Dreamgirls......and the dream.....NOT!

I haven't told you all the latest little piece of info here.....oh this one is interesting. Well, it is to me....LOL.

So here in Egypt, we've got one foreign radio station....NILE FM, 104.2......they've got some great music all around the clock. And great prizes. I think you all remember when I won the Canon Printer? Oh....that was great.

So for the longest time, I haven't been able to get the radio station to tune in....isn't that frustrating? Well then, a couple of days ago......I change around the livingroom, and put the stereo in a different spot.....and suddenly....I get NILE FM again! WOW! So I've been listening and enjoying the banter that goes on among the announcers.
So on Monday, they are talking about the movie Dreamgirls. And come 1 o'clock, they announce....if you text in the answer to this question correctly, you could win 5 tickets to the opening night of Dreamgirls in Egypt. It's at this really posh cinema.....never been there, but it's on the Nile, so you get the picture.

What's the question? Well, they ask.....What Oscar is Eddie Murphy nominated for? So I know I just heard about it on TV....best supporting actor.....but like the perfectionist that I am....I jump online super quick and double check that....yup. But on the net the say its....best actor in a supporting role. Hmmmm.....so I opt to say it like on the net. I text in my message.
"Eddie Murphy was nominated for best actor in a supporting role...please pick me so I can go with all 4 of my girls."

So after 1/2 an hour of giving ppl a chance to text in. They have to pick a number between 1 and 173. So one of the announcers pick number 74. And the announcer says..."It looks like ur going with ur 4 girls Safa...we are going to be calling you shortly!!" WOOHOO!!!!!
I'm sitting there with my 14 yr old and we are stunned. She's dancing around the room, jumping for joy, I'm still in shock and they call me to get my full name and details. I'm supposed to show up on Tuesday night at the opening, they'll be there waiting for me. WOW!

This issue poses as a problem. I haven't been in a cinema for 19 yrs. I'm not kidding. My hubby and I have been of the personal opinion that cinema's aren't the greatest place to bring ur kids. It's movies and well......it's what we agreed upon. My 14 yr old is so excited. What to do?

Well, they ask another question before 3 pm for 5 more tickets and a dreamgirls tshirt. The question? What is the name of the character that Beyonce is portraying? Hmmmm. My 14 yr old wants to answer....she saw it on TV, it's Deena. I tell her the name Deena isn't enough. So back online we go....double check....Deena Jones. Ok.....so she texts in this time, her cell phone. She writes...
"Beyonce is portraying Deena Jones....please pick me, cuz it was my sisters bday and all I gave her was a box of chocolate, she'll be so happy" LOL....we are good at the sucker lines, aren't we? So then, 1/2 an hour later.....the announcer says..."OK, We've picked our winner and its ANGELZ! We will be calling you, congratulations!"

We are both sitting there, I yell out....OH....MY....GOD!! My daughter jumps up.....WOOHOOOOO.....for the second time...(she has got to have some variation, I tell ya!).....and we both do the jiggly dance...(not to be confused with Hubba Hubba).....and are going crazy out of minds. Tons of laughing and joking goes on for 10 mins....like...nobody is calling the radio except us? Or.....HAHA they fell for our sob stories!! Or.....today is OUR lucky day!! LOLOL....but then, reality sinks in. How can we go? We've never been? So I tell her, we'll have to discuss this with Baba. So I send him a text message and ask him to call. I warn him to be prepared for this one. LOL!

So he calls, and his daughter talks to him.....explains everything with excitement and laughter......I love hearing my girls talk like that.....and then he tells her to give the phone to me. So I take the phone and tell him.....Isn't this something interesting for a change? He laughs and says WOW!

So we discuss the issue....I tell him....Look, it's a one time deal thing. I'm not starting to send my kids to the cinema....the tickets basically fell into our laps....and if we go, it's because of that. I'm not willing to change 15 yrs of a standard on this. So he agrees. He asks me if the girls understand that. I told him they do. So he says....well, I don't want u guys going alone. Take the two nephews with you, and go. (22 yr old and 18 yr old) Well, we've got 10 tickets now, right? LOL! And then he says something nice...he says....I wish I was there so we could go together.....ohhhhh.....I like hearing things like that.

So now, insha Allah, we are going. We won the tickets.....and really thought we wouldn't be going....talk to Baba...and we are going...YAY! So I call up the 22 yr old nephew. Tuesday is his last day in the army.....I know he'll be excited. So I tell him that we won tickets and we want him to come to the movies with us.....he's so happy! Just one thing....it's his last day in army, so he has to finish his day at 2 pm....go hand in his stuff...(army clothes, bag, etc)....and take his money. No problem he says...I should be there by 5 pm. (he's the son of the downstairs BIL) I ask him about bringing his brother too....he laughs and says...my brother is Mama's boy...there's no way he'd come. So okay...I scratch that. YAY, we are still going.

We don't have to be at the cinema until 8:45 pm on Tuesday...so with him coming by 5 pm, it gives us plenty of time.
Girls are all excited...we can't believe it. Then at 9:30 pm, we get a call from downstairs SIL. She doesn't sound happy. She says...whats going on that you need my son tomorrow night? So I start to explain about winning the tickets and stuff....now this family is suffering from Saudi syndrome....and I love them to death, but they are sticky super religious to a point that I don't usually agree with. Anyways.....after I tell her everything, she tells me just a second...and I can hear her telling her husband all that I said.....and then she says.."well, can our son go or not?"....(he's 22!! OMG!).....so BIL tells her....I'll think about it and let her know later. JEEZ! Now I'm thinking....we aren't going.

We go to sleep, and all of us feel let down. We thought the hardest part would be for their father to agree.....but it seems to be getting more complicated than that.

So I wake up Tues morning. I see the BIL's car parked downstairs. Okay...he may call me then. And I wait around most of the morning hoping that the phone will ring. It doesn't. Not even by mistake. At 12 noon I look outside and his car is gone. So I give it an hour and then I call my SIL. I say to her...."look, about yesterday and the tickets and all....if it upsets you guys, or you don't want ur son going to something like that, I understand.....I don't like having problems with you guys over little things". (oh ya, unless it's of course my utter lack of interest in buying them a 2nd car...but hey....) So she says...oh no...we were just worried. When my son said that you wanted him to go to Cairo with u guys at night, we thought there was something going on, or wrong.....but my hubby is totally okay with you guys going. WOOHOO....We are going again!

So have you been keeping track since we won the tickets? We won tickets, we are going, we have to talk to Baba...prolly not going....talk to Baba...we are going.....talk to nephew....we ARE going....talk to SIL....we aren't going.....talk to SIL again...WE ARE GOING! WHEW! Catch all that?

Okay....well, it doesn't finish there. Nephew arrives home at 3 pm....WOW...so early I say when he talks to me.....well....he still has to go give in his army gear and collect his pay. He has to go to another city to do that......he should still be back by 5 or 6. So then I say....how about you take my car then? That way you'll be quicker! So he's like that's great! I hand over keys and by 3:30 pm, he's gone. Kids come home from school, they see him in the car leaving.....we have a hurried dinner....sit around for a bit, talking about the excitement of the evening to come.....what an atmosphere! Now it'll take us about 1 hour and 15 mins to make it to this cinema. It's in downtown Cairo in a very busy area....we could arrive in less time....but I figure an hour and fifteen is about right. I tell my nephew that before he leaves.....tell him that we should leave by 7 pm, to make it in good time, with about 1/2 an hour to spare.

The girls and I get our clothes together......iron what has to be ironed...I bathe the 4 yr old and the 9 yr old....get them dressed up all pretty. 6:45 pm...nephew still hasn't shown. So I give him a call on his cell phone.....and he says...he's still there and he shouldn't be much longer. Okay then. So we get dressed and by 7:30 pm....he still isn't here. Hmmmmm. So I call him on his cell phone again....now it's turned off. MAN! The city that he is in is a bit far away....he will take 40 mins driving to come back to us. So I start to figure things out.

Hmmmmmm. At 7:45 pm, I tell the girls....look, if ur cousin doesn't make it back here by 8:30 pm....we can't go. We will be too late, the movie starts at 9 pm.....by the time we get there and parked, the movie will be half over......I'm 7 mos pregnant.....and I don't think I could handle going while ur cousin is speeding trying to make up time. (I was planning on letting him drive) Lots of long faces....and one by one....my princesses start lining up on the balcony. With every passing minute....their conversation becomes louder and louder.....I'm sitting just beside the balcony and can catch snippets of it.....

"why do we always get let down?......this reminds me of Baba......Oh Ya Rab...please let our cousin get here.....tears and sniffling......I am so happy to go........nothing ever works out for me, I always get my hopes up and then THIS......(now I hear lots of dua).......Baba is always late for us...makes us run around....maybe it's a man thing to be late......I don't know why Mama couldn't just bring us herself?.....why does she always have to depend on someone?......when Mama depends on someone it never works out........."

Oh it went on and on. My heart went out to them...it really did. 8:30 came ........ and went. We ARE NOT going. No nephew. Girls changed their clothes amidst tears. I then promised them that we'll order Pizza Hut. So I get on the phone and order two large pizza's. Everyone has their little crying spell......and I discussed some issues with them. It's not their cousins fault. We asked him to fit us into his schedule. We didn't ask him to work his schedule around us. He has obligations that he was expecting to finish sooner. He's prolly sitting there just as upset as we are. ALhamdulillah...easy comes and easy goes. Maybe Allah is protecting us from something? We can always win again....we'll see. Slowly, slowly, I eased their minds.

At 9 pm....the nephew calls. He's on his way and tells me to get ready and wait downstairs. I picture him driving 180 trying to make it to us. So I tell him calmly...."Drive carefully, habibee.....don't worry.....it's too late now....so u just take ur time coming home and we'll talk...okay?" He's anxious and says...No, get ready...we'll still make it. I remind him that I'm so pregnant, that I can't handle the fast driving...and tell him....it's no problem...just take ur time and come back.

I take my 12 yr old and we walk over to the store to buy pop to go with our pizza. As we come back from the store, my nephew arrives. It's now 9:30 pm. Sigh. One look into his face....and you can see how horrible he feels. My heart goes out to him, it really does. He apologizes profusely....his big brown eyes look like they are going to tear up. Oh my. I tell him...really, really, it's no problem. What can we do? That it is Qadr Allah, and its for the best. He tells me how he's been working so hard lately, and going back and forth with the army besides....and how much he was excited about this night. He promises that he's going to take us out some other time.....and just doesn't want to leave our sides......poor guy. It seems that I have to ease his mind as well. And eventually, I do. Well, I think I do.

Alhamdulillah.

So that's my whole Monday/Tuesday story. Quite busy, eh? So did u keep count now? Sigh....emotional rollercoaster extraordinaire!

We're going / not going / we're going / we're going / not going / we're going / we're not going!

Our pizza came....I had bought a pkg of pre fried chicken with the pop and we ate that with the pizza........and well, that was that. Everyone went to bed....exhausted I presume. When I finally made my way to my own bed...I lay there for awhile thinking.

And you know what it was that kept coming to my mind? The phrase...

"When Mama depends on someone it never works out."

Hmmmmmm.....so I lay there thinking about that until sleep came and claimed me........I didn't come to any conclusions about it tho......I wonder if I ever will.