I don’t know, you should ask the Hajj!!

After a hard day of work (actual work), I went back to my friend’s place. It turned out that, in the morning, she drove all the way fom Hamra to Grand Lycée Achrafieh to drop her son there. The effective of students was less than required, therefore classes were cancelled. On their way back home, she got stuck with her car in Gemmayzeh because all roads back to Hamra were closed. She had no other to choice other than parking her car and walking back to Hamra. So I volunteered to accompany her to Gemmayzeh by foot of course since all the roads were closed and no cab driver would accept to take us. So we walk all the way. First, we found the first barricade next to Murr Tower where, not only tires were burnt, but also garbage and even the big Sukleen garbage disposals. I don’t know why exactly, maybe they wanted to do something useful and contribute to the recycling process. Anyhow, after we crossed this first barrier, we crossed tent city where we ask the Indibat guys for directions for our target destination. After a walk of 30 minutes, we reached Gemmayzeh and found the car intact. We were very pleased that we found the car, thinking that all our problems are solved. We went from Gemmayzeh to Sayfi in order to take the sea road back to Hamra. We found another barricade, backed with concretes and many soldiers. We ask the soldiers whether we can pass or not. We were more than surprised to hear their answer, which was: “We don’t know, you should ask the Hajj.” Astonished, we cruised towards the Hajj to ask for a pass. As expected, he didn’t allow us a pass. The road is closed. Then my friend said: You can open the road just like you closed it”. Then start our long struggle to cross the demarcation line that all Lebanese thought that this was an image from the past that won’t reemerge. We were moving from one barricade to another, asking the Hajj in charge of the barricade for permission to pass but fruitlessly. Then an idea came across my mind. Since the country has been transformed to a jungle, where no rules apply other than the rules of the jungle. So, we decided to follow our instinct. We crossed from Achrafiyeh, Sodeco, Ras el Nabeh, Barbir, Corniche el Mazraa, Verdun and Hamra. And here comes the end of a long journey where I discovered that I’m ashamed of living in a country where the legal authorities have no more authority, where I have to ask the Hajj for a pass in MY own country, to go back to MY home. I’m ashamed of living in a country where blocking the roads, closing the airport, destroying the economy is considered as peaceful and democratic. I’m ashamed of living in a country where a divine opposition deal with the country more than the declared enemy would do.