Nadia follows a shortcut she remembers from last year on her way to a library workshop. A closed footbridge forces her to reconsider the route and tell her friend what happened.
01Read the Arabic story
طَرِيقٌ مُخْتَصَرٌ أَطَالَ الرِّحْلَةَ
خَرَجْتُ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ فِي السَّاعَةِ الثَّامِنَةِ صَبَاحًا لِحُضُورِ وَرْشَةٍ فِي الْمَكْتَبَةِ الْعَامَّةِ. كَانَتِ الْوَرْشَةُ تَبْدَأُ فِي التَّاسِعَةِ، وَالطَّرِيقُ الْمُعْتَادُ يَسْتَغْرِقُ نِصْفَ سَاعَةٍ سَيْرًا. وَعَدْتُ صَدِيقَتِي سَلْمَى أَنْ أَلْتَقِيَ بِهَا عِنْدَ الْبَابِ فِي الثَّامِنَةِ وَالنِّصْفِ، لِنَخْتَارَ مَقْعَدَيْنِ قُرْبَ النَّافِذَةِ وَنَقْرَأَ بَرْنَامَجَ الْيَوْمِ مَعًا.
عِنْدَ أَوَّلِ تَقَاطُعٍ، تَذَكَّرْتُ مَمَرًّا خَلْفَ الْحَدِيقَةِ كُنْتُ قَدِ اسْتَخْدَمْتُهُ فِي الْعَامِ الْمَاضِي. كَانَ يَقُودُ إِلَى جِسْرٍ صَغِيرٍ فَوْقَ قَنَاةٍ، ثُمَّ إِلَى شَارِعِ الْمَكْتَبَةِ. ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّنِي سَأَصِلُ خِلَالَ عِشْرِينَ دَقِيقَةً، فَاخْتَرْتُهُ دُونَ أَنْ أَسْأَلَ عَنْ حَالَتِهِ. كُنْتُ أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَشْتَرِيَ شَيْئًا لِلْفَطُورِ قَبْلَ وُصُولِ سَلْمَى.
لَكِنَّنِي وَجَدْتُ حَاجِزًا عِنْدَ الْجِسْرِ وَلَافِتَةً تَقُولُ إِنَّهُ مُغْلَقٌ لِلْإِصْلَاحِ. رَأَيْتُ طَرِيقًا آخَرَ عَلَى جَانِبِ الْقَنَاةِ، فَتَابَعْتُ السَّيْرَ وَأَنَا أَتَوَقَّعُ أَنْ أَجِدَ جِسْرًا قَرِيبًا. بَعْدَ قَلِيلٍ، انْتَهَى الطَّرِيقُ عِنْدَ بَوَّابَةٍ مُغْلَقَةٍ. نَظَرْتُ إِلَى السَّاعَةِ، فَكَانَتِ الثَّامِنَةَ وَخَمْسًا وَعِشْرِينَ دَقِيقَةً. وَأَدْرَكْتُ أَنَّنِي لَنْ أَصِلَ فِي الْمَوْعِدِ الْمُتَّفَقِ عَلَيْهِ مَعَ سَلْمَى.
عُدْتُ إِلَى الْجِسْرِ وَسَأَلْتُ عَامِلًا عَنِ الطَّرِيقِ إِلَى الْمَكْتَبَةِ. أَشَارَ إِلَى الشَّارِعِ الرَّئِيسِيِّ وَشَرَحَ لِي أَيْنَ أَنْعَطِفُ. هَذِهِ الْمَرَّةَ، أَعَدْتُ التَّعْلِيمَاتِ أَمَامَهُ لِأَتَأَكَّدَ مِنْ فَهْمِهَا. ثُمَّ اتَّصَلْتُ بِسَلْمَى وَشَرَحْتُ لَهَا سَبَبَ تَأَخُّرِي، وَطَلَبْتُ مِنْهَا أَنْ تَدْخُلَ بَدَلًا مِنَ انْتِظَارِي خَارِجًا. قَالَتْ إِنَّهَا سَتَحْفَظُ لِي مَقْعَدًا.
وَصَلْتُ فِي الثَّامِنَةِ وَخَمْسٍ وَخَمْسِينَ دَقِيقَةً، قَبْلَ بِدَايَةِ الْوَرْشَةِ بِقَلِيلٍ. لَمْ يَبْقَ وَقْتٌ لِلْفَطُورِ، لَكِنَّ سَلْمَى أَرَتْنِي الْبَرْنَامَجَ وَأَشَارَتْ إِلَى اسْتِرَاحَةٍ بَعْدَ سَاعَةٍ. اعْتَذَرْتُ لَهَا، ثُمَّ وَضَعْتُ هَاتِفِي فِي الْحَقِيبَةِ وَفَتَحْتُ دَفْتَرِي. فِي طَرِيقِ الْعَوْدَةِ، اخْتَرْتُ الشَّارِعَ الرَّئِيسِيَّ؛ فَالطَّرِيقُ الَّذِي أَعْرِفُهُ الْيَوْمَ أَنْفَعُ مِنْ طَرِيقٍ قَصِيرٍ أَتَذَكَّرُهُ مِنَ الْمَاضِي.
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I left home at eight in the morning to attend a workshop at the public library. The workshop began at nine, and the usual route took half an hour on foot. I had promised my friend Salma that I would meet her at the door at half past eight so we could choose two seats near the window and read the day’s programme together.
At the first crossroads, I remembered a path behind the park that I had used the previous year. It led to a small bridge over a canal, then to the library street. I thought I would arrive within twenty minutes, so I chose it without asking about its condition. I wanted to buy something for breakfast before Salma arrived.
But I found a barrier at the bridge and a sign saying it was closed for repairs. I saw another path beside the canal, so I continued walking, expecting to find a bridge nearby. A little later, the path ended at a locked gate. I looked at the time: it was twenty-five past eight. I realised that I would not make my meeting time with Salma.
I went back to the bridge and asked a worker for the way to the library. He pointed towards the main road and explained where I should turn. This time, I repeated the directions back to him to make sure I understood them. Then I called Salma, explained why I was late and asked her to go inside instead of waiting for me outside. She said she would save me a seat.
I arrived at five to nine, shortly before the workshop began. There was no time left for breakfast, but Salma showed me the programme and pointed out a break in an hour. I apologised to her, then put my phone in my bag and opened my notebook. On the way back, I chose the main road: the route I know today is more useful than a short route I remember from the past.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| وَرْشَةٍ | a workshop |
| الطَّرِيقُ الْمُعْتَادُ | the usual route |
| تَقَاطُعٍ | a crossroads / intersection |
| مَمَرًّا | a path |
| قَنَاةٍ | a canal |
| حَاجِزًا | a barrier |
| مُغْلَقٌ لِلْإِصْلَاحِ | closed for repairs |
| أَدْرَكْتُ | I realised |
| أَنْعَطِفُ | I turn |
| سَتَحْفَظُ لِي مَقْعَدًا | she would save me a seat |
03Check your understanding
Choose one answer for each question. Look back at the Arabic story for evidence. Open the English support if you need help understanding a question.
What to remember
- Keep the two deadlines separate: Nadia misses her meeting time with Salma but arrives before the workshop starts.
- Trace how relying on an old route and then an unverified side path causes delay, while asking and checking gives her a clear way forward.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Directions in Arabic: Left, Right and Straight Ahead
أَشَارَ إِلَى الشَّارِعِ الرَّئِيسِيِّ
Practise route language around roads and turning.
Telling the Time in Arabic: Hours, Half Past and Quarter Past
فِي الثَّامِنَةِ وَالنِّصْفِ
Compare the departure, meeting and arrival times.
Arabic Comparatives: Bigger Than and Better Than
أَنْفَعُ مِنْ طَرِيقٍ قَصِيرٍ
Notice the comparison between a known route and an old remembered shortcut.
