I’m known to be a big mouth, meaning if anything significant happens in my life, I have to let every single person I’ve met know about it. (Hence, me writing this column!) Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t do it to show off or anything, it’s just that when I’m overly excited about something, I get really hyper and the only way for me to calm down is by letting it all out.
So after my little rendezvous with Yassine, I was on full hyper mode. Of course, the first person I told was Alaa (we actually texted her together in DC to tell her the good news) and my other best friend Malak who was totally the mother-in-law in Marina, and basically acts like my mother in anything and everything (love her!).
And of course, I told the big boss, my grandpa, who was over the moon about what happened, and couldn’t wait til I was back to give him the full report, face to face.
But as for the rest of my friends and acquaintances, I was very careful about when to tell them. The reason is that I had never officially been in a relationship before, ever. And given my wonderful friends’ huge personalities, the reactions were going to be massive, because in the life of Lenah Hassaballah and friends, this was BIG. Like Mile Cyrus at the VMA’s big.
So I decided to wait til I was back in Egypt (which was in less than a month) and tell a few people at a time. Well, THAT was a huge mistake. I had people angry at me because I hadn’t told them right away, and it was like a whole, long process explaining myself to everyone. I think I told the story like 50 times – maybe that’s why I recall every detail to this day.
Anyway, in the end everyone was happy for me, though they were shocked that I’d gotten hitched (I think they’re still shocked to this day.)
Days passed, and one of my favorite cousins Sarah and I were chilling with my grandpa in the garden, gossiping about me and Yassine. We were talking about what should be the next step, and when we could see each other again.
And, I kid you not, my grandpa comes up with this crazy idea that Sarah and I should go meet up with him together in Paris! Well, I started laughing thinking my parents would never agree.
But this man planned the whole scheme, telling us that he’d set them straight, and that there’s nothing wrong with a little white lie (yes, he’s that amazing). We should tell them that it would be their graduation gift to us, and that we’re just going there to see the museums and culture (psh, yea right).
Sarah got super excited and jumpy, but I said it would never work. Just a little disclaimer: My grandpa has this magic spell on my dad; anything he says my dad thinks is the best idea ever.
So lo and behold, I was sitting with my dad and grandpa one day, and my grandpa brings up the subject, totally advertising Paris and how Sarah and I would enjoy it. My dad agrees with him and says it’s a great idea.
What?! I was quiet the whole conversation, trying so hard to wipe the smirk off my face.
But my dad said he didn’t mind at all, and would speak to my mom about it. Now, my mom is a different story. She’s kind of skeptical about these things, and it totally showed when I brought it up to her. But my dad managed to convince her, and Sarah and I were already planning our crazy trip. Unbelievable. And of course, Yassine was over the moon, as well.
But I felt so guilty. They had no idea that I was actually going so I could meet my boyfriend. And I am the worst liar – if I did something wrong, it totally shows on my face. But I wanted it to work so bad this time and somehow managed to contain myself and push the guilt aside, with the help of my partners in crime, grandpa and Sarah.
And I was honestly excited to go on this trip with Sarah. We’re only seven months apart (she’s the older one, HA!) and we have the same personality and style: just the right balance between crazy, fun and sensible.
After two short weeks, we were on a plane to Paris! Sarah had just had a surgical operation in her nose (not a nose job… I repeat, NOT a nose job), so it was hilarious watching her freak out about plane pressure and that little plaster on her face.
So like true Egyptians, as soon as we get there, we get lost looking for the train AND we get lost trying to find the hotel. But we finally find it, and in true Parisian fashion, it was small, quaint and fancy.
As we were waiting at the reception, we see a woman roll out in a stretcher, which freaked us out, but we get over it and decide to venture out into the city before Yassine arrived.
We walked around for HOURS – because we got lost, of course – but it was the good kind of getting lost because we saw a lot of pretty markets, stores and buildings.
When we finally found our way back to the hotel, Sarah decided to nap a bit, but I was up like an excited teenager waiting for a text from Yassine.
WE SAID THIS: Check back Thursday for the second part of this lovers’ tale, when Lenah meets Yassine’s father!