After almost 20 years of absence between AUB, the Arab Gulf, and this great nation of ours, the U.S.A., all it took was one phone call to my childhood friends… dear, solid childhood friends... like Khalil Dagher the son of Toufic Dagher, to bring back the most heartwarming memories of my childhood… We got together and had a delicious lunch at Bourj al Hamaam and caught up on the “lost years”.  Later that day, he had dinner plans with young Shaikh Pierre and he insisted that I joined them, but unfortunately, I had a prior commitment with my beautiful Lebanese fiancée at the time and her family… I asked him to relay my regards and best wishes to him.  In a way, part of me still wished I was able to spend some quality time with Pierre and Khalil then.

The same goes for George Jabre, Esq., the prominent Lebanese Attorney, whose family “Mansion house” in Beit Chabab always felt like my own childhood home for having  spent so many days with George at that house… When I called, George simply canceled all his commitments that  day and gave me no choice but to have dinner with him and his lovely wife Joëlle at “my” Mansion house in Beit Chabab.  His delightful chef had prepared the most delicious Lebanese dishes… The unconditional lifelong brotherly love George had shown me was unmistakable..  He introduced me to his wife and 3 beautiful kids as “Khayyi w’ Habib Albi Nabil خَيّي وْحَبيب قَلبي نَبيل ”…

I knew Sheikh Pierre Sr. (Bickfaya’s Saint) when he used to drive his large black car all by himself through the streets of Bickfaya.  I remembered that day when he simply stopped and opened his car window just to warmly greet me and my little friends who were hanging “bel-Sahat بِالساحة” and say “Bonsoir ya Shabeb, kifkon el yaom”.

I always remembered Sheikh Amine driving his red range Rover.

I also remember fondly when Sheikh Bashir came and sat right next to me, as he often did, at Nadi el 3amal نادي العَمَل to watch a volley ball match  when he put his arm around me saying “keefak Nabil?”.  He always knew that  I was non-partisan, that I played guitar with my brotehr Nadim at Sayyedt El Naja and we never carried guns... Not for once, did he say or do anything to make me feel obligated to carry a gun.

I also remember “little” Pierrot and his beautiful sister Nicole playing near Sayyedt El Naja and Mar Mkhayel.  My brothers Nadim and Nader remember Shaikh Pierre and Nicole fondly from going to Champville together from Bickfaya

Only last year in August 2005, I saw Shaikhah Joyce in her red overall getting her exercise on the streets of Sakiet el mesk.  As I stopped my car, she came to greet me and my friend Gisèle Chébli with so much warmth.