passersby

Young Yousef was wandering the aisles of the waiting lounge at Muscat International Airport, a brown leather bag slung over his shoulder, his fingers gripping it fearfully, like a mother cradling her children, fearing any unexpected harm. The conflict between his emotions and his inner turmoil was intense, but he didn't give up on his dream. To console himself, he decided to continue wandering around for a while to distract himself and kill time. He stared at the advertising screens at times, and at other times, he studied the faces of the passengers. He thought, "e;Oh, those faces! How similar and yet so contradictory they are at the same time? How different they are in expressions and features! Arabs, Europeans, Asians, Africans... everyone is walking in different directions, departing, returning, or passing through. All of them carry faces brimming with their concerns and hopes, and with emotions ranging from the sadness of parting to the joy of meeting."e;