A confused emergency

So for a decade I have told you stories about Egyptian taxies but now I have to tell you all about Egyptian ambulances. So first of all, all is ok. Or is under control. I call the ambulance to get my father transferred to hospital because that’s the safer course of action. The ambulance driver seemed very unhappy about our location seemingly wanting it to be somewhere more accessible causing him a slight cognitive dissonance:

- I’m located in garden city right next to St Mary Church

-So if I go to Kasr el Eini street near the Cancer institute I won’t find you ?

- no you would be about a 15 minute drive away.

-OK, so how about near the Co-op gas’s station on Kasr el Eini

-No I promise you I am right near St Mary Church IN THE HEART of garden city neighborhood. »

I decide to post the street policemen and loiterers at either sides of the street to hail in the ambulance. They seemed rather excited to oblige. The ambulance arrives after 30 minutes, with two rather disheveled gentlemen.

« It was very difficult to find you, we went to the other church and you weren’t there.

-Yes well that’s because it wasn’t the St Mary Church

-Yes but it was a church »

Just as I was leading them in with the hope of putting an end to this tautological discussion, a heap of leaves and branches fall on the entrance to the building making quite a racket. The ambulance drives take a step back in shock. When the mess cleared, it revealed our doorman Uncle Megahed, precariously perched on a chair coming down from the mango tree in courtyard holding several worm eaten mangoes. He was smiling from ear to ear «don’t worry I was just getting mangoes, the building isn’t falling, you can go in ».

Uncle Megahed decides to accompany the ambulance people into the house and the rest of the neighborhood gathered to watch. My father saluted them as would a diva taking of on a jet plane. Now we are currently in the ambulance with cars in our way. Thank goodness this isn’t a full blown emergency.