Missing in Egypt (4 page)

Sunday was a glorious day.
 
We drove down to Cronulla and caught the ferry across to Bundeena.
 
There were quite a few people on the beach and children playing in the water.
 
We bought fish and chips and sat on the pier watching them.
 
Then we walked the length of
 
Jibbon
Beach
and I took Kareem along the path around the headland to see the aboriginal carvings. He was suitably impressed.
 
“Look, this one looks like a whale” he exclaimed “and this one is a turtle.”
 
“Isn’t it amazing?” I said “to think they have survived for so many years and yet they are so close to the city and anyone can stroll along here and see them.”
 

It was low tide s
o we went back along the rocks, scrambling to beat the odd wave and enjoying the sea breeze.
 
The bay was full of small boats anchored close to the shore.
 
Children swam in the sea, jumping off their boats and clambering back up the ladders at great speed to do it all again.
 
Little children busied themselves on the sand, making sandcastles or digging moats ready for the sea to fill them.
 
Everyone was relaxed and happy, enjoying their day out by the water.
 
On our trip back on the ferry the sea was sparkling like diamonds as the sun hit the waves and the little ferry rose and fell with the swell. Kareem sat with his arm around me and I had never been happier.

We bought some Thai food on the way in and Kareem stayed until late.
 
I was curious as to why he was still living at home with his parents and asked him about it.
 
“Ah, well,” he
said “it has not always been so
.
 
I was married for three years but it didn’t work out.
 
I went home to lick my wounds but then I realised my father was not really up to doing the garden or other maintenance so I stayed on.
 
Just laziness really – I could live nearby and still do these things.
 
Mum’s cooking of course is a key factor in all of this!”
 
We talked until well into the night until Kareem said “its time to get you to bed”.
 
“I thought you’d never ask” I responded.

Over the next few days I saw Kareem nearly every night.
 
In the meantime, he checked again with the Embassy in
Cairo
, inquired from the Bank as to whether Ramy’s credit card or account had been used and continued to watch over his father.
 
He had returned to work at his job as an accountant in a large practice in the City, conserving his leave for another trip to
Egypt
once his father was stable.

Things were getting very interesting in
Canberra
at this time too.
 
I usually spoke to Colleen a couple of times a day and she told me the word was out that there was to be a Labor leadership spill.
 
The polls had indicated that the public would not accept another term under Labor with Bob Hawke as the PM.
 
It was planned to ditch Hawke
and replace him with Paul Keating. By promoting the Leader rather than the Party it was thought that the electorate would go for this new fresh look from the same tired old Party.
 

There was always a huge buzz in Parliament house when a leadership spill was about to take place.
 
The rumours were rife for days beforehand and everyone eagerly awaited the result.
 
There was much whispering in corners in the corridors and offices and Jim would walk around as if he didn’t have any idea that anything was going on.
 
The media would comment on it day and night and report on the numbers believed to be supporting each candidate.
 
Even Jim’s wife would be on the phone to see if we had heard any further news.
 
The so-called Numbers Man of the party would be very busy ringing each of the MPs and Senators to see which way they were going to vote at the spill.
 
Part of me wished I was down there amongst the action whilst the other part of me wanted to stay in
Sydney
to be close to Kareem.

 
 
Paul Keating was successful in taking the reins from Bob Hawke in December 1991, just as the rumour mill had said he would be.

Later that week I received a phone call from Kareem at work.
 
“Its my father” he
said obviously extremely upset.
 
“He had another heart attack during the night and my mother found him dead beside her in the morning.
 
She is very upset she didn’t hear anything.”
 
“Oh Kareem, I’m so sorry” I responded.
 
“Please tell your mother I’m thinking of her.
 
If there’s anything I can do…..”

“I have to arrange the funeral.
 
I hope you understand I have a lot to do and I may not be able to see you for a few days”.
 
“Yes, of course, I replied.
 
If I can help in any way, please let me know”.
 
I felt so sorry for Kareem and his mother.
 
Mr Hazif had seemed to be recovering so well and it was a bolt out of the blue for them.

I went to the funeral.
 
It was a small, private service at the local crematorium and afterwards we gathered at the house.
 
It was very sad – no celebration of life – just family and close friends mourning the loss of a loved one.
 
I felt honoured to be included in this small number and to have had the opportunity to have met Kareem’s father.

A couple of weeks later, over dinner at my place, Kareem announced it was time for him to resume his search for Ramy.
 
“My mother has lost her husband and her son is still missing, I must go and find him” he said simply.
 
I made an instant decision “I’
ll come with you.
 
I have a few weeks’ leave accumulated – you know how it is, there is never a good time in politics to take it.
 
I want to help you find Ramy”.
 
I knew from the look in Kareem’s eyes that he was pleased.
 
“It will be hard work” he said, “not much of a holiday, but it will be great to have you with me”.

Two days later we were on the flight to
Cairo
.
 
What a fascinating city!
 
The traffic was frenetic – the taxi we took from the airport weaved in and out of lanes with a blast of his horn.
 
As everyone else was using their horn, the result to my unaccustomed ears and eyes seemed chaotic and dangerous.

Kareem had booked us into the Marriott Hotel – a beautiful hotel which was once a small palace.
 
It was like an oasis in the middle of this busy city, the new accommodation wing being very sympathetic to the original structure.
 
It had huge colonnades and underneath, along the length of it, were tables with green umbrellas surrounded by lovely gardens and on the level below a magnificent swimming pool.
 
The pool went under an arch at one end and into the shade.
 
The majority of it however was in the sun, with tiered gardens overlooking it. We were to have one night of luxury before heading for
Luxor
and we made the most of it!
 
We swam in the pool, ate dinner in the gardens lit with fairy lights, luxuriated in the huge bed and had a hearty breakfast before heading off the next day.

Before we
took the flight to
Luxor
we went to see Kareem’s uncle and aunt.
 
They made us very welcome and I could understand how Ramy would have spent a very pleasant month in their company.
 
Their house had a very peaceful inner courtyard which was like an oasis from the traffic and noise of the city. Kareem told them in detail about his progress on his previous visit and they agreed they would be the contact point for Kareem and his mother.
 
Naturally, Kareem was anxious about leaving his mother alone so soon after his father died and he wanted to make sure she knew he was okay.
 
We had coffee with them and some delicious Egyptian cakes, before heading off to the airport.

I liked
Luxor
better than
Cairo
– it’s not as chaotic.
 
We went to the hotel of Jahi’s cousin, Hamadi.
 
He was dressed in western clothes and spoke reasonably good English.
 
He appeared to be in his thirties, average looking and with short black hair.
 
 
Kareem introduced himself and Hamadi was pleased to meet him.
 
“Your brother” he said “he stayed here with the attractive Egyptian lady.
 
Have you found him yet?”
 
“No”, replied Kareem” we are here to search for him.
 
Do you have a room for us?”
 
“Of course” said Hamadi “I give you my best room.
 
Go and make yourselves comfortable and after we will talk”.

It was not the Marriott but it was clean and comfortable and looked out on to the street.
 
The main bazaar was just around the corner.
 
We went downstairs and Hamadi had coffee waiting for us in the lounge.
 
“I can’t tell you very much” said Hamadi apologetically.
 
“They stayed the night – they had a big row and your brother walked out but he came back after a couple of hours and then they left the next day.
 
The lady, she came from a good family.
 
She had beautiful jewellery and she conducted herself like a lady.
 
That’s all I know – I don’t know where they were going. I have asked around the bazaar but no-one can tell me anything.
 
I suggest you try some of the tour operators.
 
Maybe someone will remember something.”

We spent the rest of the afternoon showing Ramy’s photo around but to no avail.
 
It was very hot and sticky – I was glad when Kareem finally said “Let’s call it a day.
 
We’ll go back to the hotel and take a shower and then go somewhere for a drink”.

I was in the shower –
letting the tepid water cool my body – when Kareem shouted out “I’ll be back in a minute – there’s a call for me in reception”.
 
He returned as I came out of the bathroom.
 
“That was my uncle.
 
Someone has contacted my mother” he explained.
 
“They say they have Ramy and want $A250,000.
 
She told them I am in
Egypt
and we will get the money.
 
She has already arranged a mortgage on the house and will wire it via
Western Union
tomorrow or the next day.
 
She has also spoken to the police and they will monitor the next call, although how it will help from
Sydney
I don’t know.”
 
I put my arms around him and he laid his head on my shoulder.
 
“Thank goodness he is alive and will soon be able to come home with us” he said.

We went out for that cold drink.
 
We found a café overlooking the
Nile
and sat into the evening and had dinner there.
 
Neither of us was very interested in what we were eating.
 
I couldn’t help wondering why it had taken so long to get the ransom call.
 
How long had Ramy been missing now?
 
It was over two months.
 
Normally you would expect to get the ransom call within a day or two.
 
Or maybe he hadn’t been missing all that time but had just been having a fun with his new girlfriend and then something had gone wrong.
 
Something didn’t seem quite right though.
 
I tried to bring this up but Kareem was just too excited at the thought of rescuing his brother to fully take in what I was saying.
 
“Maybe he was trying to get Ramy to find the money” he reasoned.
 
“Or maybe Ramy wasn’t telling them who he was or where his family lived.
 
He can be very stubborn when he wants to be.”
 
It occurred to me that no-one is going to be very stubborn if their life is being threatened, but I kept the thought to myself – it didn’t seem to be the right moment to share it.