Zain got a lesson in how to loosen the nuts on the hubcap of the flat tire, jack up the car, take off the flat and put on the spare. She also learned how to change the oil and the sparkplugs. The scene was a source of amusement to the men who managed to slip away from their work stations to come see this high-society girl who was silly enough to want to learn her driver’s profession.
When Zain was ready to leave, Abu Kaoud insisted on giving her a ride home. Thinking that she still lived in Ziqaq Al Yasmin, he drove her to the entrance of Souq Al Hamidiya. Zain didn’t say anything. She welcomed the chance to go walking down the streets of Damascus, the city she loved and that had given her so much strength. Before dropping her off, Abu Kaoud admonished, “Don’t come to get the car, child.
