“ I met Fouad in the College of Physical Education Where I was studying my first major. He was a naughty young man, always playing pranks and flirting with our classmates whenever he had the chance. I don’t know what motivated him to make friends with me, as he exploited my humility and my academic excellence when he would sneak a peek at my answer sheet in every exam and get grades close to mine, knowing that he didn’t put in much effort into studying.”
“In practical lessons like wrestling and boxing, he liked to spar with me and would also surprise me with a punch after the match was over, which is of course illegal, or would pull down my pants during a wrestling match just to make everyone laugh so he feel strong and special. I accepted all of that in a sporting spirit. As for the theoretical lessons, he would do silly antics aimed at me when I was explaining a topic in front of everyone to confuse me, causing me to laugh in situations that required seriousness, which often embarrassed me in front of the teacher or the students.”
“After completing the first year of university, Foad formed a group with some mischievous students, excluding me. I no longer wanted to communicate with him and hoped he would not be around in the upcoming year. However, the second year started and he was still in my group. University rules prohibited male and female students from mixing during swimming lessons. The schedule required male students to finish their swimming lecture first, before the female students. It was mandatory for us to disinfect our feet and take a shower before and after the swimming lecture. Fouad took advantage of this to pull the biggest prank I have ever experienced in my life.”
“The swimming time was over, and we all went to the changing room to take the final shower and leave the pool. I entered the shower completely naked while my clothes and bag were hanging outside. my towel was hung on the door, and suddenly someone pulled it from outside, saying, ‘I wish you a pleasant shower.’ I knew it was Fouad, and I felt very embarrassed because I couldn’t leave the shower naked. I kept shouting, ‘Fouad, give me back the towel… Fouad, your joke is unbearable, give me back the towel.’ My shouting was of no use, and the time was approaching for our female colleagues to come in while I was naked and didn’t know what to do; I had no solution. stuck half of my naked body out of the door in hopes of finding someone to help me, but there was no one around. I couldn’t even find a fig leaf to cover my shame. The sound of the girls was getting closer; it was time for them to change their clothes and go into the water. It would be a huge embarrassment. Curse you, Fouad, until the Day of Judgment.”
“My mind started working at turbo speed; a solution had to be found, or I would be discovered by the girls and the screaming would start. That would mean a scandal in addition to being expelled from school. My eyes darted quickly around the shower area, and there, at the top of the ceiling, was a small rectangular shelf that electrical cables passed through. I used all my muscular strength to climb and reach it, and I succeeded just seconds before the girls entered the changing room. I shoved my bare body inside the shelf with a racing heart while the girls were taking off their clothes. I was praying and asking God for the situation to pass safely.”
“While I was inside the shelf, I could hear what was going on among the girls, and it left me stunned. Many familiar names passed by, I heard terrifying secrets that shock me, just like the electrical cables I was wedged with could shock me at any moment. The girls’ conversation cannot be ignored, and I think Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, would be willing to expose himself in exchange for such information.”
“I spent nearly three hours cramped with the cables in the narrow shelf until the girls left, I thank God I had left the shower door closed and none of the girls managed to open it. Long hours passed, and evening fell when I heard the sound of Fouad’s laughter as he entered the hall and said: Where are you, you voyeur of girls? Come out and take your clothes.’ I shouted angrily that my exit meant your end, so he threw me my bag and fled.”
“After this big prank, I kept blaming myself for my naivety throughout my studies and wondered how I could repay Fouad for that. Despite everything that happened, Fouad still greeted me, but I was cautious of him and his gang. Things went on like this for two years, and only a few days remained until our graduation party. Fouad had tricked many people, I was sure he had forgotten what he did to me, especially since he was no longer in my group, here was my golden last chance.”
“I checked his schedule and the time for the swimming lecture he would be in, unfortunately, it seems that the girls arrived before the boys which means that no one would be in the pool after Fouad finishes… Still, I planned to pull the same prank on him… Fouad entered the shower naked, so I left him for a few minutes, took his clothes bag, and left the towel hanging on the door while calling him to follow me to my car if he wanted to get his clothes back. He started shouting YOU ARE spiteful … incredibly spiteful! All these years and you haven’t forgotten! I replied, how could I forget when more than thirty girls could have seen me just as my mother gave birth to me? You should Thank God it’s just you and me here, then I left the hall.”
“I placed Fouad’s clothes on the seat next to me and stood outside after opening the trunk of the car. Fouad, half-naked, followed me to the car while shouting, ‘Give me my clothes back!’ I said, ‘Go ahead, they are in the trunk; look at them closely.’ As soon as Fouad bent towards the trunk, I pulled the towel away from him and pushed him forcefully, so he fell completely naked inside the trunk. I closed the trunk on him and sped off.”
“I drove the car to an external road where I stopped it and opened the trunk automatically. As Fouad emerged naked, I drove the car again while he ran beside me, shouting ‘Stop! Stop!’ It was a wonderful sight I had waited for three years. I rolled down the window, and as Fouad caught his breath, I told him, ‘You owe me three years of apology.’ He replied while running, ‘Okay, you scoundrel, I’m ready. How do you want me to apologize to you?’ I said, ‘It’s simple, you run faster.’ I pressed the accelerator and laughed while he was about to cry. I threw him his bag and drove my car forward, leaving Fouad and his pranks back in the archive of memories.”
