El bahth an Lorna

The search for Lorna

Kanet Daisy Hamilton mohaqqiqaten khassah

Daisy Hamilton was a private detective.

Kanet tablogho min el omri thalatheena amen wa saret mohaqqiqaten montho el amayni el akheerayni.

She was thirty years old and had been a detective for the past two years.

Kanet tathhabo ila maktabiha kolla sabah min ajli el mokalamat el hatifiya aw li taftaha el bab lizzaba-in el mohtajeena ila khadamatiha.

Every morning she went to her office to wait for phone calls or open the door to clients needing her services.

Lem takon Daisy mashhooraten bad wa lakin kanet en-nas tattassilo biha hatifiyyen min khilali el ilanat el-lati wadha-atha ala el jareedah el mahalliyyah.

Daisy wasn't very well known yet but occasionally people telephoned her from the advertisement she had put in the local newspaper.

Wa thata sabah hawali es-sa-a el hadiya ashrah taraqa  shakhson  bab maktabiha.

One morning at about eleven o'clock someone knocked on her office door.

Kanet sayyidaton sameenah tartadi farwen hawla onoqiha.

It was a fat lady who wore a fur around her neck.

"ahlen, hel astati-o mossa-adatiki? Sa-alet Daisy es-sayyidah."min fadhlik ta-ali wajlissi."

"Hello, can I help you?" Daisy asked the lady. "Please come and sit down."

"oh na-am haqqen! Inni bi amassi el hajah ila mossa-adatiki.

"Oh yes indeed! I need your help desperately.

Lorna, sagheerati qad ikhtafat.la arifo matha asna."

Lorna, my little one has disappeared. I don't know what to do."

Nawalet Daisy es-sayyidah es-sameenah finjana qahwatin jahizah wa rahet tantadhiro et-tafasseel.

Daisy offered the fat lady a cup of instant coffee and awaited the details.

Jalasset es-sayyidah es-sameenah bithiqlin wa wadha-at haqeebataha el jildiyah el kabeerah that el-lawni el ahmar ala maktabi Daisy.

The fat lady sat down heavily and put her large red leather handbag on Daisy's desk.

"min fadhlik qooli li kolla shay-sayyidah…?"

"Please tell me everything - Mrs. ...?"

"sayyidah. Edwina Humphries howa ismi.akhsha en yatlobo minni noqooden-ana kha-ifah en takoona Lorna qad ikhtotifet!"

"Mrs. Edwina Humphries is my name. I am afraid they will ask me for money - I'm afraid Lorna has been kidnapped!"

Thalika shay fadhi, sayyidah Humphries.hel es-sayyed Humphries yataqido aydhen anna Lorna qad ikhtotifet?"

"That's terrible, Mrs. Humphries. Does Mr. Humphries, too, think Lorna has been kidnapped?"

"zawji la yahtem itha kanet Lorna qad ikhtotifet em la!"

"My husband is not interested if Lorna has been kidnapped or not!"

Haqqen sayyidah Humphries? wa lakin hel zawjoki howa el walid el haqqeeqi li Lorna?"

"Really, Mrs. Humphries? But is your husband Lorna's real father?"

Fa raddet es-sayyidah Humphries:"la arif matha taqsideen.laqad ishtarayna Lorna ma-an."

"I don't know what you mean. We bought Lorna together," replied Mrs. Humphries.

"ishtaraytoma…sayyidah Humphries,thalika ghayr qanooni,kama tarfeen."

"You bought ............Mrs. Humphries, that's illegal, you know."

"kalla,laysa kathalik,laysa fi el hind!"

"No it isn't, not in India!"

"ishtaraytoma Lorna min el hind?"

"You bought Lorna in India?"

Na-am filen! Wa torafiqoni da-imen."

Yes indeed! And she always keeps me great company, you know."

"fatahet es-sayyidah Humphries haqeebataha el jildiyah el kabeerah li ikhraji mendeel.

"Mrs. Humphries opened her huge leather bag to pull out a handkerchief.

Wa fi rob ra-at Daisy makhlooqen yatalawwa wahwa yakhrojo min el haqeebah.

With horror Daisy saw a wiggling creature come out of that bag.

Fa sarakhet Daisy:" sayyidah Humphries-ab-idi thalika fawren!"

"Mrs. Humphries - move that away immediately!" screamed Daisy.

"matha? Oh Lorna-wajedtoki akheeren!"qalet es-sayyidah Humphries."laqad ikhtafayti dakhila haqeebati-anti ayyatoha el bint esh-shereerah!"

"What? Oh Lorna - I've found you at last!" said Mrs. Humphries."You hid in my bag - you naughty girl!"

"sayyidah Humphries.hathihi Lorna?"

"Mrs. Humphries. This is Lorna?"

Na-am hayyatona el banghaliyah.oh shokren ya azeezati.la.la ataqido annani bi hajatin ila khadamatikia  bada el ann.!"

Yes, our Bengali swamp snake. Oh thank you my dear. No, I don't think I need your services any longer!"

Wa inda ighlaqiha el bab khalfa es-sayyidah Humphries, a-addet fi thihniha tanbeehen li taktobaho fi el-ilan"mamnoo el hayawanat, mamnoo eth-tha-abeen.

As Daisy shut the door after Mrs. Humphries, she made a mental note to write in the advertisement: no animals, no snakes.