The Night the People of Egypt Regained their Country

Dearest Seif,

 

It is strange being present in a moment you know will be written about in history books…  Today is another significant day to remember.

 

Your dad and I were watching TV in the kitchen, not expecting to hear anything earth-shattering coming from the Vice-President after Mubarak’s disastrous speech the night before.  In a matter of 20 seconds or so, the VP made the announcement that Mubarak was stepping down.  Your dad and I were frozen for a few seconds.  I felt the hair on the back of my neck tingle. I asked your dad, “So, Mubarak resigned?” Perhaps I didn’t hear correctly.  He nodded his head, giving me a wide smile and a big hug.  We jumped up and down like little kids, laughing and God knows what we were saying to each other.

 

Your dad ran to the TV room where you were sitting, changed the cartoon channel to the news, and interrupted you in the middle of your sacred “Angry Birds” game.  He explained that Mubarak “left the country” and pulled you off the couch and twirled you around, dancing to the images of thousands of Egyptians waving the flag in euphoria.  Even Lara joined in by weaving in and out from between your dad’s legs.

 

The excitement didn’t last long with you, unfortunately, as you returned to playing “Angry Birds”, then slept an hour or so afterwards.  We tucked you in bed, and your dad and I decided to live the feeling of a successful revolution. We took the car and drove to Heliopolis, as we planned to walk the streets of Korba.

 

We parked the car as we neared a traffic jam.  We walked on the side walk passing cars in a dead-lock.  It was the most beautiful traffic jam that I had ever seen… Music from FM radio was spilling out of all of the cars, playing the same song at the same time – Dalida’s “Helwa Ya Balady”.  It was as if there was a thousand sound speakers installed in the streets.  The people packed in the cars, and the people walking on the sidewalks were all singing in unison to the song.  I felt like I was walking in the middle of a music clip.  Everyone was smiling… Flags waved out of the cars, held by people of all ages.  Some flags were attached to the moving windshield wipers, dancing from side to side.

 

Beyond the cheerful traffic jam, we found a huge crowd gathered under the Marghany Street bridge.  The busy streets transformed into a pedestrian hang-out.  Your dad and I weaved through the crowd of strangers who were singing patriotic songs, chanting, “The people have brought down the regime!”, cracking Mubarak jokes on loudspeakers, taking pictures with their phones, and shooting sound guns in the air.  The flag of Egypt was waving everywhere; those who did not have flags were either wearing red, white, and black, or had the flag painted on their faces.

 

It was a strange feeling, Seif… I found myself smiling at these strangers as if I had known them well.  I felt connected to them all;  I even wanted to give them hugs.  As we neared Korba, the crowd thickened.  Youth with drums passed us and each pound of the drum resonated in my body.  The smell of sulfur filled the air as fireworks glittered in the sky, drawing an “Aaaaaaaw” sound from the crowd.

 

Your dad and I stopped beside a car surrounded by people.  The car owner had large speakers playing Mohamed Mounir’s new song “Ezzay” that was in honor of the revolution.  We clapped along as boys, girls, men and women danced, sang the new lyrics, and waved the flag.  Confetti was released, showering us in a rainbow of colors.  I wondered how people managed to get so much confetti and fireworks in such a short notice.

 

I wished you could have been with us.  So many moms and dads were out in the streets with their children.  I think the loud noises would have startled you, though, but you would have seen something that doesn’t usually happen in a person’s life-time.

 

Oh, Seif… what a time this is.  It feels so unreal, then reality hits me, then it feels unreal again.    A seed of an idea, developed into a simple plan, that turned into an organized crowd, that toppled a stubborn regime.  All in 18 days.  Who would have thought that youth could have such power? Learn from this moment, Seif.  As the saying goes, “Impossible is nothing”… Go after and hold on to what you believe in, and don’t settle for anything less… even if it takes a revolution to achieve it.

 

Love,

Your elated mother, Rania