The Visitor I thought I knew or didn't knew

It was one lazy afternoon when a luxurious car arrived at our house. I was amazed by its beauty; its rims beaming like a luminous mirror, its headlights staring like a tiger’s eyes, its size commanding respect and its appearance displaying its magnificence.

Alighted this vehicle was a woman, a woman equally illustrious as this massive car parked before me.

“Assallamoalaikom” she greeted as she walks towards the house.

“Allaikomisallam”, I responded as I try to recognize this woman who seems to be so familiar to me.

The woman is of her early thirties and quite large for her height; she was wearing a golden head scarf and a white dress. Although I am not quite familiar with the kind of textiles women in our society uses for their dresses, I could say that hers’ was with quality. In her left hand was a handbag, with its brand printed obviously within sight, and alongside it are endless bracelets made up of gold. Two fingers in her right hand had diamond rings and one in her left had a gold ring. The fragrance of her perfume was very strong that it caught my senses even before the woman reached the house.

“Is your father Mr M.?” she asked.

“Yes Ma’am” I answered. “How may I help you?”

“I am Mrs P, the daughter in law of Mr R who is the second cousin of Mr I who is the former mayor of the municipality of M, who is a friend of your father” she said with some exhaustion. “May I talk to your father?”

“Of course. Please sit for a while”

“Thank you.”

“By the way, can I get you something?”

“Thanks but I’m really full, I have taken some snacks along the way.”

“Ok. Just wait here then. Let me call my dad.”

I went immediately to the study room of my dad and informed him about the visitor. Despite telling him that our visitor respectfully declined my hospitality of serving her some delights, my father insisted on serving her still with some. And then he proceeded to our terrace where the visitor was waiting, and I on the orders I have received.

Their conversation was short, about five minute’s maybe. Then the woman bid us goodbye. I went to the terrace with a rag to wipe clean the center table and as I was watching the woman heading her luxurious car, I noticed a kid that went out of the car and rushed toward the woman. As the boy approached the woman he hugged her gaily. After the warm embrace the woman led the boy back to their car while holding his hand.

But I took notice of something that was not quite right. The kid was about eight years of age but in contrast to the respect that the image of the woman and the vehicle poses, the kid was a total opposite. He was wearing a white shirt with a certain logo imprinted in front and its whiteness almost turning into brown. His shorts were obviously untidy and his slippers colored black and white. A closer look on the kid and you can compare him to those ragamuffins wandering aimlessly on the streets.

I then picked up the tray, with its empty bottle and glass and went back to our kitchen, trying not mind what I have just saw and what just happened. But then, that’s when it came to me in an instant; that the woman was a neighbor of ours in our home town where she rents an apartment just two blocks away from us.