A photograph makes an old bookcase look easy to repair. A volunteer promises to prepare it for a reading event, then discovers that doing the job properly will take longer.
01Read the Arabic story
وَعْدٌ اسْتَغْرَقَ أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا تَوَقَّعْتُ
أَرْسَلَتْ لِي مَسْؤُولَةُ الْمَرْكَزِ الثَّقَافِيِّ صُورَةَ خِزَانَةِ كُتُبٍ قَدِيمَةٍ. كَانَتْ تُرِيدُ وَضْعَهَا فِي رُكْنِ الْقِرَاءَةِ قَبْلَ لِقَاءِ السَّبْتِ. بَدَتِ الْخِزَانَةُ فِي الصُّورَةِ بِحَالَةٍ جَيِّدَةٍ، فَقُلْتُ: «سَأُصْلِحُهَا يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ. لَنْ أَحْتَاجَ إِلَى أَكْثَرَ مِنْ سَاعَتَيْنِ». شَكَرَتْنِي وَأَخْبَرَتِ الْمُتَطَوِّعِينَ أَنَّهُمْ سَيَضَعُونَ الْكُتُبَ عَلَى رُفُوفِهَا صَبَاحَ السَّبْتِ.
عِنْدَمَا ذَهَبْتُ إِلَى الْمَرْكَزِ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ، وَجَدْتُ أَنَّ الصُّورَةَ لَمْ تُظْهِرْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ. كَانَ اللَّوْحُ الْخَلْفِيُّ مُتَشَقِّقًا، وَكَانَ أَحَدُ الرُّفُوفِ يَتَحَرَّكُ. كُنْتُ أَعْرِفُ كَيْفَ أُصْلِحُ الرَّفَّ، لَكِنَّ اللَّوْحَ كَانَ يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى اسْتِبْدَالٍ. اِتَّصَلْتُ بِنَجَّارٍ أَعْرِفُهُ، فَطَلَبَ قِيَاسَاتٍ دَقِيقَةً وَقَالَ إِنَّهُ يَسْتَطِيعُ تَجْهِيزَ الْبَدِيلِ مَسَاءَ السَّبْتِ.
شَعَرْتُ بِالْحَرَجِ، وَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أُحَاوِلَ إِنْهَاءَ الْعَمَلِ بِأَيِّ طَرِيقَةٍ. لَكِنَّنِي لَمْ أَشَأْ أَنْ أَضَعَ الْكُتُبَ فِي خِزَانَةٍ غَيْرِ ثَابِتَةٍ. اِتَّصَلْتُ بِالْمَسْؤُولَةِ وَشَرَحْتُ الْمُشْكِلَةَ، ثُمَّ اِعْتَذَرْتُ عَنْ وَعْدِي الْمُتَسَرِّعِ. سَأَلَتْنِي: «مَتَى تَكُونُ جَاهِزَةً بِشَكْلٍ وَاقِعِيٍّ؟» بَدَلًا مِنَ التَّخْمِينِ، رَاجَعْتُ خُطُوَاتِ الْعَمَلِ مَعَ النَّجَّارِ قَبْلَ أَنْ أُجِيبَهَا.
اِتَّفَقْنَا عَلَى إِنْهَائِهَا صَبَاحَ الْأَحَدِ. اِقْتَرَحْتُ تَرْتِيبَ الْكُتُبِ عَلَى طَاوِلَتَيْنِ أَثْنَاءَ لِقَاءِ السَّبْتِ، فَوَافَقَتِ الْمَسْؤُولَةُ وَأَخْبَرَتِ الْفَرِيقَ بِالتَّغْيِيرِ. قَضَيْتُ مَسَاءَ الْجُمُعَةِ فِي تَنْظِيفِ الْخِزَانَةِ وَإِصْلَاحِ الرَّفِّ. وَفِي الْمَسَاءِ التَّالِي، أَحْضَرَ النَّجَّارُ اللَّوْحَ الْجَدِيدَ وَسَاعَدَنِي عَلَى تَرْكِيبِهِ. تَحَقَّقْنَا مِنْ ثَبَاتِ الْخِزَانَةِ، ثُمَّ أَرْسَلْتُ صُورَةً جَدِيدَةً لِلْمَسْؤُولَةِ.
صَبَاحَ الْأَحَدِ، سَاعَدْتُ الْمُتَطَوِّعِينَ عَلَى نَقْلِ الْكُتُبِ إِلَى الرُّفُوفِ. كَانَ لِقَاءُ السَّبْتِ قَدْ نَجَحَ بِاسْتِخْدَامِ الطَّاوِلَتَيْنِ، لَكِنَّ تَغْيِيرَ التَّرْتِيبِ أَضَافَ عَمَلًا إِلَى الْفَرِيقِ. شَكَرَتْنِي الْمَسْؤُولَةُ عَلَى الْإِصْلَاحِ وَالْمُتَابَعَةِ. أَدْرَكْتُ أَنَّ الْوَعْدَ لَا يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى الْحَمَاسِ وَحْدَهُ. فِي الْمَرَّةِ الْقَادِمَةِ سَأَفْحَصُ الْعَمَلَ أَوَّلًا، وَأَتْرُكُ وَقْتًا لِمَا قَدْ لَا تُظْهِرُهُ الصُّورَةُ.
Show English translationHide English translation
The cultural-centre coordinator sent me a photograph of an old bookcase. She wanted to put it in the reading corner before Saturday’s gathering. The bookcase looked in good condition in the photograph, so I said, “I’ll repair it on Friday. I won’t need more than two hours.” She thanked me and told the volunteers that they would put the books on its shelves on Saturday morning.
When I went to the centre on Friday, I found that the photograph had not shown everything. The back panel was cracked, and one of the shelves was moving. I knew how to fix the shelf, but the panel needed replacing. I called a carpenter I knew. He asked for accurate measurements and said he could prepare the replacement on Saturday evening.
I felt embarrassed and wanted to try to finish the job somehow. But I did not want to put books in an unstable bookcase. I called the coordinator, explained the problem and apologised for my hasty promise. She asked me, “When will it realistically be ready?” Instead of guessing, I reviewed the work steps with the carpenter before answering her.
We agreed to finish it on Sunday morning. I suggested arranging the books on two tables during Saturday’s gathering. The coordinator agreed and told the team about the change. I spent Friday evening cleaning the bookcase and repairing the shelf. The following evening, the carpenter brought the new panel and helped me fit it. We checked that the bookcase was stable, then I sent the coordinator a new photograph.
On Sunday morning, I helped the volunteers move the books onto the shelves. Saturday’s gathering had gone well using the two tables, but changing the arrangement had added work for the team. The coordinator thanked me for the repair and follow-through. I realised that a promise needs more than enthusiasm alone. Next time, I would examine the job first and leave time for what the photograph might not show.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| رُكْنِ الْقِرَاءَةِ | the reading corner |
| الْمُتَطَوِّعِينَ | the volunteers |
| مُتَشَقِّقًا | cracked |
| اسْتِبْدَالٍ | replacement |
| قِيَاسَاتٍ دَقِيقَةً | accurate measurements |
| الْحَرَجِ | embarrassment |
| بِشَكْلٍ وَاقِعِيٍّ | realistically |
| التَّخْمِينِ | guessing |
| ثَبَاتِ الْخِزَانَةِ | the stability of the bookcase |
| الْمُتَابَعَةِ | following through |
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
- The photograph hides damage, so the narrator revises his promise after checking the work with a carpenter.
- An early explanation allows a temporary arrangement; next time, he will inspect the task before promising a deadline.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Arabic Dual Case Endings: When to Use Ani and Ayni
عَلَى طَاوِلَتَيْنِ
Notice the dual ending when the books are arranged on two tables.
What I Did Yesterday in Arabic: 6 Simple Past-Tense Sentences
اِتَّصَلْتُ بِالْمَسْؤُولَةِ وَشَرَحْتُ الْمُشْكِلَةَ
Follow the narrator’s completed actions when he reports the unexpected problem.
Days of the Week in Arabic: Names and Everyday Examples
صَبَاحَ الْأَحَدِ
Track the change from a Friday repair to completion on Sunday.
