mimi, get out of the car. Your mom is waiting at the restaurant,\u201d Anbara commanded. In the square near her, a bald man, noticing her Lebanese accent, looked at her and said, \u201cLast year you kicked us out and now you need us for safety!\u201d \u201cSkot, I won\u2019t be spending more than four hours here,\u201d she said as she walked into Abu Kamal. As they entered the restaurant, Arabic music played from the underground where Abu Kamal’s nighttime haunt, Ali Baba, entertained musicians, Baath officials, and artists. Anbara told the kids she will go there and sent them with Abu Arab upstairs to their mother. They arrived on the second floor with empty tables covered in ornate white sheets and guarded by men in black suits and red roses pinned to their suit pockets. Their mother, Nadine, was sitting under a portrait of Hafez Al-Assad in a black suit and Bashar Al-Assad in military gear and Wayfarer sunglasses. She had two plates of cordon bleu, Abu Kamal\u2019s signature dish, ready for them. She hugged them and cried, saying \u201cI\u2019m so glad you made it out safely.\u201d Mimi laughed and said, \u201cDon\u2019t make a scene mom.\u201d Nadine wiped her tears, looked at her and said, \u201cI can\u2019t believe what you are wearing! And in Syria! Go change now before we become the talk of the town.\u201d Malek, famished, sat next to his mother and began to eat. She played with his hair and asked him: how was the beach?<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

At 2:00 a.m., Abu Arab drove the Mrayseh family to the airport. Everyone was too tired to talk, but Abu Arab, bothered by silence, opened the windows and said, \u201cThe Syrians are so lucky with their dry air. They don\u2019t suffer the humidity of summer in Beirut.\u201d Nadine lit up a cigarette and asked, \u201cAbu Arab what will you do, are you going to go back to Lebanon?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, I will, if I am going to die, I will die in Ras Beirut!\u201d Abu Rab replied. Anbara laughed and said, \u201cNadine, how much do you want to bet he is going to take his usual hotel in Ladkieh by the beach?\u201d Abu Arab beat the steering wheel of his car and said, \u201cAllah ysahmek hajjeh<\/em>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

At the airport, people scrambled to buy tickets to all sorts of destinations. Nadine, proud that she is always ready, even in times of war, showed her tickets to the military officer. \u201cBel Salameh,\u201d he said. They bid farewell to Abu Arab who smiled a half smile and when they finally boarded the plane, Malek looked at his mom and said, \u201cMom, can I buy a new iPod in Qatar?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe will see when we get there,\u201d she said. For a month after, the war continued to rage, claiming countless lives and ravaging Lebanon. Malek felt lost and sad, spending most of his time shuffling between Al Jazeera and YouTube on his computer. He would speak to Najeeb on MSN Chat asking him how Lebanon was. \u201cIt\u2019s the same. MISERABLE. But at least I have your iPod. On days when the situation is not too tense, my mom lets me go for a walk on the Corniche and I play music on it pretending it’s that day at the beach,\u201d Najeeb typed. \u201cI wish we never left. This is all just a nightmare, and I keep hearing my parents saying we might live here because they\u2019re worried about sectarian tension in Lebanon. I can\u2019t live here Najeeb!\u201d Malek wrote. \u201cDon\u2019t worry, like I said, you will be back here in August. Plus, your mom will never survive in Qatar, it’s too beige for her!\u201d Najeeb typed back. Malek laughed his first sincere laugh since leaving Lebanon and typed, \u201cYou\u2019re right. Beige is not her color.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

One day, Nadine, who had made the living room her abode since the beginning of the war, emitted a loud cry and said, \u201cIt’s finally over. Guys, it\u2019s finally over.\u201d The Mrayseh family huddled over the tv and watched women throw flowers and rice across the roads in Lebanon as if it was a wedding. Anbara, standing in the middle, took on a somber tone and said, \u201cLet\u2019s pray for the lives lost in our country.\u201d Malek looked at his mom and dad, happy that the war was over, but filled with dread that they would never return to Lebanon. And his eyes spoke of truth; the Mrayseh family never returned to Beirut. Malek\u2019s father, Zahi, insisted that the family relocate to Qatar for their own safety and they enrolled Malek in high school there. Mimi eventually graduated and settled in the US, working at an architecture firm in Colorado while Anbara split her time between Qatar and Lebanon. Malek tried to stay in touch with Najeeb who immigrated to France with his mother, but somehow, their friendship, which survived so many crowds, could not survive distance.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

One summer evening, Malek was visiting Beirut and he walked over to Bardo on Clemenceau Street to have a drink with his friend Rabea, the resident DJ on Fridays. Malek sat next to Rabea as dewy-eyed clients danced their youth away. While they talked about perfume and films, a bald man with rosy lips approached them, looked at Rabea and said, \u201cCan I have a request?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet me guess, Britney Spears!\u201d Rabea replied.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, come on Rabea, you are such a snob, you never accept my requests. It can\u2019t all be niche music,\u201d said the man with the nasally voice.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not me, it\u2019s the management. But fine, la oyounak Najeeb, hit me baby one more time,\u201d Rabea said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Malek looked up from his phone and said, \u201cOh my god, Najeeb?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou two know each other?\u201d Rabea said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s my childhood friend,\u201d Najeeb yelled. He jumped on Malek, squeezed him tight and whispered in his ear, \u201cI still have your iPod.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The <\/span>IDF had been caught unaware by Hezbollah\u2019s raid on northern Israel on July 11, 2006. Israel imposed a land, sea, and air blockade on Lebanon, and Israeli warplanes bombed Beirut\u2019s international airport \u2014 resulting in thousands of deaths. The short story \u201cThe Summer They Heard Music\u201d by MK Harb takes place during what became known as the 2006 Lebanon War.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are some long, languid and even dangerous summers that Beirutis can never forget, and this is one of them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":354,"featured_media":30176,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,16,2995,3211],"tags":[323,362,2324,908,3236,1638,1784],"coauthors":[2400],"class_list":["post-30168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beirut","category-fiction","category-short-stories","category-tmr-37-endings-beginnings","tag-beirut","tag-borders","tag-hezbollah","tag-israel","tag-lebanese-youth","tag-syria","tag-war","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n"The Summer They Heard Music"\u2014a short story by MK Harb - The Markaz Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There are some long, languid and even dangerous summers that Beirutis can never forget, and 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