Shu Hadowl Ayyam! Ba7ebbik Ya Urdani-Babe

The end of the of school year draweth nigh. Is anyone else so tired of baking for special events that they sent Saudi-baked Twinkies for an end-of-year-party? We have literally had an event every other night for ten days, and I am very much a stay-at-home mom at night. My days are filled with running errands for the events, picking up slack for other slacker moms, or filling in for an exhausted mom or a traveling mom. We are watching each other’s backs.

So imagine my friend’s surprise when I called her at 9pm tonight.

Urdani-Babe is my Jordanian BFF. We meet at 7:45am once a week to rant and rave and confess and pray. Sometimes our prayers consist of telling God how He should fix our problems. We confess that and try again. She knows I am an early bird to her night owl. She is getting ready to go visiting when I am curling up in bed. I’ve been running around for an hour when we meet and she is usually still in her PJs.

She is one I will drop everything to help, and vice-verse. She called me today, of all days, when every minute was booked and I had to tell her I wasn’t sure I could do what she needed. She said: “I know you will do it. You love me”. :S

Midday I called her to say I needed some details to do the job. She said: “I know you can do it. Bit7ebbini, inti”. I sighed.

With The Hub’s help, I got it done. I called at 9pm, after we got home from the latest party. Third one today, btw.

“SHU!! Habbeebit ‘albi! Shu sar ma3 Miss ‘Naam Bakeer ‘Oom bakeer? Inti mish naiymi?” she joked, astounded. Read it with sweetly scented sarcasm. (“What? Sweetie, what is going on? What happend to Miss Early-To-Bed-Early-To-Rise? How can it be 9pm and you are calling ME and not sleeping?)

“Shu hada ‘SHU”? Keef anaam lemma baqdarsh akaamel shugal 3ala gelbi?” I said, trying my best to lay on that guilt, but I can’t because she is just too funny and cute. (“What? What do YOU mean? How in the world am I gonna sleep knowing I have work to finish for you, oh my heart?”)

“Ma azkaaaki, inti, ya helweh, khallusti 3anjad????” (“You are just tooooo sweet, you really finished it for me?”)

“Ta3baan, inti bas, min ajliki inti bas ma banaam, ashaaniik inti WAHEEEEEDEH.” (“Of course, only for you, for your sake alone I will lose sleep”)

We start giggling and doing all the “Allah yateek Al afiyya” talking over each other to say goodbye. It is quite fun.

I even drove it over to her house and delivered it, as she was out visiting some mutual friends from church.

Ladies like Urdani-Babe make living in Jordan a compelling and joy-filled adventure.

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