By Dr Shihab Ghanem

{ To my granddaughter Hanouf }

I centered the coin on my left palm

And blew on it

Then put on top my other palm

And said to her : say “Bakhbookh” !

She said : “Bahbooh”

I opened my hands

Where is the coin ?..where ?

It vanished in a wink

She laughed ..and her happiness gleamed in her eyes

She was -may Allah protect her-less than two years old

“Bakhbookh”

And our coin vanished

She went to bring her big doll

With the velvet dress

She put it in my hands

And said : “Bahbooh”

I said ,in a hoarse voice :

“This doll is too beautiful to be allowed to vanish

O soul of my soul !”

……………………………………

“Bakhbookh” is a word like “abracadabra” used by a magician to make things vanish.