بيت الشاي | The Tea House of Tangier
"A tea house owner discovers passion with a regular customer who comes every afternoon seeking more than mint tea."
بيت الشاي
The Tea House of Tangier
الفصل الأول | Chapter One
أَمْلِكُ بَيْتَ شَايٍ قَدِيمًا فِي طَنْجَةَ.
I own an old tea house in Tangier.
تَأْتِي كُلَّ يَوْمٍ فِي الرَّابِعَةِ عَصْرًا.
She comes every day at four in the afternoon.
"الشَّايُ بِالنَّعْنَاعِ، كَالعَادَةِ."
"Mint tea, as usual."
الفصل الثاني | Chapter Two
امْرَأَةٌ فِي الخَمْسِينَ، أَنِيقَةٌ، وَحِيدَةٌ.
A woman in her fifties, elegant, alone.
تَجْلِسُ فِي الزَّاوِيَةِ وَتَنْظُرُ إِلَى البَحْرِ.
She sits in the corner and looks at the sea.
"لِمَاذَا دَائِمًا وَحْدَكِ؟" سَأَلْتُهَا يَوْمًا.
"Why always alone?" I asked her one day.
الفصل الثالث | Chapter Three
"لِأَنَّ الوَحْدَةَ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ صُحْبَةٍ سَيِّئَةٍ."
"Because loneliness is better than bad company."
"وَأَنَا؟ هَلْ أَنَا صُحْبَةٌ سَيِّئَةٌ؟"
"And me? Am I bad company?"
اِبْتَسَمَتْ. "أَنْتَ اسْتِثْنَاءٌ."
She smiled. "You are an exception."
الفصل الرابع | Chapter Four
صِرْتُ أَجْلِسُ مَعَهَا كُلَّ يَوْمٍ.
I started sitting with her every day.
نَشْرَبُ الشَّايَ وَنَتَكَلَّمُ لِسَاعَاتٍ.
We drink tea and talk for hours.
"زَوْجِي تَرَكَنِي لِامْرَأَةٍ أَصْغَرَ."
"My husband left me for a younger woman."
الفصل الخامس | Chapter Five
"رَجُلٌ أَحْمَقُ،" قُلْتُ.
"A foolish man," I said.
"الجَمَالُ الحَقِيقِيُّ لَا يَعْرِفُ السِّنَّ."
"True beauty knows no age."
لَمَسَتْ يَدَهَا يَدِي. "شُكْرًا..."
Her hand touched mine. "Thank you..."
الفصل السادس | Chapter Six
ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ، بَعْدَ إِغْلَاقِ المَقْهَى.
One night, after closing the cafe.
"لَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَذْهَبَ إِلَى بَيْتِي الفَارِغِ."
"I don't want to go to my empty house."
"اِبْقَيْ هُنَا... مَعِي."
"Stay here... with me."
الفصل السابع | Chapter Seven
فِي الغُرْفَةِ فَوْقَ المَقْهَى، عَلَى صَوْتِ المَوْجِ.
In the room above the cafe, to the sound of waves.
اكْتَشَفْنَا أَنَّ الشَّايَ لَيْسَ الشَّيْءَ الوَحِيدَ السَّاخِنَ.
We discovered that tea is not the only hot thing.
"جَسَدُكِ أَدْفَأُ مِنْ أَيِّ شَايٍ."
"Your body is warmer than any tea."
الفصل الثامن | Chapter Eight
الآنَ هِيَ شَرِيكَتِي فِي المَقْهَى.
Now she is my partner in the cafe.
نَسْتَقْبِلُ الزَّبَائِنَ مَعًا.
We welcome customers together.
وَفِي اللَّيْلِ، نَشْرَبُ شَايَنَا الخَاصَّ.
And at night, we drink our private tea.
الخاتمة | Conclusion
بَيْتُ الشَّايِ مَكَانٌ لِلِّقَاءَاتِ.
A tea house is a place for meetings.
لِقَاءَاتٌ تَتَحَوَّلُ أَحْيَانًا إِلَى حُبٍّ.
Meetings that sometimes turn to love.
فِنْجَانُ شَايٍ غَيَّرَ حَيَاتَيْنَا.
A cup of tea changed our lives.
من حكايات طنجة From the Tales of Tangier