By Phil Roberts, Oct. 15, 2023
Sometimes, when you have no intention of doing anything but sitting down with a good book, you find yourself being dragged off into doing what becomes a very memorable event. Take, for instance, our first Christmas Eve in Cairo many years ago.
Peggy’s youngest sister, Lenora (“Snooks”) who died in Seattle last month, was visiting us with her two children, Janet and Jason. (Husband/father John, who had a job, stayed back in Seattle, working, watching the house and caring for the pets).The Overlands went with me to Luxor, enjoying the splendor of the multi-colored toms in the Valley of the Kings Peggy’s classes kept her in Cairo, but once we returned, in the late afternoons, we took a look at local sites.
Snooks noticed an Anglican church located down the street from the Marriott, a few blocks from our place in Zamalak. A few days later, she saw a notice in an English-language newspaper that the church planned to hold a midnight service on Christmas Eve. She and Janet decided to go while the rest of us opted to stay home. But when Christmas Eve arrived, Peggy asked our driver Hassan if he would drive them there. It turned out that another of his clients had asked for him that night Peggy told Snooks that they’d have to catch a cab. Both were uneasy about such an arrangement, so Peggy asked me to go along to ensure that they arrived safely at the church. I demurred, but then I remembered that the beer-and-pizza place at the Marriott. I could see them to the church and then, for the rest of the night, enjoy a cold Stella with a tasty pizza.
So, the three of us got into the cab and we were off, Snooks and Janet to church, me to pizza and beer!
As we neared the church, I was surprised to see that we had to pass through a gate, before getting out of the cab. A guard told us it was necessary due “al the important visitors”–the British ambassador, for instance. Well, I thought, once Snooks and Janet are in the church, I’ll just slip out the gate and cross the street. I was hungry and thirsty…
When I tried to slip out at the gate, two stern-looking Egyptians stopped me. You must go inside,” one told me, pointing to the church door. I reluctantly complied.
Fortunately, we were early and there appeared to be many empty seats, some in the far back of the Anglican church. But to my surprise, as I maneuvered Snooks and Janet to the back, a crisply-dressed usher appeared out of nowhere. He insisted that we follow him, past two dozen rows of long pews, five rows from the front.
Soon, the pews were filled. We noticed three men dressed in elaborate robes. Thinking they were part of that Anglican church’s leadership, I didn’t think to look them over carefully. (End of Part 1)