Roman Theater

Where modernity meets history, a suburban hub just outside Cairo a city called October 6 was located. It had a very youthful energy as this city was also home to many universities and their students. I have always loved the location of my university, I always thought of it as an oasis in a desert (back then, Oct. 6 city was more of a new city and there weren’t many buildings around) and right at the heart of our university was the famous spot for the so-called Roman Theater. The name was so because it was a replica of the ancient gladiator arenas back in Roman times. But of course, in our university, it was used for performances or extracurricular activities or events, however most days, this famous spot was the place where the students usually hang out, and my least favorite area in the university, so I had always avoided this place, especially when it was crowded. 10 years later, as I came back here, it did not change at all and it even had the same type of crowd. I came back here because of a promise I made to myself after my graduation, a part of my bucket list. Back then, this was the coolest place to go to as a student which meant the cool and the popular students were always here. I was never part of the cool crowd. I was part of the nerdy ones, the ones that were always studying and didn’t have the leisure time to actually sit and relax at this theater. Maybe that was one of the reasons why I decided to come back here. Right now, for the first time in my life, I find myself as one of the cool crowd as I had exchanged my wore-torn jeans, simple shirt, and backpack for perfect-fit pants that highlight my waist, a very expensive top with a blazer, and an expensive shoulder bag. I didn’t wear makeup back then too, and my hair was always tied-up since I hated combing it. But now, I learned how to put a simple makeup and I also found the perfect style and haircut for me. Finally, it felt like I could sit and relax here like I was dressed right for this place. I also felt like I became more confident now than before. I remembered how nervous I was every time I passed by this place since people would always look at me because I was a foreigner, not that the university had no other foreign students but I was odd since I was the only Southeast Asian student studying at this university at that time. I always felt like an outsider in this university but right here in this theater was the place where I felt that the most.

Sitting here right now sure brought back a lot of different memories. It felt kind of surreal. Maybe I was missing the old college years. Smiling to myself as I reminisce. Nevertheless, as much as I hated this place, it also held a memory that I loved the most. Right here in this very same spot, where I was sitting was the same place where he used to sit. His name was Jin. I remembered the first time I saw him walking at this theater. He was like a daydream. He wore a blue open-button shirt with a white undershirt and a pair of jeans. He was tall, lean, and very good-looking as he had an exotic yet simple look. He had dark hair that was shoulder length, and a full brow that just moved so animatedly every time he smiled or scrunched as the sunlight would shine brightly on his face. He had a very charming smile too that was so lively and carefree. His eyes held a different story though, they were intense which was the total opposite of his smile.  I have never spoken to him. After all these years, he was still on my mind, and I still wonder what had happened to him. I wish I had talked to him back then but I was so shy and I couldn’t even grasp that idea. I only have some bits of information about him like he was a transferred Architecture student. He was biracial. He had Japanese and Arabian features but he spoke English in a British accent. I knew that he was also fluent in Niponggo and Arabic.  He was a very interesting guy. I remember I would always secretly look at him when I passed by and get a glimpse of him while he was hanging out with his friends. Sometimes, I imagined that he looked at me too, or that he seemed like he wanted to talk to me too, but he could not as I was always with my friends, and so was he. I wondered if I see him now, would I have the courage to finally to talk him? Was I still the same shy girl? I knew that I am still the same silly girl though.

I looked up at the sky, it was clear and blue. I breathe in the cool breeze of the wind and feel the warmth of the sunshine on my neck and face. I whispered to myself springtime, my favorite season. I heard my friends call my name, I guess it was time to leave. After one last glance at the theater, finally I decided to move and stand up, that was the same moment when I see this man on the phone looking like Jin. Could it be? Or was this part of my imagination? I closed and opened my eyes a couple of times, he really did look like him! I gave a signal to my friends to wait for me, as I continued to examine the man standing just a few feet away from me. The longer I stared, the more real it all seemed, and the more certain I was that he was indeed Jin. But this time, his hair was shorter, which showed his face better, and he looked even more handsome than how I remembered him.

What should I do? Do I have the time to run to my friends and tell them about Jin? If I do that, then come back, would he still be here? Minutes ago, I was thinking if I was still the same girl 10 years ago and I was certain that I changed. But looking at him like this made me feel like the very same shy girl as my hands were starting to sweat and my breathing got shorter. I looked in my friends’ direction where they wait for me and then I looked at him again. Any minute now he would finish that phone call and he would walk away. It was now or never. Slowly, I took a deep breath as I waved at my friends again signaling them to wait, gathering all my courage and deciding to walk towards him. My heart started racing, my stomach started flipping, and my ears started ringing. I hoped against all hope that I would not vomit or that my voice would not fail me. I was trying to steady my breathing as I watched him finish his phone call. Could I do this or could I still just change my mind, I could pretend to pass by him, half of my brain was deciding to do that as I realized that this could be a mistake. I took a deep breath again at the same time he looked up. He saw me. He smiled. My heart stopped.