A Cairo apartment, 2020.
Two sisters, MERIAM and SOHA, live in a small studio apartment together that’s on the fifth floor. They are both students. MERIAM is working on her laptop in the apartment, when SOHA walks in clearly frustrated.
SOHA
Did you know the elevator isn’t working?
MERIAM
You should really try to get into the habit of greeting people when you go somewhere, you know.
SOHA
Excuse me if running errands all day so you don’t have to is exhausting.
MERIAM
Also did you know that you’re past curfew? You could’ve gotten into a lot of trouble.
SOHA
I’m only late because I couldn’t find a way to get back here thanks to-
Just as SOHA is about to give MERIAM an earful, the power goes off on their entire street. SOHA peers through the small apartment window before turning back to MERIAM.
SOHA
Well, this is just great. Are you happy now?
MERIAM
Happy? I just lost all of my work. I’m going to have to do it all over again.
MERIAM heads to their small kitchen, if one can even call it that. She opens one of the two drawers that they have and extracts one small candle and a lighter. MERIAM lights the candle illuminating their small one room apartment.
MERIAM
There we go, maybe now we can try to lighten up a bit.
SOHA
Lighten up? Didn’t you just lose all your work? Besides what’s up with your sarcasm? How can we lighten up when we can’t even see our own family? What a bizarre world we live in.
MERIAM
You’ve always been one to take things to heart.
SOHA
I take things to heart? When do I do that?
MERIAM
Pfft... That’s all you do. Remember that time we went to the countryside when I was 10 and you were 13?
SOHA
Yeah, I do, and I remember being very chill.
MERIAM
More like very chilling.
SOHA rolls her eyes at MERIAM.
MERIAM
It’s true. You were taking things to heart back then too. Remember when you were trying to teach me how to make paper airplanes?
SOHA
Wasn’t it paper boats? I definitely remember making paper boats that you tried to float in the bath later.
MERIAM
We made both paper airplanes and paper boats, silly. But the paper airplanes were what drove you off the edge.
SOHA
What? I was supportive all the way.
MERIAM
Riiiiiight…
SOHA
It’s true and I can prove it.
SOHA gets up and heads towards the small nightstand. She grabs a stack of papers and heads to the table where MERIAM is sitting.
SOHA
Here. We’ll make paper airplanes right now and you’ll see that I’m as relaxed as can be.
MERIAM sticks out her hand, grabs a paper and starts folding it. She’s clearly not making a paper airplane at all.
SOHA
No, no, no, no, no. That is not how you make a paper airplane.
MERIAM
Point. Proven. You didn’t even give me a chance!
SOHA
Ugh... Maybe you’re right. I’m sorry. I’m sure you were going somewhere with your incorrect folding technique.
MERIAM
I was actually.
SOHA
Go on then.
MERIAM keeps on folding the paper, folding and unfolding, folding and unfolding. SOHA is making her own paper airplane too, only hers is neater. A few seconds pass, SOHA is holding up her paper airplane proudly.
SOHA
I’m done.
MERIAM
So am I.
MERIAM holds up her paper craft, it wasn’t an airplane. It wasn’t anything at all.
SOHA
That’s not an airplane though.
MERIAM
Exactly, and it doesn’t matter. You’ve just proven my point.
SOHA looks a bit bewildered, she doesn’t understand what just happened.
MERIAM
My point is that you take things too seriously. Remember that other time when we were visiting Yomna and Sara? You wouldn’t shut up about how our cheesecake had to be perfect.
SOHA
Well, yeah, it had to be. We were asked to bring a cheesecake for a reason, they knew I would make sure it was as perfect as can be.
MERIAM
Soha… We were just kids; do you realize that?
SOHA
I do, but that doesn’t mean our cheesecake can’t live up to standard.
MERIAM
What standard? We’re not Michelin chefs. And you complained about the cheesecake being too cold. It’s supposed to be cold!
SOHA
Yes, but not too cold… And not too warm either it has to be just right.
MERIAM chuckles.
MERIAM
Exactly. If it’s not just the paper airplanes that have to be perfect, it’s the cheesecake. If it’s not the cheesecake, it’s going to be the next thing. And what kind of critique is “the cold food that is supposed to be cold is too cold” anyway?
SOHA
There’s a reason the recipe specifies letting it cool for 4 hours.
MERIAM holds the paper airplane SOHA had made and was throwing it across the room.
MERIAM
Whooooosh…
SOHA
Stop! That thing is a hazard!
MERIAM picks up the paper airplane after it crashes and throws it again, there isn’t much room for the paper airplane to travel inside the small apartment.
MERIAM
Whoooooooooosh…
On MERIAM’s third throw, the paper airplane moves out of its trajectory and crash lands on the candle that was almost out. It catches on fire. SOHA rushes to the kitchen and fills up a glass of water. SOHA dumps the glass of water on the paper airplane.
SOHA
I TOLD YOU! You NEVER listen. And now my paper airplane is half burned, half wet. You could have killed us both.
The candle also goes out, to which SOHA grabs another candle from the kitchen, lights it, and makes sure it’s outside of MERIAM’s reach.
MERIAM
But I didn’t and my big sister saved the day!
SOHA
Yeah, well, how long is your “big sis” going to fix you problems? Run errands for you? Literally put out fires for you?
MERIAM
Come on SOHA, you know I didn’t mean to. And you know I can carry my own weight, it’s just a tough time right now being so isolated from everyone and everything. We need to find humor in the little things.
SOHA
Humor in putting things on fire?
MERIAM
No, SOHA. Humor in our past, humor in our memories, humor in the little misfortunes that happen to us. I’ve missed this, I’ve missed my sister. And despite everything that’s happening now, and your half burnt, half wet paper airplane, I’m having fun with you. We haven’t had the chance to do this in ages.
SOHA
That’s not true. We’ve been spending a lot of time together ever since the quarantine started.
MERIAM
We’ve been around each other more, but not spending more time together. Even with the quarantine, we were both in our own little worlds on our laptops and our phones. Luckily, they need to be charged now, otherwise we wouldn’t be doing this.
SOHA
Actually, I have my power bank that I can use…
MERIAM
That’s not the point, SOHA. The point is that we’re here and we’re getting through this together. Together in isolation, how ironic! And in this tiny apartment, there’s nowhere to hide. We might as well make the best of this.
SOHA
I suppose we can do that.
MERIAM
We’ve actually been doing that, ever since you got back, and the power went out.
SOHA
We have?
MERIAM
Yes! What do you think the purpose of the paper airplane story and the cheesecake story?
SOHA
I thought you were trying to make a point, that I was too uptight or whatever… Wait, let me remember what you called it… I take things to head? Or was it head?
MERIAM
Heart! And yes, I was making a point, but it was fun too. Just look back at the past few years, we haven’t hung out like sisters in forever. We used to tease each other as kids all the time.
SOHA
So, you want us to schedule time to tease each other?
MERIAM
Not everything has to be scheduled you know, not everything has to be written down in your little planner, and not everything has to be timed. Face washing – 5 minutes, picking out an outfit – 10 minutes… Who times washing their face? And you take 10 minutes to pick an outfit every day?
SOHA
It helps me stay organized. I like knowing what I’m going to do and when.
MERIAM
And I’m not opposed to that but scheduling and timing your face washing just feels silly. Besides, things won’t always work the way you want them to. Did you plan a power outage today at 8:30? Did you plan a 2-minute paper airplane fire?
SOHA
No, I didn’t plan either of these things.
MERIAM grabs SOHA’s planner from her purse and flips to that day’s page.
MERIAM
Let’s see… You have “watch Netflix” from 8:30 to 9:30. You know, I can understand scheduling time for watching a TV channel, but scheduling time for Netflix is just ridiculous. And you’re not even doing that now.
SOHA
I schedule it so I don’t end up binge watching the entire show.
MERIAM
And that works? You must have some super-amazing will power.
SOHA
I do, and it helps me stick to my schedule. You shouldn’t be going through people’s planners by the way.
SOHA grabs the planner out of MERIAM’s hands.
SOHA
How would you feel if I went through your planner?
MERIAM
I’d feel nothing because I don’t have a planner.
SOHA is silent. She doesn’t know what to say. She seems sad.
MERIAM
You know what would be fun? Since the power outage is affecting the entire street, maybe we can all do something together, you know, as a community.
SOHA
Like what?
MERIAM
I don’t know… think with me.
SOHA
Maybe we can all share some music?
MERIAM
You know what? That’s not a bad idea at all.
MERIAM heads to the window and sticks her head out.
MERIAM
GOOD EVENING EVERYONE! SINCE WE’RE ALL IN OUR HOMES AND WE HAVE NO POWER, WE WANT TO SHARE THIS MUSIC WITH ALL OF YOU.
MERIAM grabs the guitar that was in the corner of the room and hands it to SOHA.
MERIAM
Go on, play.
SOHA
But-
MERIAM
No buts, no ifs, just play. No one cares if it’s perfect. People just want to find a silver lining, something to cling on to, maybe that can be you.
SOHA hesitantly moves to the window, she decided she’s going to play while standing. SOHA starts strumming as more and more people approach their windows, following where the tunes were coming from. Inside, MERIAM seems to be dancing but not the type of dancing that works with guitar music. SOHA thinks it’s bizarre but humorous.
MERIAM
Out of breath
This is fun, keep playing!
SOHA continues playing for a minute of two and then stops. Applause can be heard from all throughout the street.
SOHA
That was nerve-wrecking.
MERIAM
That’s because you didn’t think it was perfect. But I think you were great. Didn’t you hear the applause?
SOHA
They were just being polite.
MERIAM
But they weren’t, you were so, so good!
A neighbor starts playing some sort of air or blowing instrument, maybe a flute? SOHA and MERIAM head to the window once more, they see their neighbor from the building opposite theirs playing by his window.
MERIAM
If you ask me, I think he wants a duet.
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