Daisy Macbeth           

Daisy Macbeth

Kanet Dayzi tendhoro ila el malabis el maaroodha ala wajihet mahel Bronzeeti wa hi-ya tatalathath bi boodhatiha that Taam tholathi.

Daisy was looking at the clothes in the shop window of Bronzetti’s enjoying her favourite three-flavour ice cream.

Lem tedkhol el mahel abaden li-anna el athman kanet bahidha.

She never went into the shop because she couldn’t afford their prices.

Wa qalet fi nafsiha:”inna el az-ya-a el italia jamila jidden,walakin alayka an takuna naheefen likay tonassibaka.”

"I must admit that Italian styles are very nice, but you have to be pretty slim to get into them." Daisy muttered to herself.

Hatha la yaani anna Daisy kanet sameena,bel kanet motawassita,walakin laysa mithla moodhami aridhat el azya.

It wasn’t that Daisy was fat, she was just average, but certainly not paper-thin, like most models.

Thomma qalet fi nafsiha marraten okhra:”inna tilka el qit-a el thona-iya ra-i-a.”

And again to herself, "Mm, that two-piece is a lovely shade."

“Kay, lem akon atawaka an araki hona el aan-oh ana assif, anti lesti Kay, aleysa kathalik?”

"Kay, I didn’t expect to see you here yet - oh, sorry you’re not Kay, are you?"

wa istadaret Dayzi litara men kan yatakallamo maaha.

Daisy turned around to see who was speaking to her.

Laqed kan rajolen tha lahyatin fi el khamsina min omrih taqriben fi thiyabin raththatin.

It was a rather shabby-looking, bearded man of about fifty.

Kan wadhihen anneho min aslin ifriqi wa kana yatakallamo bi lahjatin janobiyyatin qawiyyah.

He was clearly of African origin and had a strong Southern States accent.

Wa bi raghmi min malabissihi,faqed kan yartadi nadharatin min sina-atin italyatin mash-horatin taarifoha Daisy bi thamaniha el mortafi.

In spite of his clothes he was wearing glasses of a famous Italian make, which Daisy knew cost a lot of money.

“La, fi-len.”

"No, indeed."

Lem takon Daisy mota-awwida a-la tahadothi wassata shari,fabad-at tebta-ido bi ittijahi rad-hati mahelli el bodhati el mofadhali laday-ha.

Daisy wasn’t used to being chatted up in the middle of the High Street and made to walk off in the direction of her favourite ice-cream parlour.

“Min fadhliki anissa,el maathira,e..ana montijo aflamin.”

"Please excuse me, Miss...er, you see I’m a film director and..."

“La shokren,hatha la yahommoni.wada-an.”

"No thank you, I’m not interested. Goodbye."

“La, lem tefhami.ana howa haqiqaten.

"No, you don’t understand. I really am.

Ana Lawrence Baker.”qal rajolo thalika li Daisy kama low kan thikro ismihi yofassiro tassarrofaho.

I’m Lawrence Baker," the man told Daisy as though the mention of his name would explain his behaviour.

Faraddat alay-hi Daisy:”wa ana mohaqiqa khassah.”

"And I’m a private investigator!" retorted Daisy.

Faqala er-rajolo:”oh, thalika ghayro mohim,sawfa taf-aleen nefsa shay-i tamamen.”

"Oh, that doesn’t matter, you’ll do just the same."

Kanet Daisy mahiraten fi ettakhalossi mina el ashkhassi el aghbiay wa lakin hathihi el marrah kanet tawwaqaten limarifati ma kan wara-a hatha naw-i  mina el ilhah.

Daisy was rather good at getting rid of stupid people but this time she was a bit curious to know what was behind this sort of insistence.

Wa  adhafa er-rajolo:”nadeeni Lawrence .”

"Do call me Lawrence" the man added.

“Andhori, fi halet ma itha lem yesbiq laki an samiti anni fana howa lathi ashrafa ala tawzi el adwar fi film el assifa”.

"Look, in case you’ve never heard of me I directed an all Harlem cast of The Tempest."

Laqad  ojibet Daisy bi Shakespeare ala shasha wa sabaqa laha an ra-at el filma fi-len.

Daisy liked Shakespeare on the screen and had indeed seen the film.

“hassanen,laqad ojibto bi filmika katheeren,lakennani lesto Kay wa…oh awa lem takon tatakallem an Kay Bartok,el momathila el kanadiya fi Macbeth?”

"Well, I liked your film immensely but I’m not Kay and......oh, you weren’t talking about Kay Bartok, the Canadian actress in Macbeth? "

laqad faalti anti thalika aydhen,alayssa kathalik?

You made that too, didn’t you?

Fabtassama Lawrence Baker wa qal:”na-am.” laqad afrahat-ho Daisy hatha el yawm.

"Yes." Lawrence Baker smiled. Daisy had made his day.

“ana assif li-anna aflami la tajlibo katheeren mina el mel,wa lakinnaha tajlibo li el mot-a indama asma-o ingliziya taqol innaha ojibet bi wahedin minha ala el aqal.

"I’m afraid my films don’t make a lot of money, but it gives me pleasure to hear an Englishwoman saying she enjoyed at least one of them.

Wa lakin lina-od ila shoghl.

But back to business.

Laqad dhanantoki Kay.wa kanet indi fikrah ra-i-a.hel yomkinoki an tantahili shakhsiyatha li baqiyyati el osbo.

I mistook you for Kay. And I’ve had a wonderful idea. How would you like to be her double for the rest of the week!"

wa thohilet Daisy

Daisy was stunned.

Wa wassala es-sayed Lawrence kalamaho:”inna wajhaki layssa mithla wajhiha tamamen,lakin qiwamoki yoshbiho kiwamaha wa sharoki ettawil tho ellewn el bonni el fatih yoshbiho sharaha.

Mr. Lawrence continued: "Your face isn’t exactly like hers but you have an identical build and just the same long light-brown hair.

Yajib an tarifi anna Kay mot-aba badha shay wa annaha bi hajatin massah ila er-raha.

You know, Kay, is a bit run down and she badly needs a rest.

Urid an aqol anna ladayha iltizamatin katheerah fi el ayyami el qalilati el moqbilah.fa nahno hona min ajli edi-ayati lifilmina el akheer, Errojo-o ila el ghabati bi jihazi el modem.,

The thing is that she has a lot of engagements in the next few days as we are here to promote our latest film, "Back to the jungle with a modem".

Fa qalet Daisy:”hassanen,fi el haqiqa la omathilo kamohtarifah-faqet aqom bi thalik indam akono fi qadhiyah wa lakin…”

"Well, I really don’t act as a profession - at least I do sometimes when I’m investigating a case, but......" said Daisy.

“ qoli lima la natanawalo qahwaten honak,”qala Lawrence wahwa yoshiro ila maqha ala el janib el akher mina tareek.

"Look, why don’t we have a cup of coffee over there," Lawrence indicated a coffee shop on the other side of the road.

“Kay sawfa takono fi intidhari honak li annaha kanet tofadhilo et-sawwoqa awwalen.

"Kay is meeting me there because she wanted to do some shopping first.

Andhori, innaha ala washaki eddokhooli ila el meqha.”

Look, there she is, going into the coffee shop now."

Kana Lawrence shakhssen thartharen mina ennaw-i ellathi  la yaqbalo abaden bi kalimet la kajawabinm,wa laqad athar el mawdho kolloho ihtimam Daisy ila haddin ma wa hatha ma ja-alaha toqarriro el iltiqa-a bi kay Bartok.

Lawrence was the talkative type who would never take no for an answer, and Daisy was rather intrigued by the whole matter so she decided to meet Kay Bartok.

Wa indama qoddimet ila el momathila,tabayyana li Daisy anna malamihaha kanet mokhtalifa wa anna Kay Bartok kanet takboroha bi khamssata ashara amen ala el aqal,

When she was introduced to the actress, Daisy saw that their features were different and that Kay Bartok was at least fifteen years older,

lakinnahoma kanata motashabihatayni tamamen mina ennahiyati el jismiyah.

but physically they were indeed very similar.

Kanet Kay Bartok tatakallamo bi lahjatin kanadiyyatin qawiyyah

Kay Bartok had a strong Canadian accent.

“ithen anti aynon khassa anissa Hamilton.

"So you’re a private eye, Miss Hamilton.

Hatha mohim.

How very interesting.

Bi dooni shek anti taqa-ina ahyanen fi halatin khateera lilghaya.”

You must get into very dangerous situations sometimes."

Wa ahasset Daisy bi maylin nahwa hathihi es-sayida el-latifa el-lati kanet tendhoro i-la en-nassi kama low annaha kanet filen mohtammaten bi ma yaqooloon.

Daisy took a liking to this gracious lady who looked at people as though she was sincerely interested in what they were saying.

Kay, ma rayok ?

"Kay, what do you think,

fa bi Imkani el anissa Hamilton an tadha-a makiyyajen ala aynayha,wa tartadi qobba-aten li-ikhfa-i wajhiha,fatabdoo mithlaki tamamen.”

Miss Hamilton could put heavy eye make-up on, wear a face-covering hat and would look exactly like you."

“Lahdha sayed Baker.ana amalo ka aynin khassah wa layssa ka shakhsiyyatin mozdawija li film…”

"Just a minute, Mr. Baker, I work as a private eye and not as a film double..."

”andhori Daisy,yomkinona an nadfa-a  laki kama low annaki konti tohaqqiqeen an shay.

"Look, Daisy, we could pay you just as if you were investigating something.

Innaki sawfa toqaddimeena lana khidma jalilah.” qal Lawrence bi ilhah.

You would be doing us a great favour." Lawrence insisted.

Fa taraddadet  Daisy.

Daisy hesitated:

laqad kan ladayha qadhiyyaton wahidah fi tilk el-lahdha wa kanet tatamath-thelo fi kayfiyati  def-i thamani badhi athathi el makteb wa-llathi kanet bi hajatin massatin ilayh.

she had only one case on hand at that moment and that was how to pay for some office furniture she needed badly.

Kanet el milaffat fi kolli makanin,wa kan jihazo el faxi mo-attalen.

Files were everywhere, and her fax machine wasn’t working.

Fa raddet :” hassanen,konto ala  washaki eth-thahabi fi otlah,lakin yomkino tajilaha li ayyamin qalilah.”

"Well" – she replied – "I was just going on holiday, but I could put it off for a few days."

Fa btassama Lawrence Baker wahwa yahosso bi en-nasri.

Lawrence Baker smiled triumphantly:

Anti tarhaleena ya Kay wa tastariheena tilat el ayyam el mokbila, wa ana sa akhotho Daisy ma-i ila el hafalati wa wajabati el ghada el-lati kan mina el moftaradh an tathhabi ilayha.”

"Kay, you go off and have a rest for the next few days, and I’ll take Daisy round with me to parties and lunches you would be going to."

Wa bada ala Kay Bartok el irtiyah.

Kay Bartok looked relieved.

“orido an ashkoraki anissa Hamilton wa amali fi el marrati el qadima an ati wa abhatha anki wa nadhhaka ma-en.”

"I want to thank you Miss Hamilton and I hope the next time I come over I can look you up and we can have a good laugh together."

Wa fi sabahi el yawmi et-tali wajadet Daisy nafsaha fi janahi ahadi el fanadiki ma-a es sayed Baker wahwa yossa-idoha fi wadh-i el makiaj.

The next morning Daisy found herself in a hotel suite with Mr. Baker helping her with her make-up.

Kanet Daisy mortabikaten badh esh-shay.

Daisy was a bit confused.

“lakin el anissa Bartok akbaro menni sinnen! Ala yolahidho en-nasso thalik?

"But Miss Bartok is older than me! Won’t people notice?

Wa matha an lahjatiha?”

And what about her accent?"

wa dhahaka Lawrence.

Lawrence laughed.

“la taqlaqi .inna Kay mash-hoora bi tamtheeliha el masrahi wassinima-i et-taqlidi.

"Don't worry. Kay is well-known for her stage and film classical acting,

fahya li ilmiki,darasset fi london,wa ala ayyati hal modhamo en-nassi yataqidoon annaha ingliziya.

she studied in London, you know, and most people think she is English anyway.