A forgotten key leaves a reading club waiting for its chairs. The borrower must retrieve it, help with the delay and agree on a reliable way to return it.
01Read the Arabic story
الْمِفْتَاحُ الَّذِي نَسِيتُ أَنْ أُعِيدَهُ
اِسْتَعَرْتُ مِنْ جَارِنَا نَبِيلٍ مِفْتَاحَ الْمَخْزَنِ لِآخُذَ سُلَّمًا صَغِيرًا. أَرَدْتُ تَعْلِيقَ سَاعَةٍ فِي بَيْتِنَا، وَوَعَدْتُهُ بِإِعَادَةِ الْمِفْتَاحِ مَسَاءً. أَعَدْتُ السُّلَّمَ بَعْدَ الِاسْتِعْمَالِ وَأَغْلَقْتُ الْبَابَ، ثُمَّ وَضَعْتُ الْمِفْتَاحَ فِي جَيْبِ مِعْطَفِي. زُرْتُ عَمِّي فِي وَرْشَتِهِ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ، وَنَسِيتُ الْمِعْطَفَ هُنَاكَ عِنْدَمَا عُدْتُ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ لِتَنَاوُلِ الْعَشَاءِ.
فِي صَبَاحِ الْيَوْمِ التَّالِي، اتَّصَلَ نَبِيلٌ وَسَأَلَنِي عَنِ الْمِفْتَاحِ. كَانَ يَقِفُ أَمَامَ الْمَخْزَنِ مَعَ مُنَظِّمَةِ نَادِي الْقِرَاءَةِ. احْتَاجَا إِلَى الْكَرَاسِي الْمَطْوِيَّةِ دَاخِلَهُ قَبْلَ وُصُولِ الْأَطْفَالِ. بَحَثْتُ فِي حَقِيبَتِي، ثُمَّ تَذَكَّرْتُ الْمِعْطَفَ. قُلْتُ: «الْمِفْتَاحُ عِنْدِي، وَأَنَا الْمَسْؤُولُ عَنِ التَّأْخِيرِ». لَمْ أَطْلُبْ مِنْهُمَا الذَّهَابَ لِإِحْضَارِهِ بَدَلًا مِنِّي.
اتَّصَلْتُ بِعَمِّي، فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ سَيَفْتَحُ الْوَرْشَةَ بَعْدَ عَشْرِ دَقَائِقَ. أَخْبَرْتُ نَبِيلًا أَنَّنِي أَحْتَاجُ إِلَى نِصْفِ سَاعَةٍ تَقْرِيبًا لِلْعَوْدَةِ بِالْمِفْتَاحِ. خَرَجْتُ فَوْرًا، وَفِي الطَّرِيقِ كَتَبْتُ لِمُنَظِّمَةِ النَّادِي رِسَالَةَ اعْتِذَارٍ. عِنْدَمَا وَصَلْتُ إِلَى الْوَرْشَةِ، كَانَ الْمِعْطَفُ مُعَلَّقًا خَلْفَ الْبَابِ، وَالْمِفْتَاحُ مَا زَالَ فِي جَيْبِهِ كَمَا تَرَكْتُهُ.
عُدْتُ فَوَجَدْتُ بَعْضَ الْأَطْفَالِ يَنْتَظِرُونَ مَعَ أَهْلِهِمْ. سَلَّمْتُ الْمِفْتَاحَ لِنَبِيلٍ، وَحَمَلْتُ الْكَرَاسِي إِلَى الْقَاعَةِ مَعَهُ. بَعْدَ تَرْتِيبِهَا، سَاعَدْتُ فِي تَوْزِيعِ الْكُتُبِ. بَدَأَ اللِّقَاءُ مُتَأَخِّرًا قَلِيلًا، لَكِنَّهُ اسْتَمَرَّ حَتَّى نِهَايَتِهِ. شَكَرَتْنِي الْمُنَظِّمَةُ عَلَى الْمُسَاعَدَةِ، وَقَالَتْ إِنَّ إِخْبَارَهَا بِوَقْتِ عَوْدَتِي سَاعَدَهَا عَلَى شَرْحِ الْمَوْقِفِ لِلْأَهَالِي.
قَبْلَ أَنْ أَغَادِرَ، اعْتَذَرْتُ لِنَبِيلٍ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى. اتَّفَقْنَا عَلَى أَنْ أُسَلِّمَ الْمِفْتَاحَ بِيَدِي بَعْدَ كُلِّ اسْتِعْمَالٍ، وَأَنْ أَضَعَ تَذْكِيرًا فِي هَاتِفِي. فِي الْأُسْبُوعِ التَّالِي، طَلَبْتُ اسْتِعَارَ السُّلَّمِ مِنْ جَدِيدٍ. وَضَعَ نَبِيلٌ الْمِفْتَاحَ فِي يَدِي، ثُمَّ أَشَارَ إِلَى السَّاعَةِ. حَدَّدْنَا وَقْتًا لِإِعَادَتِهِ، وَضَبَطْتُ التَّذْكِيرَ قَبْلَ أَنْ أَخْرُجَ.
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I borrowed the storeroom key from our neighbour Nabil to get a small ladder. I wanted to hang a clock in our house and promised to return the key that evening. I returned the ladder after using it and locked the door, then put the key in my coat pocket. Afterwards I visited my uncle at his workshop and forgot my coat there when I went home for dinner.
The next morning, Nabil called and asked about the key. He was standing in front of the storeroom with the reading club organiser. They needed the folding chairs inside before the children arrived. I searched my bag, then remembered the coat. I said, “I have the key, and I am responsible for the delay.” I did not ask them to go and fetch it instead of me.
I called my uncle, who said he would open the workshop in ten minutes. I told Nabil that I would need about half an hour to return with the key. I left immediately and wrote the club organiser an apology message on the way. When I reached the workshop, the coat was hanging behind the door and the key was still in its pocket, just as I had left it.
I returned to find some children waiting with their families. I handed the key to Nabil and carried the chairs to the hall with him. After arranging them, I helped distribute the books. The meeting started a little late but continued to its end. The organiser thanked me for helping and said that knowing my return time had helped her explain the situation to the families.
Before leaving, I apologised to Nabil again. We agreed that I would hand the key back in person after each use and set a reminder on my phone. The following week, I asked to borrow the ladder again. Nabil put the key in my hand, then pointed to the clock. We agreed on a return time, and I set the reminder before going out.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| اِسْتَعَرْتُ | I borrowed |
| الْمَخْزَنِ | the storeroom |
| سُلَّمًا | a ladder |
| جَيْبِ مِعْطَفِي | my coat pocket |
| وَرْشَتِهِ | his workshop |
| الْكَرَاسِي الْمَطْوِيَّةِ | the folding chairs |
| الْمَسْؤُولُ | the person responsible |
| مُعَلَّقًا | hanging |
| تَوْزِيعِ الْكُتُبِ | distributing the books |
| تَذْكِيرًا | a reminder |
03Check your understanding
Choose one answer for each question. Look back at the Arabic story when you need a clue. Open the English support if you need help understanding a question.
What to remember
- An apology can include retrieving an item, helping those delayed and giving them useful information.
- Follow the first-person past verbs as the narrator explains what happened and how he responded.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
What I Did Yesterday in Arabic: 6 Simple Past-Tense Sentences
عُدْتُ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ
Recognise the first-person past form for returning as the narrator comes home.
Arabic Time and Place Adverbs: Before, After, In Front and Behind
خَلْفَ الْبَابِ
Locate the forgotten coat using a behind phrase.
