Ep. 8 – Joyride to Egypt: Twenty Questions

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A zombie puts out more effort in half an hour than I did in that whole, long, incredibly awful weekend. My stomach was in knots the whole time, as I wondered if I was shooting myself in the foot. Insha’Allah, only the foot, and not the heart! I kept trying to reassure myself that I did the right thing, shutting off the computer for the weekend. I needed time to think.

Mr. Answer To My Prayers really did seem like the right name for this fascinating Egyptian man. The more I read, and re-read, his three emails so far, and compared it with the ad he made for finding a wife, the more I liked him. The more excited I got at the prospect of marrying a man living in Egypt! Of course I had no way to be sure, but he sounded genuine to me. I felt it was possible he was telling the truth. I also felt it was very possible I would throw up! Thank God, it rained like a hurricane all weekend, and the kids kept quiet in front of their TV upstairs. A big delivery from Pizza Hut kept them happy, while I stayed in my bed, tossing and turning.

On the one hand, I was encouraging a man to pursue me for marriage, knowing full well he was completely unacceptable to my entire family. I wasn’t asking anyone’s opinion, but I wasn’t ignorant.

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Ep. 7 – Joyride to Egypt: Oh Please Pinch Me

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I hit “save.“ I hit “print.” I hit “reply.” Then I sat staring at the computer screen until I became dizzy. It was my move in a very strange game of Chess. On the one hand, I really wanted to capture that King, and on the other hand, I am a very bad chess player. It takes foresight to imagine several moves into the future and their possible outcomes, but I can’t even hold three numbers in my head to prepare the right bill for the cashier at the grocery store.

For a woman whose career is in computers, having a math disabilty might seem a tad illogical. I compensated in college with a great memory, and in my job, by reading and keeping every manual and every bit of documentation.

I don’t have to know how to do everything, I just need to remember where the instructions are… or the calculator, as the case may be! But, helpful as this is in the insane technological race to upgrade our universe, it’s a completely useless strategy for winning at Chess. I actually never read that set of documentation… My daughter once conquered the rubiks cube by memorizing those instructions, but thereafter never touched it again, as it had become ‘boring.’ My takeaway from this lesson is, ‘don’t be too hasty to conquer that King!’

I might have a problem with Math, but I don’t have a problem with Logic!

And I figured out what’s good for this Queen, is doubly good for that King. Speed was probably not the best strategy, here, afterall. Mr. Answer To My Prayers is obviously already traveling at warp 7, and I’m going to get eaten alive!

Ep. 6 – Joyride to Egypt: From a Mermaid Princess Named Scheherazade

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Pulling the printed email out from under my pillow, I read it again by the early morning light. A whole ocean of opportunity offered itself to my imagination. I vowed, Insha’Allah, God Willing, I will make the most of this opportunity, and use every ounce of my imagination. I had made up my mind. Yes! I would trust this man. I decided I had absolutely nothing to lose by accepting his words as honest. Even if it was all a dream, I decided I would swallow it whole. Hook, line, and sinker. I told myself excitedly, “Yes! Head for the open ocean, girl, and see if he can reel you in!” I was ready to swim like a mermaid princess named “Scheherazade!“