Goodbye, Omar Bakier.

I am still trying to digest the shocking news, all whilst resuming my normal day-to-day life. Yesterday was a bit weird after finding out the news, right before I entered a team meeting. I was sitting in the meeting, listening to what people were saying and my head was blank. I was revisiting memories of Omar back in school. On the drive back home, my co-worker was talking about her weekend, what she did, who she saw, and I was faking listening to her. I went home and played with my kids, put my son to sleep, and slept beside him, again, remembering school days with Omar. I woke up several times during the night, just thinking of him. I didn't cry. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I went to the gym this morning, worked out, joked with those around me, drove to work, and here I am writing this. 

Omar came to El Alsson School in Prep 1, a year after I had been there. Together, we were in the 'International' section of the school, which was in the form of two classes. Most of the kids who joined the International section were all new joiners like Omar, and together (those 2 classes) were always together, kind of inseparable. Our classes were beside each other, in a different building from our friends in the 'National' section. We sat together during breaks and had the same PE and Music classes. Omar wasn't with me in class during his first year, but in the two years that followed, they shuffled our classes and he became with me in class. He left school, like many others, after Prep 3 to do his IGCSE in another school and later on went to the US to finish his high school before returning back to Cairo for university and eventually moving to Canada, where he was living till he passed away a few days ago. 

Omar was the tallest kid in class, or probably the entire year group. He was well-built, thin, but strong. He used to box. I think he was the first kid I knew who did boxing as a sport. He wasn't a bully, but he always cracked jokes about everyone, kids and teachers alike. I remember at first I didn't get along with Omar, maybe because he cracked jokes or I thought he was a bully, but he wasn't, at all, and I along with everyone in the class loved him. He used to stand up in the middle of the class and talk back to the teacher - a rebellious act - that none of us dared to do back then. He used to get dismissed from class a lot, either because he was talking to someone in class, or making jokes at the teacher, but we knew he had our backs, and we loved him for it. I remember one incident when he arm wrestled our Arabic/Religion teacher, Mr. Rasmy, and he probably won, I can't really remember, but it was a heroic moment, still planted in my memory. He used to call me, along with Mohamed Hedayet, his best friend at the time, 'Ghaby' which is the opposite of my father's name, 'Zaki'. Ghaby means dumb in Arabic. At first, it annoyed me, and maybe that's one of the reasons why I didn't get along with him, but later on, I learned to accept these types of jokes, and it never bothered me. Omar coined the greatest nickname of all time, in Prep 2, when Ahmed Tarek Abdelrahman, aka Farf, joined our class. Ahmed used to live in Maadi, just like Omar, and share the same bus with him. Ahmed used to get bullied a lot in school during his first year, coming fresh from Qatar and barely spoke any Arabic, unfortunately, sometimes people called him, 'Farfour,' which means 'delicate' in Arabic and kids call others that when they want to make fun of them, i.e. you're not man enough. Omar, shortened the nickname to Farf, and Ahmed, just like me, was annoyed at first, but then he embraced this nickname and until this day he is saved as 'Farf' on my phone. 

Omar was the type of kid who would smirk in class photos. He was always standing in the back row because he was the tallest - I used to stand back too, but I am short in comparison to him. I think we stood beside each other in his last year during the school photo - I will have to look it up. He had a noticeable dimple in his cheeks. I remember one time during a computer class he asked me how many siblings I have and when I told him I have two brothers and one sister, he told me, 'Sherif, your dad must have a gigantic penis.' He always cracked jokes like that, jokes that I never heard before, he always spoke way ahead of his age, and at school, he also used to hang with the senior kids. At birthday parties, Omar was always the first to hit the dance floor. I remember one time, he was slow-dancing with this girl, and he looked at me and winked - which was a boys' code back then, indirectly telling us, 'I've won the lottery.'

Omar left school after Prep 3 which was in May 1996. I think I saw him a handful of times in the few years that followed at house parties where he, and others who left our school, were still invited, but, my last two memories of him were in that summer itself, the last week of school in 1996. A couple of days before the last day of school, Omar, Hedayet and a couple of guys and girls from the National section, who were the coolest boys and girls back then, told me that they were planning to take a day-use at the Movenpick Hotel (one of the finest hotels back then) after school and asked me to join them. They told me to keep it on the down-low as they would not tell the other boys in class. I felt privileged and that I was suddenly part of the 'coolest' gang in school. I was upgraded. It's like being asked to get in a limo with celebs that no one has access to. I packed my bag the night before, with the swimsuit, and my best clothes, I took money from my parents, and I was all ready for that day-use. I've always heard about day-uses at hotels from my elder brothers who used to do it all the time with their friends; going to spend the day at a hotel, renting a couple of rooms, swimming and dining - 'I am now ready to become a 'Senior', I said to myself.' We had an Art exam on the last day, and up until this day, I remember what I drew. Sun, sea, a shark and a man. I finished the exam in 5 minutes and left the class. Everyone looked at me wondering how come I was leaving a 2-hour exam after just 5 mins! Omar, Hedayet and the rest had already left and were waiting at the car park. One of the National boys had his dad's car and a driver. We drove off to the hotel, and since we were all under the age of 16, the hotel didn't allow us to check-in. We even tried to use the driver's ID and book the room under his name but the hotel refused. We were let down, but we had promised ourselves to have a blast regardless, and one of the boys told us his villa was empty and we could all go and just chill there. We all agreed and had the entire house for ourselves. It was a great day and again, Omar, was the heart of that small private party. On our way home, we took separate cars because some of us lived on one side and the others lived on the other side of town. I wasn't riding with Omar, but on the way back home, I was introduced to the album, Face the Heat, by Scorpions, and in particular, their song, Lonely Nights. I had never listened to that song or album before, and it took me years - thanks to the internet, to know the name of the song - which has been a favourite of mine ever since. Going back home and for the days that followed I was reminiscing about that party and the lovely day we all had. A few days later, Omar and I, along with the rest of our International class, were reunited at Yasmine Khalil's (Jessie) house in Maadi. Jessie had planned to host an end-of-year party at her house in Maadi and also to bid farewell to Omar and those who were leaving school. It was my first, and last time, to go to Jessie's house, and again, Omar was at the heart of the party. We all had a blast that night. Basem, one of my closest friends at the time, who lived on the other side of town, told his mom that he would spend the night over at my place. It was the first time I had a friend of mine come sleep over. We got home really late that night. Basem slept with my brothers and me in our room, we had an extra bed and he slept on it. Basem had a wet dream that night; he was so happy because he was the only boy in our group who had still not experienced the final and main step in the puberty cycle, ejaculation! It was a joke back then and for years that followed that my house was Basem's lucky charm. 

The report card was ready the following week and I had failed Art. It was the only final that I failed, in my school and university life. Like I failed normal tests or mid-year exams before and after, but it was the only time in my life that I ever failed an end-of-year final exam. I scored 5 out of 100. I will never forget the laugh I had back then. Still, going on that after-school adventure that day was worth it. Omar's family owns 'Bakier Stores,' which is the most famous high-end stationary store in Egypt with its network of branches spread across the country. My wife, my sister and probably all teachers and students shop from there. I come across a 'Bakier Stationary' store at least once a day on my commute to work. 

I blogged about Omar before, here, 10 years ago, saying that I miss him, and little did I know, that 10 years after, I will be blogging about him, saying that I will miss him, but this time, it's different. 

Rest in peace my childhood friend, and till we meet again, I will always pray for you. 😢💓🙏