Return Of The Cosmic God

It was our last week in Cairo. So, we decided to take a break from sightseeing and grab lunch from a small cozy restaurant near our hotel. The place had an old-world charm. The walls were made of wood and there was some wooden decoration inside the restaurant. The road outside can be seen through the wooden windows. The scent of spiced lamb, fresh pita, and mint tea filled the air. The scent made all of our stomachs rumble...

We were all starving… So, as soon as we were seated, Abdul dove straight into the menu, scanning it very cautiously like, he was scanning a file of an important mission….

Joseph leaned over and whispered to me, "Hey!! Abdul studies every menu like he's planning a lunar mission…"

I chuckled, flipping through the menu myself. "Let him be. It's his own charm…..."

After placing our orders, we relaxed into our seats, enjoying the quiet hum of the restaurant. Joseph, as usual, couldn't sit still for long…

"Let's play a game…" Joseph said suddenly, rubbing his hands together with a mischievous grin. "I'll rate the weirdest things on this menu, and you guess how badly Abdul will react…"

Abdul shot him a glare without looking up from the menu. "I hate you..."

The food arrived. Plates of grilled lamb, and steaming bowls of lentil soup. Abdul was about to take his first bite when a familiar voice called out his name across the restaurant.

"Abdul?!... Is that you?..."

We all looked up in unison. A woman stood near the entrance, smiling in surprise. She was Salma… She was beautiful, her dark hair pulled back and a pair of sunglasses parked on her head. She was wearing simple white blouse tucked into loose linen pants. She looked both casual and sophisticated….

Abdul froze in his mid-bite, his fork halfway to his mouth. His eyes widened. "S-Salma?!..."

Joseph and I exchanged gleeful glances. The moment we'd been waiting for had arrived, and neither of us had any intention of letting Abdul off the hook…

"Ohhh, Abdul!!!" Joseph whispered with a wicked grin. "Who's this?!..."

Salma made her way over to our table, still smiling warmly. "I didn't expect to see you here!! What are you doing in Cairo?!..."

Abdul cleared his throat, searching for the right words, "Uh… just… um… vacation…"

"Vacation?!...." Salma raised an eyebrow, her smile teasing. "I thought you didn't believe in vacations..."

Joseph leaned over and said loudly to Salma, "He doesn't. We kidnapped him..."

Joseph grinned, sensing an opportunity. "And who's this lovely lady?!..." he asked, leaning forward with a playful glint in his eyes. "Friend?!... Colleague?!... Long-lost lover?!...."

Salma laughed, "I'm Salma. I work with Abdul on the Kepler mission…"

Abdul cleared his throat, looking slightly flustered. "Yeah, she's... um... we work together."

"Ohhh…" Joseph said with a sly grin, dragging out the word. "Work together…. I see…."

I bit my lip to keep myself from laughing out loud. It wasn't every day, we got to see Abdul this flustered….

Salma, however, seemed completely at ease. "It's nice to finally meet some of Abdul's friends. He talks about you guys sometimes." She gave us a teasing smile. "Mostly about how you cause trouble…."

Joseph gasped, placing a hand dramatically over his chest. "Me? Cause trouble? Never…"

Salma raised an eyebrow. She looked amused. "You were the one who tried to climb the pyramid, weren't you?!..."

Joseph grinned. "Guilty as charged."

"So, Abdul," I said, casually taking a bite of my falafel, "how come you never mentioned Salma to us before?..."

Abdul shot me a warning look. "I didn't think it was relevant…."

Joseph leaned forward, grinning like a child, "Oh, it's very relevant. The most relevant thing I've heard all week…."

Salma laughed, glancing at Abdul. "They're fun. I can see why you keep them around…."

Abdul muttered under his breath, "They're more trouble than they're worth."

Joseph was having a blast. He leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand, "So, Salma, tell us everything?!... How's Abdul as a coworker? Is he as stiff at work as he is with us?!..."

Salma grinned. "He's... very professional. A bit too serious sometimes, but a good engineer..."

Abdul groaned quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Great. Now I have all of you making fun of me…"

Abdul looked like he wanted to melt into the floor. "I'm right here, you know…"

Salma winked. "I know…"

I leaned in, joining the fun. "He's been unusually quiet this whole trip. Maybe he was waiting to run into you…."

Abdul shot me a glare. "Shin, don't you dare…"

"Oh, come on…" Joseph said, grinning. "Admit it, Abdul. You're thrilled she found you."

Abdul rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Why do I even hang out with you two?!..."

Salma, still smiling, turned to Abdul. "Your friends seem fun. I'm starting to understand why you always look stressed when you come to work..."

Joseph burst out laughing. "I like her…."

We invited Salma to join us, and the four of us spent the next hour chatting over lunch. Salma told us about her work on the Kepler mission—how she and Abdul often argued about engineering designs and technical planning for the spaceship….

"I keep him sane at work…" Salma joked, glancing at Abdul. "He tends to overthink things…"

"He's like that with everything…" Joseph added.

"Especially menus. You should've seen how seriously he studied today's lunch options..."

Abdul groaned. "I swear, I'm never eating with you guys again…"

Salma chuckled, clearly enjoying the banter. "This is fun. You should take him on vacation more often..."

"Oh, don't worry," Joseph said, smirking. "We plan to…"

After we finished eating all 4 of us went to the nearby market. As we wandered through the bustling market, I suddenly remembered something very important. I froze mid-step…...

"Oh no…"

Joseph while chewing on a stick of dried fruit, gave me a curious look. "What's wrong?! Did you forget your wallet or something?!!...."

Abdul glanced at me with concern. "What now, Shin?!...."

I turned to them, panic slowly creeping into my voice. "I forgot to buy souvenirs for Maki…."

Both Joseph and Abdul groaned simultaneously.

"I knew you were going to mess this up…" Joseph said, shaking his head with mock disappointment. "We've been here for weeks, and you're only now remembering to buy something for your wife?! You really are playing with fire, aren't you??..."

Abdul crossed his arms. "You should've been more prepared, Shin. Maki's going to murder you…"

"I know!! I know!!" I groaned, running a hand through my hair. "She's been waiting at home all alone, and if I show up with nothing but a tan... yeah, I'll be sleeping on the couch for a month…."

Salma, who was walking alongside us, smiled. "Come on, boys. Let's help him get something thoughtful… If we don't, we all will be guilty of letting him ruin his marriage…."

"Team 'Save Shin's Marriage'!!" Joseph cheered, throwing an arm around my shoulders. "Let's go shopping!!..."

Salma led the way through the maze of the market. After a few minutes, we stopped at a jewelry stall with beautiful, handcrafted pieces—rings, bracelets, and necklaces. All jewelry was shining under the golden light of the late afternoon sun...

"This…" Salma said, pointing to the jewelry, "Looks a good place to start. Simple, meaningful, elegant. Perfect for a gift..."

I scanned the display, my eyes landed on a silver necklace with a crescent moon charm. "Maki loves the moon…" I murmured. "She'll like this..."

Salma smiled approvingly. "It's a beautiful piece... I think it's perfect..."

Abdul nodded, offering his practical insight. "It's subtle enough that she can wear it every day. Good choice indeed…"

Joseph, meanwhile, was at the back of the stall, trying on a gaudy gold bracelet and admiring his reflection in a cracked mirror. "Forget the necklace, Shin. Get her one of these bad boys!!! Look at me… don't I just scream 'luxury'?!"

"You scream something, alright…" Abdul muttered. Salma also laughed at Joseph…

While I paid for the necklace, Salma suggested we get a few extra items—just to be safe. "It's always better to bring home a little more," she said with a grin. "Just in case one gift isn't enough to make up for a month away…"

"Good call…" I agreed. "What else should I get?!"

We moved deeper into the market, stopping at a stall filled with ornate perfume bottles. Salma picked out a small bottle of jasmine-scented oil. "This one's lovely... It'll remind her of warm summer nights…"

I nodded, adding the perfume to my growing collection. Abdul the problem-solver, pointed to a hand to a carved lantern at another stall. "How about this?! You can hang it at home, and light it up in the evenings… Romantic atmosphere—just what you'll need after being gone for so long…."

"That's actually a great idea…" I said, genuinely impressed.

Joseph, on the other hand, found two matching belly-dancer figurines at a nearby stall. "Here we go!!!" he said, holding them up with a grin. "One for you, one for Maki. Now that's romantic…"

Salma couldn't help but laugh. "Joseph, I think your idea of romance belongs in a comedy movie…"

Joseph shrugged. "Hey, the man's gotta have options."

As we moved toward another part of the market, I spotted a pyramid-shaped keychain and grabbed it as a small add-on. "You can't go wrong with a keychain, right?!..."

Joseph snorted. "A keychain? That's what tourists buy when they have no idea what to get... Come on, man. Aim higher…"

"I'm covering all my bases…" I said, throwing the keychain into my bag. "If everything else fails, the keychain might save me…"

Salma chuckled. "It's not a bad idea. But just... make sure the other gifts are front and center…"

Just as we were finishing up, Joseph spotted a fake pharaoh's headpiece and immediately tried it on. He posed dramatically, puffing out his chest…

"Shin! This is it!!!" he declared, striking a ridiculous pose. "This is how you win a girl's heart… Walk into the house wearing this and say, 'I've returned from the land of the Pharaohs!!!'"

Abdul rolled his eyes. "That's how you win a trip to the hospital..."

Salma laughed so hard she nearly doubled over. "Joseph, you have the worst ideas…"

"Worst ideas?" Joseph grinned. "Or the best ideas?!"

I shook my head, unable to suppress a smile. "I swear, Maki's going to think I spent the entire trip doing nothing but putting up with you…"

"And she won't be wrong!" Joseph said cheerfully, tossing the headpiece back onto the stall.

I had brought a silver necklace, perfume, a lantern, a scarf, and—of course—the pyramid keychain….

Abdul gave me an approving nod. "You're officially off the hook, Shin. Maki's going to love these..."

"Assuming Joseph doesn't show her that ridiculous headpiece idea…" I said, shooting Joseph a warning glance.

Joseph raised his hands innocently. "What?! You don't trust me?..."

"No," Abdul and I said in unison.

Salma chuckled. "You guys are a disaster. But a fun one."

As we left the market, my bag was filled with gifts. Now it felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest. I turned to Abdul and Salma. "Thanks for helping me with this... Seriously, I couldn't have done it without you guys..."

Salma smiled warmly. "It was fun... And now your wife will know that you were thinking about her the whole time…"

Abdul gave a small, satisfied nod. "And, more importantly, you won't die…"

Joseph draped an arm around my shoulder. "I give it a week before she forgives you. Two weeks if she sees the keychain first…"

I muttered, "You're not helping…". But in the end, I couldn't help but laugh alongside them.

After buying souvenirs for everyone, we headed back to the hotel. The sun was beginning to set on the horizon. As we walked, I felt a strange sense of peace wash over me…

Of course, the trip had been chaotic, but I knew that—thanks to my friends' help—I'd be walking through the door with more than just souvenirs. I'd be bringing back memories, laughs, and the reassurance that no matter how far we traveled, we always had each other's backs…

Even if Joseph almost ruined everything.

Today was our final night in Cairo. So, we decided to make it memorable by heading to a lively local bar which was recommended by Salma. It was a few blocks away from the main part of the city. The pub was a small and cozy place. People of all kinds, tourists, foreigners, and locals, blended seamlessly there. The smell of spiced meat and the sound of vibrant Arabic music filled the air….

The bar was decorated with colorful neon lights and lanterns. The lights cast a warm glow across the room, and the tables were filled with glasses of mint tea, beer, and exotic cocktails. The moment we stepped inside, Joseph clapped his hands together and said while grinning ear to ear.

"Alright, boys… and Salma," Joseph declared. "It's our last night in Egypt. Let's make it legendary…"

Salma laughed. "Whenever you say 'legendary,' I get nervous…"

"Smart woman…" Abdul muttered under his breath. Abdul looked like he already started to regret everything.

We found a cozy corner of the bar and sat there. We ordered drinks and of course, non-alcoholic for Abdul and Salma. They ordered cola and mint tea…

"Abdul, live a little man. You look gloomy…" Joseph teased, handing him the menu. "You gotta try something new. How about... I don't know, a cocktail without alcohol? A 'Virgin Mojito'? That sounds innocent, right?!..."

Abdul shook his head. "I'm not getting tricked into your shenanigans…"

"I'll have a beer..." I said, leaning into my chair, "and if Joseph tries to climb anything in here, we leave him behind…"

Joseph gasped dramatically. "Shin, how dare you, brother?!! How could you say that After everything we've been through together?!...."

Salma chuckled, sipping her cola. "Shin has got a point. We don't need another pyramid incident here..."

TO BE CONTINUED