What To Expect When Traveling with Your Arab Wife
When they ask you
How many days were you away?
Don’t say two weeks
They want to know the exact number
Tell them 11 days
When they ask you
Do you have any food
in your luggage?
Don’t say no
Tell them we have a sealed package
of dates in our suitcase
When they ask what you do
Don’t say I’m an architect
Give them your exact title
Are you listening?
How many days were we away?
11 days
Do you remember when we got married?
A long time ago
Tell them the exact date
When they search our bags
Don’t be upset when they pull out your underwear
They’ve done it to me before
–even the dirty ones
When they hold them up high
Don’t worry
They will drop them and then you can pick them up
–but only when they tell you to
When they open my lipsticks one by one
Don’t worry, they won’t break them
I can pack them after they unpack them
When they take us into that room
Don’t worry
They will let us leave eventually
When they take away our cellphones
Don’t worry
They will give them back
When they are rude
Don’t worry
they are like that to all of us
When we get closer to the front
Don’t leave me
Let’s go together
Take my passport
It’s better if they know
I am with you
I hand him the passport
open to my name and picture
green card out of its little envelope
place in his hand the landing card
carefully filled out
in the right color
It’s our turn
my husband’s greeting
thick with the south
The lady smiles at his tall, blond figure
Welcome home
She says sweetly
waves us on
by Shatha Almutawa
from Split This Rock