Omar Khoury

Salon Tareq el Khurafi
BY OMAR KHOURY

Read in this direction
*
Tarek el Khurafi’s Barbershop
*
Thanks
for the
cut, man.
See ya.
Bye.
Take
care of
yourself,
Asad.
sorry

I am
indeed.
How may I
help you?
Are
you Mr.
Tarek el-
Khurafi?
STOP.
IDENTIFICATION
PLEASE.
AND THE
CONTENTS
OF YOUR
POCKETS.
SEARCH
THE
PREMISES!
WE HAVE RECEIVED
WORD THAT YOU
ARE IN THE
BUSINESS OF
MANUFACTURING
AND DISTRIBUTING
IMAGINARY ARTI–
FACTS TO THE
PUBLIC FROM
THIS LOCATION.
*
*
Ish
* Mental Security Forces:
*
Investigation Bureau
AND A PACK
OF CEDARS
CIGARETTEs
SIR, ALL HE HAS
IS 7,000 LIRA
Certainly,
we all
agree
AS WE ALL
AGREE
THAT SUCH
THINGS DO
NOT EXIST
AND HAVE
NO PLACE
IN REALITY…

Examine
it
Yes
sir
As I was saying, as these
things do not in fact
exist, there can also
be no law which exists
to prohibit them. And
yet if these allegations
directed against you turn
out to be true, we can
conclude two things:
Teet
Teet
Click
Click
Tik
Click
Clack!
Clack!

Click
Shick
Shick
Clack
Shick!
Firstly, that you
are earning your
wages through
the deception of
your customers,
by selling items
under false
pretenses.
Click
Click
Click
Click
Click
Click
lick
Pull
Click
Pull
Ish
And secondly, that
you are aiding in the
corruption of the
citizenry through the
encouragement of
escapist, individualistic
thought, which
distracts the populace
from their duties to
society.
Teet!

May I remind you, Mr. Khurafi…
Very well. Take a
sample for closer
inspection in the lab,
take note of his
particulars and let
him go.
Sir, these seem
like regular
cigarettes
I can
assure
you, my
boy,
That you may also
be burdening your
innocent customers
with unnecessary
trouble.
… that this is just a
rumor started by the
other barbers in the area
to steal my customers
We will
take our
leave
then
Nothing
here
Nothing in
this room
All shaving
equipment
And
nothing in
the storage
area outside

We hope for your sake
that you have given us the
truth, for we guarantee
we will find out if you
have been lying.
*
*
Ish
Shclack!
Hmm?
You’re
mine!
Double
3.

Excuse me.
Can you
help me
out for a
second?
DOM

*
**
*
*
**
The Nation is Our Face
Public parking

*
*
The Face is a blessing from the gods…
Religious Freedom Party

*
*
malek

Malek
*
*
Malek
Zzzzzzzzzzzip
Stack!
Stack!

Knock
knock
knock
DOM
Just a
second!

Lulwa?
Ziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
clack
tshak
Can we
talk?
Are you
busy?
What are
you doing
here?
Hi

Ok.
Sure.
Come in.
Um…

You can put
your stuff down
there, behind
the desk.

Through the
right there,
first door on
your left.
Where’s the
bathroom?
Clack

You wanna
drink
anything?
Apple juice?
7-up? I
can make
coffee…
Flushshsh
click
No, wait. I
brought you
something
that might
help a little
more.
You remember the first time we got drunk? When Abu Raymond
found us between his barrels of Arak, totally wasted…
Here’s
to Abu
Raymond.
He couldn’t
believe
that you of
all people
would do
such a thing

Tink
Listen,
Sura,
I…
But I
still
consider
you my
closest
friend.
I know
we didn’t
leave off
on the
best of
terms

I need to find a place to live. I’ve got money,
I just don’t know this city too well. I don’t
know anyone here but you.
If you can recommend a good, clean hotel that’s not too expensive
Just until
I find an
apartment
or a room
somewhere.
Did you
guys have
a fight?
So: what
happened?
Lulwa, you’ve got a
suitcase and not much
else. I know your
parents, they’d never
send you off on your
own without any help.
What
do you
mean?
Can I at
least
ask what
happened
first?
It was
almost
three years
ago…
My
parents…
We were on
our way to
school.
It was
raining
really
hard

My
parents…
I got
wedged
between
the two
seats.
I didn’t
really
get what
happened
until after
the funeral.
Broke three
ribs and a
collarbone.

ziiiii

to be continued