Every Thursday, the bakery closes before Amal gets home from work. A full tray and an unexpected destination lead her to the explanation.
01Read the Arabic story
لِمَاذَا يُغْلِقُ الْمَخْبَزُ مُبَكِّرًا كُلَّ خَمِيسٍ؟
كَانَتْ أَمَلُ تَشْتَرِي الْخُبْزَ مِنْ مَخْبَزِ الْحَيِّ بَعْدَ الْعَمَلِ. لَكِنَّهَا وَجَدَتْهُ مُغْلَقًا فِي الرَّابِعَةِ عَصْرًا ثَلَاثَةَ أَسَابِيعَ مُتَتَابِعَةً، وَفِي كُلِّ مَرَّةٍ كَانَ الْيَوْمُ يَوْمَ الْخَمِيسِ. ظَنَّتْ أَنَّ الْخُبْزَ يَنْفَدُ فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ. وَقَالَتْ لِجَارَتِهَا إِنَّهَا سَتَمُرُّ مُبَكِّرًا فِي الْأُسْبُوعِ التَّالِي لِتَشْتَرِيَ مَا تَحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهِ.
وَصَلَتْ أَمَلُ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ إِلَّا رُبْعًا، فَرَأَتْ صَاحِبَ الْمَخْبَزِ، عَادِلًا، يُغْلِقُ الْبَابَ الْأَمَامِيَّ. كَانَتْ هُنَاكَ صِينِيَّةٌ مَلِيئَةٌ بِالْخُبْزِ عَلَى الطَّاوِلَةِ. وَعِنْدَ الْبَابِ الْجَانِبِيِّ، وَضَعَ عَادِلٌ كِيسَ دَقِيقٍ وَعِدَّةَ أَوْعِيَةٍ فِي سَيَّارَتِهِ. سَأَلَتْهُ إِنْ كَانَ يَنْقُلُ الْمَخْبَزَ، فَابْتَسَمَ وَقَالَ: «لَا، إِنَّهُ مَوْعِدُ الدَّرْسِ».
شَرَحَ عَادِلٌ أَنَّهُ يُعَلِّمُ مَجْمُوعَةً مِنَ الشَّبَابِ صُنْعَ الْخُبْزِ فِي مَطْبَخِ الْمَرْكَزِ الِاجْتِمَاعِيِّ كُلَّ خَمِيسٍ. يَبْدَأُ الدَّرْسُ فِي الثَّالِثَةِ، وَيَحْتَاجُ إِلَى وَقْتٍ لِتَجْهِيزِ الْمَكَانِ. أَمَّا الْخُبْزُ الَّذِي كَانَ عَلَى الصِّينِيَّةِ فَهُوَ أَمْثِلَةٌ يَأْخُذُهَا لِلْمُتَعَلِّمِينَ. وَقَالَ إِنَّ بَعْضَهُمْ يَأْمُلُ أَنْ يَعْمَلَ فِي مَخْبَزٍ بَعْدَ انْتِهَاءِ الدُّرُوسِ.
سَأَلَتْهُ أَمَلُ عَنْ سَبَبِ اخْتِيَارِهِ التَّدْرِيسَ. فَأَخْبَرَهَا أَنَّ خَبَّازًا قَدِيمًا عَلَّمَهُ الْمِهْنَةَ بِدُونِ مُقَابِلٍ عِنْدَمَا كَانَ شَابًّا. قَالَ: «لَمْ أَكُنْ أَمْلِكُ ثَمَنَ دَوْرَةٍ، لَكِنَّهُ أَعْطَانِي وَقْتَهُ. أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَفْعَلَ الشَّيْءَ نَفْسَهُ لِغَيْرِي». ثُمَّ حَمَلَ الصِّينِيَّةَ بِعِنَايَةٍ إِلَى السَّيَّارَةِ، وَتَأَكَّدَ مِنْ أَنَّ الْأَوْعِيَةَ لَنْ تَتَحَرَّكَ فِي الطَّرِيقِ.
فَهِمَتْ أَمَلُ السَّبَبَ، لَكِنَّهَا أَخْبَرَتْهُ أَنَّ بَعْضَ الزَّبَائِنِ لَا يَعْرِفُونَ الْمَوْعِدَ الْجَدِيدَ. فِي الْيَوْمِ التَّالِي، وَضَعَ عَادِلٌ إِعْلَانًا وَاضِحًا عَلَى الْبَابِ يَذْكُرُ سَاعَةَ الْإِغْلَاقِ يَوْمَ الْخَمِيسِ وَسَبَبَهَا. وَاتَّفَقَتْ أَمَلُ مَعَ جَارَتِهَا عَلَى أَنْ تَشْتَرِيَ الْجَارَةُ لَهَا الْخُبْزَ صَبَاحَ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ. بَقِيَ الْمَوْعِدُ كَمَا هُوَ، لَكِنَّهُ لَمْ يَعُدْ مُفَاجَأَةً.
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Amal used to buy bread from the neighbourhood bakery after work. But she found it closed at four in the afternoon three weeks in a row, and each time it was Thursday. She thought the bread sold out that day. She told her neighbour she would stop by earlier the following week to buy what she needed.
Amal arrived at quarter to three and saw the owner, Adel, closing the front door. There was a tray full of bread on the table. At the side door, Adel put a bag of flour and several bowls in his car. She asked whether he was moving the bakery, and he smiled and said, “No, it’s time for the lesson.”
Adel explained that he taught a group of young people to make bread in the community centre’s kitchen every Thursday. The lesson started at three, and he needed time to prepare the place. The bread on the tray consisted of examples he was taking for the learners. He said that some of them hoped to work in a bakery after completing the lessons.
Amal asked why he had chosen to teach. He told her that an experienced baker had taught him the trade free of charge when he was young. He said, “I couldn’t afford a course, but he gave me his time. I want to do the same for someone else.” Then he carefully carried the tray to the car and checked that the bowls would not move during the journey.
Amal understood the reason, but she told him that some customers did not know the new hours. The next day, Adel put a clear notice on the door stating Thursday’s closing time and the reason for it. Amal agreed with her neighbour that the neighbour would buy bread for her that morning. The closing time stayed the same, but it was no longer a surprise.
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| مُتَتَابِعَةً | consecutive; in a row |
| يَنْفَدُ | runs out |
| صِينِيَّةٌ | a tray |
| كِيسَ دَقِيقٍ | a bag of flour |
| أَوْعِيَةٍ | bowls; containers |
| لِتَجْهِيزِ الْمَكَانِ | to prepare the place |
| الْمِهْنَةَ | the trade; the occupation |
| بِدُونِ مُقَابِلٍ | free of charge |
| الزَّبَائِنِ | the customers |
| سَاعَةَ الْإِغْلَاقِ | the closing time |
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
- Use the full tray of bread to reassess the customer’s first explanation for the closed bakery.
- Connect Adel’s free training in the past with his decision to teach, then distinguish a clearer notice from a change of opening hours.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Kana in Arabic: Was and Were
كَانَ شَابًّا
Recognise a past description of Adel when he received his training.
Arabic Time and Place Adverbs: Before, After, In Front and Behind
بَعْدَ الْعَمَلِ
Follow the customer’s usual shopping time and her new arrangement.
Arabic Relative Pronouns: Joining Ideas with Alladhi and Allati
الْخُبْزُ الَّذِي كَانَ عَلَى الصِّينِيَّةِ
Use a relative clause to identify the bread Adel was taking to his learners.
