My Friends

In 1990, Khaled learned that his and Mustafa’s mysterious benefactor had been kidnapped, tortured, and killed by Qaddafi’s agents. This was the start “of the end of the Libyan opposition” (204), although Khaled didn’t know it yet. Meanwhile, Mustafa began working for an estate agency. He and Khaled no longer connected over literature. However, they did attend a reading together one night. They were disappointed when the writer condemned Muslims, feeling let down by the writers they’d admired.

Khaled and Mustafa’s friendship changed over the following years. Sometimes they talked about moving abroad. Khaled noticed them becoming “less Arab and a little more Anglo” (208).

After Osama visited Khaled’s family, Khaled called home. They were thrilled to hear Osama’s updates about Khaled’s life, and Khaled offered them more fabricated tales. Finally they arranged a time for the family to visit Khaled.

Khaled’s family stayed in his flat with him. He was careful not to change in front of them so they didn’t see his scar. One day, Khaled told Kamal the truth about the shooting while his mother and sister were out. Kamal cried when he saw Khaled’s scar. They talked secretly about the issue throughout the rest of the visit.

After his family left, Khaled visited Hannah and told her about their visit, promising to introduce them the next time they visited.

Khaled spent Christmas with Hannah’s family the following year. Khaled thought the visit went well. However, Hannah admitted that she often felt distant from Khaled not long after. Although affected by her admission, Khaled didn’t know what to do.

In the years following, Rana moved to Beirut, where she began working with her father. She and Khaled tried staying in touch, but Rana was busy with her new life. She soon fell in love with a man named Hyder and got engaged. Then in 1995, 11 years after the shooting, Rana called Khaled, asking him to come to Paris where she was getting brain surgery. She hadn’t told Hyder or her family about the operation and knew Khaled would understand.

Khaled rented a hotel room in Paris. He was immediately drawn to the concierge, whom he guessed was from North Africa but who went by the name Sam.

Khaled met Rana at the hospital. They spent time together in the hours before the surgery. Khaled tried making jokes to improve her mood.

Khaled enjoyed his time in Paris. He liked being in a new place, enjoyed the hotel, and became friendly with Rana’s nurses. One day he convinced them to give Rana a television and VCR. He then bought films for them to watch before her operation.

Khaled and Rana met with Rana’s doctors before the surgery. Seven hours later, the doctor informed Khaled the operation had gone well but that he couldn’t see Rana yet.

Khaled left the hospital, feeling overcome by longing and excitement. He walked the city for hours before returning to the hotel, where he confronted Sam and accused him of using a fake name. Sam calmly led him outside and suggested they stop at a café together. He mentioned nothing of Libya during their walk.

At the café, Khaled and Sam spoke more openly. Sam revealed he was Hosam Zowa. Khaled was shocked, and began speaking at length about his childhood in Libya and hearing Hosam’s story on the BBC. He also told him about the shooting. The more he talked, the more emotional he became, still overwhelmed that he was with Hosam.

Khaled and Hosam continued their conversation, discussing literature, teaching, and writing. Hosam accepted Khaled’s compliments on his short story, but hadn’t written in years.

That night, Khaled had a pleasant dream about being with a friend. The next morning, he was disappointed that Hosam wasn’t at the hotel desk. His replacement informed Khaled that Hosam was on vacation. Khaled assumed he had fled. Afterwards, he called Hannah on a payphone to say he’d been thinking about her. They hadn’t talked in weeks.

At the hotel, Khaled found a note from Hosam asking him to meet at the café again that evening. He would later learn that Hosam had asked his brother Waleed to investigate Khaled, to ensure that he was who he said he was. Back at the café, the new companions resumed their conversation, talking about Mohammed Mustafa Ramadan and friendship.

Khaled and Hosam spent more time together over the following days. One day, Khaled noticed how Hosam’s demeanor changed when he asked more about writing.

Khaled visited Rana once she was released from intensive care. One day, she was on the phone with Hyder when he arrived. She passed Khaled the phone and Hyder told him he was coming to visit.

Hyder called Khaled again to make arrangements for his arrival. He thanked Khaled for his kindness to Rana.

On Khaled’s last day in Paris, he and Hosam visited the Jardin sauvage Saint-Vincent. While there, Hosam revealed he’d been at the embassy demonstration. Overwhelmed, Khaled was unsure how to process this revelation. Khaled wanted to ask why he’d fled the scene, but didn’t.

Khaled and Hyder helped Rana move into a hotel after her hospital release. The three went out for dinner the night before Khaled left Paris. Khaled closely observed Rana and Hyder’s intimacy throughout the meal. Afterwards, Khaled and Rana hugged goodbye and Khaled thanked her for trusting him.

Khaled and Hosam went out for drinks after he parted with Rana. While walking, Hosam told him about a woman he’d fallen for but hadn’t pursued, because of his ongoing affair with an Irish woman named Claire, who had recently moved to London and worked with a charity that aided asylum seekers.

Khaled met up with Mustafa and told him about befriending Hosam. When they said goodbye, Khaled felt distant from his friend. Afterwards, he called Hannah, desperate for some relief from what he was feeling.

Hosam contacted Khaled to inform him he was visiting London. They met up and Hosam took him to meet Claire, with whom Khaled immediately got along.

Khaled left his flat and job in Paris and moved to London. Shortly thereafter, he secured an apartment next door to Khaled. Their proximity thrilled Khaled.

At Khaled’s flat one day, Hosam exclaimed at how many books Khaled owned, insisting it was unnecessary. The friends got into an argument. Khaled wanted Hosam to start writing again, but Hosam resisted.

Khaled walks from St. James’s Square to Hyde Park. His mind returns to 1996, when Hosam moved in next door. They spent all of their time together, taking walks and talking about ideas. Hosam showed Khaled a map he’d made of all the places in the city where famous writers had spent time. They started visiting these sites together.

Over the following months, Hosam and Claire began spending more time together. Finally Hosam decided to move in with Claire. Khaled was disappointed that Hosam would no longer be in his neighborhood.

In the years following, Khaled, Hosam, and Mustafa settled into their individual lives. Then one night, they all met up, inviting Claire and Hannah, too. Khaled was moved when Mustafa gave Hannah a book.

Khaled, Hosam, and Mustafa began meeting regularly at Café Cyrano. One day in April 2010, Hosam toasted the anniversary of Mohammed’s death. He then spoke at length about the assassination.