The Djed of Osiris - Part 1

The Djed is an Ancient Egyptian symbol for balance and permanence. It is associated with Osiris, the god of death and the underworld, and is believed to represent his backbone or spine. The Djed symbol is a pillar with a broad base which narrows as it rises and is crossed at the top by four parallel lines. It is believed to represent a sacred tree with its branches bundled together into levels. Djed amulets were worn by Ancient Egyptians and believed to protect the wearer in life and death.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Naperville, IL - USA

A tinkling of keys from downstairs followed by the opening of the front door. It was Georgina, Adam’s mother.

“Hey Dee! Are you dressed for Geddo’s yet? We still have to pick up your sister”

“Crap...”

14 year old Adam and his family lived in Naperville, a town an hour West of Chicago. The family included Adam, his younger sister Mariam, and parents Magdy and Georgina. Georgina was born in the U.S. to Egyptian immigrants. Her father Marcus, a decorated archeologist who led multiple successful excavations in Egypt, moved to Illinois in the 70’s to teach Egyptology at the Oriental Institute of Chicago. Adam’s father Magdy was also an immigrant from Egypt. He came to study law in the U.S. and met Georgina soon after.

Magdy grew up in Cairo, but strongly preferred Naperville. However, when he first arrived in the U.S. he was bullied because of his broken English and wardrobe of exclusively oversized suits. He made it a point to raise his children as ‘American’ as he could, speaking strictly English at home and never yet visiting Egypt.

A rap on Adam’s bedroom door.

“Dee, don’t forget Geddo Marcus’ Ancient Egypt picture book!”

Geddo (Arabic for grandpa) Marcus was the only person who ever really spoke to Adam about Egypt. The old man was always full of magical myths about the pharaohs and tales of his own adventures in the desert. Sadly, severe late-stage dementia had riddled Marcus. A nurse lived with him, and he constantly teetered in and out of an almost vegetative state. Geddo Marcus had once given Adam an Ancient Egypt picture book, and Geddo seemed to enjoy going through it together.

The family hopped into the car and picked up Mariam from the studio then made their way to Geddo Marcus’ home. Adam and Mariam went straight to Geddo's bedroom.

“Hey Geddo!”, the siblings exclaimed.

Geddo Marcus was in his robe, propped up on a pillow, staring straight ahead. The nurse was sitting on a chair beside the bed.

The family sat around Geddo’s bed sharing stories and talking about school. After a while, everyone except Adam had left the room. He pulled out the picture book and moved his stool to Geddo’s bedside.

“It’s Ancient Egypt time, Geddo”.

A flicker in Geddo’s eyes was indication enough that he was interested.

Adam held the book up to his grandfather’s eyeline and started flipping through the pages slowly. They covered the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, the Djoser Pyramid, the Valleys of the Kings and Queens, and temples such as the Luxor Temple and Abu Simbel.

Next, there was a chapter about symbols and amulets. Adam read aloud from the page covering the Ankh, more commonly known as the Key of Life.

As soon as Adam turned the page to the next symbol he felt something brush against his forearm. He jumped back and Geddo Marcus’ hand fell to his side. Geddo's lips parted, emitting a grunt, and his eyes darted downwards at the picture book that Adam had dropped on the floor.

“Geddo! Are you trying to say something?”

Another grunt, this time louder.

“Was it something you saw in the book?”

Adam picked up the book and flipped through until he reached the page they had stopped at. It covered the Djed, a symbol that looked to Adam like a thick tree with four sets of branches protruding from the top. As soon as Geddo saw the symbol again he groaned.

“Did you see this in real life Geddo?”.

“I heard noises! Is everything alright?”, Georgina said as she dashed into the bedroom.

“He’s really liking this Djed symbol, he even touched my arm when he saw it”.

“Oh Papa!” Georgina was beaming. Seeing her father interact with his grandchildren once again was more than she could ask for. She leaned over to look at the symbol in the book.

“The tree! I know why he likes that. He gifted your Teita (Arabic for grandma) Suzie one just like it on a necklace”.

Georgina knelt by Geddo's bedside and took his hands in hers.

“Are you remembering Mamma Suzie, Papa?”

No response.

“I think I know where it is. It’s in my mother’s old jewelry box. Can I show it to Adam, Papa?”

After spending a few more minutes attempting to converse with a semi-interactive Geddo Marcus, the old man fell asleep and Georgina and Adam went down to the basement.

“Ok, we’re looking for a miniature chest of drawers about the size of your Xbox in one of these boxes”, Georgina nodded towards cardboard boxes stacked in the corner.

After a half hour of searching, Georgina found it. In its drawers were a bunch of felt jewelry boxes.

“It’s in one of these, Dee”

Adam found the Djed in the second box he opened. It was about the size of a flash drive, dangling from a gold chain. The Djed itself was also gold. The branches were decorated with tiny red stones that seemed to Adam to be glinting. Adam picked up the chain and let the Djed pendant dangle at his eyeline.

“It’s SO cool!”

“The last time someone saw this was probably when we were packing up Teita Suzie’s stuff 20 years ago” Georgina said as she reached out and took the Djed to examine it.

“Wow! Can I keep it?”

“Geddo wouldn’t mind. It’s a beautiful connection to your grandparents to carry around after…” her voice faded.

“Do you think it’s real? Is it ancient?”

They both looked down at the Djed in her hand.

“Hmmm… I actually have no idea. It should’ve been illegal for him to keep anything he found. It could just be a souvenir from a bazaar on Haram Street.”

Adam reached for the Djed with his fingers.

“OW!” 

He dropped the Djed on the dusty floor and recoiled in pain.

“Adam! Why are you so clumsy?”

“IT BURNT ME!”

“What burnt you?”

“That thing!” Adam pointed at the Djed necklace on the floor.

“Don’t be a fool with me, young man. Pick it up! If you’re not going to take care of it, put it back.” Georgina left Adam and went upstairs.

Adam looked at his fingers. There were tiny red welts on his fingertips where he had touched the Djed. He knelt down to the ground, face inches away from the Djed. He could swear the red stone accents were glinting, almost sparkling. Adam poked at it with a finger. Nothing. He lay a finger, then two on its surface. Cold metal. He picked it up, and held it in his palm, rolling it over in his fingers. He looked again at his smarting fingertips, and then again at the Djed.

“That was SO freaking weird”.

Al Matareya, Cairo - Egypt

“Everyone thought I was going to shoot! I think I fooled the entire field!” Adam managed between mouthfuls.

“Hah! I know you! You had no intention of passing until the Al Shams defenders closed in and then you panicked and played it safe”, Mohamed leaned into his brother with his shoulder and a chuckle as he teased him.

“No! I swear to Allah! I even faked with my eyes like you taught me, they fell for it!” Karim hotly protested.

Mohamed laughed louder.

Karim “Kimo” Sultan was recounting the events of a Cairo Youth Football League match between his team, Al Matareya Youth Center, and their rivals, Al Shams Club, as he sat on the floor at a low wooden table eating a dinner of rice and potatoes with his older brother Mohamed. Mohamed cut hair in the same barber shop that Karim also swept the floor after school, and their eldest brother Osama worked in Dubai. Their father had abandoned the family before Karim was born, and their mother Mervat did her best in raising the boys on meager government aide in very trying times all by herself.

They lived in a tiny apartment in Al Matareya, a once affluent neighborhood in North East Cairo that is now swollen with slums. The name Matareya is derived from the Latin “Mater” which means mother. This is because the neighborhood is home to a sycamore tree called the Tree of the Virgin Mary, believed to be where the Christian Holy Family rested on their journey in Egypt. 

The neighborhood had two other claims to fame. Today, It is ground zero for the thriving Mahraganat scene, a genre of Arabic electronic music known for its ravey street festivals and provoking lyrics, championed by predominantly young artists from Al Matareya and other organic neighborhoods. 

On the other hand, Al Matareya is also one of the oldest continuously inhabited neighborhoods in Egypt and perhaps the world. The area was once part of Ancient Heliopolis, a city from the Pharaonic Period. It is home to the Masalla Obelisk, the only remaining Ancient Egyptian obelisk still standing in its original location, and one of only four obelisks still in Egypt (see: Paris, Rome, Istanbul, New York obelisks). Due to the many layers of civilization that have swept the neighborhood, Al Matareya seems to be a permanent archeological site. Local legend claims that anyone who digs a few meters below their home in Al Matareya is guaranteed to find something ancient.

“Great job out there today, little bro! But you know that means you’re going to have to work the weekend because you missed work today, right?”

“Fuck…”

“Sorry to be that guy. I’m off to bed, little bro. Don’t forget, we’re picking Osama up from the airport tomorrow night!” 

The Next Afternoon

The Al Matareya Youth Center, where Karim was spending most of his summer holiday, was on the narrow yet always grid-locked Moatassim Street. The scene outside was a circus of tuktuks and microbuses sharing the asphalt with donkey carts brimming with produce and an army of trudging pedestrians, all trying to squeeze through. 

Karim exited the youth center and elbowed his way towards a snacks kiosk on the corner.

“Hey Sedky, I want to make a phone call”, Karim told the kiosker as he gave him two coins.

The kiosker handed Karim an old Nokia feature phone with a physical keypad.

Karim dialed his brother’s number.

“Mohamed! What time are we going to the airport tonight?”

“Hey Kimo, Osama lands at quarter to midnight, so we can leave at around 11:15 from the shop. I borrowed Uncle Fareed’s car already so we can move straight after our shift which you're already late for!"

“About that… Some of the boys are setting up a match in a bit. Can I skip my shift today?”

“Of course not!”

“Why not? Just this once bro”.

“You know we need the money, Kimo”.

“But-”

“Osama’s coming home today, little bro”, Mohamed continued “He always leaves something for Mamma. It’ll be easier on all of us when we’ve got some extra cash”.

Silence followed by a sigh.

“Fine, I’m on my way”.

Karim didn’t mind the work. The dusting and cleaning was easy, and he felt a sense of pride that he could contribute to the household. But it was embarrassing when one of his classmates walked in for a cut, and frustrating when he had to miss out on football.

He squeezed out of Moatassem Street onto Masalla Avenue, home of the famous obelisk. The avenue was also completely grid-locked because an active excavation at the archeological complex had spilled out onto the street which cut the road down to a single lane. The barber shop was right across the street from the complex.

Traffic barriers surrounded the site, and an officer held Kimo back while a front loader laden with dug ground lumbered past them. The loader’s bucket showered Karim with dirt as it passed, making him cough.

Karim winced as a rock dropped from the bucket and bounced off his head. He rubbed his head and looked around for the culprit. The small rock was still rolling and he aimed a kick of retribution. 

As the rock exploded into dust, Karim’s eye caught something shiny flying through the air. Curious, he walked towards it and looked down. It was bright gold and a little smaller than his thumb. It looked to him like a golden tree with four sets of branches and green stones etched along each branch. To Karim, a light inside the stones seemed to shiver.

His heart skipped a beat. Could it be real ancient treasure?

Karim bent down and tried to pick it up.

“Fuck!”

The piece burnt into his fingertips. Karim sucked on his smarting fingers and crouched back down for another look.

He pulled a tissue from a pack, used it to cover the piece, and then poked at it. Nothing. He pressed a finger on the tissue and when it didn’t burn him again he picked it up and stuffed it down his front pocket before making his way to the shop.

Naperville, IL - USA

Geddo Marcus passed in his sleep around a week after the family’s visit.

Being an immigrant who lived a quiet life in the U.S. meant that Geddo Marcus’ funeral ceremony was small. However, Georgina was fielding countless calls from Egypt including condolences from distant relatives, professors, students, and even a retired governor. Helwan University, where he last taught in Egypt, was going to name a hall after him.

“Kids, we’re going to Egypt”.

“REALLY?” Adam looked up in disbelief.

It was a week after the funeral. Adam and Mariam were having breakfast when Georgina broke the news.

“Yessir! We leave on Sunday”.

“But why?” Mariam asked cautiously.

“WILL WE GO TO THE PYRAMIDS?” Adam was excited.

“I thought Daddy didn’t want us to go there” Mariam sounded hesitant. She was still discovering her connection to that distant place called Egypt and her father’s discouraging sentiment towards it made her wary.

“Daddy’s onboard, Mimi. Don’t worry, he wants to visit his parents too. Geddo left us some things there that we need to pick up, and it’s about time you two meet the family”.

“MOOOOM! WILL WE SEE PYRAMIDS?!” Adam was practically jumping out of his seat. 

“For sure!!” Georgina turned to him, “The Pyramids, the Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum, and anywhere else you’d like to go. My favorite place in Cairo is a small church I’d like to take you to. It’s called the Chapel of the Virgin Mary and it’s where Mary and baby Jesus once rested under a tree that’s still there”.

The following Sunday, the family found themselves walking through Chicago O’hare International Terminal 5. They were flying Emirates, Flight EK 236, and had a layover in Dubai. That first leg was a grueling 13 and a half hour escapade. Adam burnt through 3 Marvel movies, read countless Trip Advisor articles, and then slept.

After the layover in Dubai, it was time to line-up at the gates for the final leg to Cairo, flight EK 925. Adam noticed how their fellow passengers were visibly different from those who boarded with them from Chicago. A lot were darker, more olive-skinned, like him.

The flight to Cairo International was relatively swift. In what felt like no time, the pilot announced they were landing at Terminal 3, switched on the seatbelt sign, and ordered the passengers to return to their seats.

After fastening his seatbelt, Adam pulled the golden Djed from his pocket and held it in his hand.

“Welcome home, Geddo and Teita”, he whispered to himself.

Al Matareya, Cairo - Egypt

“C’mon, donkey! Osama's plane lands in 30 minutes!” Mohamed shouted from Uncle Fareed’s Hyundai Verna outside the shop.

“I’M COMING, SHUT UP!” Karim hated it when his brother called him names in public, especially at the shop.

Karim had decided against telling Mohamed about the piece of gold he found. He wanted to show it to the whole family himself that night. He made sure it was still in his pocket and hurried out.

Terminal 3 of Cairo International Airport is supposed to be a mere 20 minutes away from Al Matareya, but with Cairene weekday traffic they made it in over 40.

“Look at the screen, has he landed?”

“EK 925… EK 925… There! Emirates flight EK 925 from Dubai. Yes, he’s JUST landed”

They stood amongst the crowd gathered at the Arrivals terminal exit, craning their necks to see if they could catch Osama walking out.

A family of four were the first to emerge. A boy, probably a year or two younger than Karim, his younger sister, and their parents. The boy was clutching what looked like a gold chain in his hand and was looking around curiously as if absorbing the airport for the first time.

As soon as he laid his eyes on the boy, Karim felt an agonizing shock pierce his head. It felt extremely unnatural, like a scorching blade striking his brain from inside his skull. He clutched Mohamed’s arm as his knees buckled. The invisible force was stabbing at his head again and again.

“Karim! What’s wron-” .Mohamed's alarmed voice was drowned by the sudden sound of roaring wind. Like a deep rumbling hurricane, the sound engulfed Karim and his sight began to dim.

He heard a distant clink from below. The piece of gold was on the floor. It had seared a hole through his pants, and wasn’t just gold anymore. It was glowing with a pulsating emerald hue that seemed to synchronize with the pain bombarding his head.

The last thing Karim remembered was being on the ground, staring in shock at the pulsating piece of treasure. He raised his head. The boy that had just walked out with his family had fallen to the floor as well. His mother was screaming but Karim could not hear her over the roaring winds in his head. The boy lay motionless on the floor with an arm outstretched, palm open, and the gold chain he was holding, glowing in a pulsating crimson hue, had dropped from his hand. And then darkness.