Chapter 15:
Aboutrika's Strop.
January 21st, 2025 (revamped on May 9th, 2025)
As Harith was walking to the restaurant, which was a bit far—
Suddenly, the loud roar of a motorcycle cuts him off.
Person on the Motorcycle: "Yo! What's poppin', Harith?"
The person riding the motorcycle speaks. His voice is loud and somewhat high-pitched.
Harith: "Yo, Aboutrika! Been a while since I've seen you around!"
Aboutrika: "So, where ya goin'?"
Harith: "A—"
Harith doesn't even get to finish.
Aboutrika: "Got it. Hop on."
Harith hops on, and Aboutrika revs the bike with a loud growl before speeding off toward Harith's destination.
⸻
Tariq: "Guy didn't even greet us."
Zahra: "Who even are they?"
Tariq: "The guy who hopped on is Harith. The one driving is his best friend, Aboutrika."
Tariq: "Hey, why not stick with us? It's Amina's birthday today, and we've got her favorite food. Harith's bringing us all together. Sounds good?"
Tariq: "Oh, and Harith said his sister's wedding is soon. A huge event. Wanna join? We're all heading to Cairo and renting an apartment for a few days."
Zahra: "Heck yeah! Let's go. When is it?"
Tariq: "He said it'll be January 13th. That's in two days."
⸻
Meanwhile…
Harith (on the bike): "Yo, can you hurry up? It's almost night."
Aboutrika: "Oh? Don't you wanna have fun? I'll show you fun."
Suddenly, Aboutrika maxes out the speed—160 km/h.
Harith's face starts tearing up from the wind, the speed so intense it feels like his flesh might peel off.
Harith: "CALM DOWN, YO!"
He yells.
Aboutrika: "WHAT, DIDN'T I TELL YOU I'D SHOW YOU WHAT FUN IS?!"
Harith: "WATCH OUT—"
The bike slams into a boulder.
Both of them go flying.
Aboutrika quickly whips out a small toy-like jump pad and tosses it beneath them to cushion the fall.
Harith: "Uh… thanks. Guess that was really 'fun'."
Aboutrika jumps up and checks the motorcycle.
It's damaged. The tire's blown out from the impact.
Aboutrika: "FUCK you, HARITH!"
Harith: "Bro, not my fault you weren't paying attention!"
Aboutrika: "I'll put the same hole from that tire into you…"
He pulls out a penknife and steps forward.
Harith: "You ain't scarin' me, my guy. I've seen the same prank over and over."
Harith casually rests a hand in his pocket and leans back slightly, completely unfazed.
Aboutrika sighs, puts the penknife away.
Aboutrika: "You got me… Wanted to see you crawl in fear."
Aboutrika: "Let's go."
They enter the store.
Harith: "Yo, I'm the one who ordered four plates of Koshary."
Worker: "Oh… we just threw those away. Unfortunately."
Aboutrika: "You WHAT?!"
He whips out the penknife again.
Aboutrika: "Go make 'em again, or I'm burning this place to ashes. Ain't nobody disrespecting Aboutrika in this city."
Worker: "Y-Yes, sir!"
The worker bolts to the kitchen like a cartoon character.
Aboutrika: "And make them five plates!"
He smirks at Harith.
Aboutrika: "I gotcha covered, bro."
He slams his palm on Harith's back.
Harith: "Aboutrika, you're gonna get us arrested."
He mutters, half-worried.
Aboutrika: "Huh? Arrested? There's no police in Al Qantara, my man."
Harith: "Oh… right. Only in East Al Qantara."
⸻
A few minutes later—
Worker: "Uh… s-so the Koshary is 300 pounds… but hey, think of it like a gym membership! You'll be lifting the price and working out your wallet!"
He lets out a nervous laugh.
Aboutrika goes quiet, expression stoic. Then bursts out laughing.
Suddenly, he slams 150 pounds on the counter—his penknife resting on the worker's neck.
Aboutrika: "Real funny. I'll be lifting these plates for 150—along with your soul!"
The worker passes out from fear.
Harith: "Yo… lemme teach you a technique I use in moments like these."
Aboutrika: "Which?"
Harith: "You hit the upper part of the joystick… twice."
Aboutrika stares.
Aboutrika: "?"
Harith: "And then you… RUN AWAY!"
Harith bolts. Aboutrika follows—only to come back, snatch a 50-pound bill off the counter, and leave the guy with 100 out of 300.
They exit the restaurant—الطيب (Al Taieb), a well-known spot in Al Qantara West.
⸻
Outside, Aboutrika looks at his damaged bike.
Aboutrika: "Was gonna drive you back to celebrate with your lil' GF, but thanks to you—"
Harith: "Girlfriend? Amina's a good friend. Don't know what you're talkin' about."
Aboutrika: "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Your lil' love story ain't gonna fix my bike."
He sighs.
Spots a tuk tuk passing by and sticks his hand out. They hop in.
Tuk Tuk Driver: "Where to?"
Aboutrika: "Jamal Abdel Nasser Street."
The driver eyes him for a second.
Aboutrika (slightly turned, hands in pockets, voice cold): "We goin' or nah?"
Tuk Tuk Driver: "Calm down, asshole. Get on."
Aboutrika glares at him, then steps in. Harith sits beside him.
Aboutrika: "أنا شايف و عارف إيه اللي بيحصل. أنا شايفه بوضوح."
"I see what's goin' on. I see it clearly."
Tuk Tuk Driver: "شايف إيه، يلا؟ انت عيل بشخة عاملي فيها إنك عندك شخصية. انت كلك على بعضك عيل بشخة مش متعلم."
"See what? You're just some punk acting tough. You're nothing but an uneducated brat."
Aboutrika lowers his head. Shadows veil his eyes. A chilling atmosphere surrounds him.
Harith nudges him.
Harith: "Should I…?"
Aboutrika: "It's aight. I got this."
The ride ends.
Tuk Tuk Driver: "That'll be t—"
Suddenly, Aboutrika yanks him by the hair and slices his neck with the penknife.
Aboutrika: "كدة واحد."
"That's one."
He kicks the driver's head against the front glass—shattering it.
Aboutrika: "كدة اثنين."
"That's two."
Harith doesn't interfere. He quietly exits, watching from a distance.
Aboutrika backflips out of the tuk tuk.
The driver loses control, crashing into a building. The vehicle bursts into flames.
Aboutrika: "اتمنى اني اكون علمتك و علمت عليك."
"Hope I taught you a lesson—and left my mark."
Harith sighs. Amazed, slightly shocked.
Harith: "That was cool and all but… you're definitely getting us arrested."
The driver groans in pain, barely audible.
Aboutrika: "Huh? What was that?"
He flicks his hand at the burning tuk tuk.
Aboutrika: "أنا عمري ما اسيب حقي طالما حد قلل من احترامي."
"I'll never let anyone disrespect me. Not while I'm alive and kickin'."
Harith expected nothing less. He's used to this when hanging out with Aboutrika.
Harith: "W-Wait… did you burn our Koshary?!"
Aboutrika pulls out toy-sized white bags.
Harith: "Wait… so your Disposition turns stuff into tiny toys?"
Aboutrika: "Pretty much. Why'd I get a Disposition like that…"
Harith: "Come on, bro. You love toys. Your Disposition ain't random."
Aboutrika: "The hell you talkin' about? Watch it, man. You don't know what you're sayin'."
But deep down—he really does love toys. He'd never admit it, though.
⸻
Back at Tariq's house…
Tariq smells something.
Tariq: "Wait… did I leave the oven on?! A good chef never—"
He bolts inside, checks everything.
Tariq: "Phew. All good."
Harith and Aboutrika had already entered.
Harith: "So… isn't it time to wake her up?"
Harith: "Wait, how the hell didn't that door slam wake her up?"
Tariq: "Didn't I tell you? She wouldn't wake up even if the house was on fire."
Harith: "Only one way to test that."
Tariq splashes a bucket of water on her. No reaction.
Harith: "Let me try…"
He zaps her with electricity. Still doesn't wake.
Aboutrika: "I got this."
He pulls out bangoo—a strong-smelling Egyptian drug.
No reaction.
Harith and Tariq: "DUDE, WHAT THE FUCK?! Where'd you even get that?!"
Aboutrika: "Bitch said she ain't wakin' up. Just provin' it."
Tariq: "Wait… I've got it."
He places a box of Koshary near her.
She instantly wakes up.
Amina: "Ugh… Why am I wet? Why do I feel a burn?"
Then she spots the Koshary.
Amina: "Oh! Is that the one I always wanted to try?! Thanks, guys!"
Tariq: "But, uh… no cake. So—"
He places a candle in the Koshary, nods to Harith, who shuts off the lights. The candle lights up magically.
They all sing Happy Birthday.
All: "Now blow the candle!"
She does—and eats the whole Koshary in one bite.
Everyone stares.
Amina: "What? I was hungry all day."
They all dig in and enjoy the food.
Tariq: "Damn… better than I expected. I'll upgrade the recipe myself."
Aboutrika: "Classic."
Harith: "Whoa! No wonder you were hyping that place up, Amina!"
She had already fallen asleep again. No one bothers waking her.
It was midnight, anyway.
Harith: "Alright, guys. Tomorrow we head to Cairo for my sister's wedding. We'll rent a place nearby for a few days. Y'all in?"
He stretches out his palm.
Aboutrika: "I'm down. I'll drive. I know Egypt's roads like the back of my hand."
He slaps his palm onto Harith's.
Tariq: "I'll bring the food, I guess."
He joins the hand stack.
Harith: "And Amina… Hope she knows about this."
They all raise their hands in a united motion.
They all sleep over at Tariq's.
Who knows what'll happen tomorrow?
It'll be a long trip.
⸻
To be continued…
⸻
Character Spotlight:
Aboutrika: "Your average hoodian? Hell nah. Dude loves toys… He can't possibly act like a gangsta and love toys… right?"
Disposition: ToyStrop: Turn a little plastic toy into a real, working item.