Salma’s scholarship offers a year abroad, while a promise to her sister ties her to responsibilities at home. Their proposed arrangement leaves both opportunity and unequal costs on the table.
01Read the Arabic story
قَبُولُ الْمِنْحَةِ بَعِيدًا عَنِ الْبَيْتِ
حِينَ وَصَلَتْ رِسَالَةُ الْمِنْحَةِ، قَرَأَتْهَا سَلْمَى مَرَّتَيْنِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُخْبِرَ أُخْتَهَا هَنَاءَ. كَانَ الْبَرْنَامَجُ فِي بَلَدٍ بَعِيدٍ، وَيَبْدَأُ بَعْدَ شَهْرٍ وَيَسْتَمِرُّ عَامًا. تَمَنَّتْ هَذِهِ الْفُرْصَةَ طَوِيلًا، لَكِنَّهَا وَعَدَتْ هَنَاءَ أَنْ تَتَقَاسَمَا مُسَاعَدَةَ جَدِّهِمَا فِي شُؤُونِ الْبَيْتِ حَتَّى نِهَايَةِ الصَّيْفِ. وَبِنَاءً عَلَى ذَلِكَ، سَجَّلَتْ هَنَاءُ فِي دَوْرَةٍ مَسَائِيَّةٍ. وَهِيَ دَوْرَةٌ تَأْمُلُ أَنْ تَفْتَحَ لَهَا بَابَ عَمَلٍ جَدِيدٍ.
قَالَتْ هَنَاءُ إِنَّ الْمِنْحَةَ خَبَرٌ رَائِعٌ، ثُمَّ سَأَلَتْ عَمَّنْ سَيَشْتَرِي الْحَاجَاتِ وَيُعِدُّ الْعَشَاءَ. اقْتَرَحَتْ سَلْمَى تَأْجِيلَ السَّفَرِ، إِلَّا أَنَّ مُنَسِّقَ الْبَرْنَامَجِ أَكَّدَ أَنَّ مَقْعَدَهَا مُتَاحٌ لِهَذِهِ الدَّوْرَةِ فَقَطْ. أَمَّا جَدُّهُمَا فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ لَا يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَكُونَ سَبَبًا فِي ضَيَاعِ الْفُرْصَةِ، ثُمَّ سَأَلَ عَنْ مَوْعِدِ عَوْدَتِهَا.
أَعَدَّتْ سَلْمَى جَدْوَلًا بِالْمَهَامِّ بَدَلًا مِنْ تَكْرَارِ عِبَارَةِ «سَنَجِدُ حَلًّا». وَافَقَ عَمُّهَا عَلَى الْمُسَاعَدَةِ فِي نِهَايَةِ الْأُسْبُوعِ، وَاقْتَرَحَتْ أَنْ تَدْفَعَ أُجْرَةَ مُسَاعِدَةٍ تَأْتِي يَوْمَيْنِ أُسْبُوعِيًّا. وَكَانَتِ الْمِنْحَةُ تَشْمَلُ الدِّرَاسَةَ وَمَبْلَغًا شَهْرِيًّا مَحْدُودًا لِلْمَعِيشَةِ هُنَاكَ. حَسَبَتْ نَفَقَاتِهَا لِتَعْرِفَ مَا تَسْتَطِيعُ تَحَمُّلَهُ. سَيَكْفِي الْمَبْلَغُ، بِشَرْطِ أَنْ تَسْكُنَ فِي غُرْفَةٍ مُشْتَرَكَةٍ وَتُقَلِّلَ زِيَارَاتِهَا لِلْأَهْلِ.
قَبِلَ الْجَدُّ تَجْرِبَةَ التَّرْتِيبِ، لَكِنَّ هَنَاءَ أَشَارَتْ إِلَى الْأَيَّامِ الْفَارِغَةِ فِي الْجَدْوَلِ. قَالَتْ: «أَنَا سَأَمْلَأُ هَذِهِ الْفَرَاغَاتِ، وَلَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ نَتَصَرَّفَ كَأَنَّ الْعِبْءَ مُتَسَاوٍ». لَمْ تَعْتَرِضْ سَلْمَى. اتَّفَقَتَا عَلَى مُرَاجَعَةِ الْخُطَّةِ بَعْدَ شَهْرٍ، وَعَلَى أَنْ تَبْحَثَا عَنْ مُسَاعَدَةٍ إِضَافِيَّةٍ إِذَا تَعَارَضَتِ الْمَهَامُّ مَعَ دَوْرَةِ هَنَاءَ. وَلَمْ تُخْفِ هَنَاءُ أَنَّهَا لَا تَزَالُ مُتَرَدِّدَةً.
أَرْسَلَتْ سَلْمَى قَبُولَهَا، وَبَدَأَتْ تَجْهِيزَ حَقِيبَتِهَا. فِي الْمَسَاءِ، وَضَعَ جَدُّهَا كُوبَيْ شَايٍ كَعَادَتِهِ وَنَادَاهَا لِتَجْلِسَ مَعَهُ. تَحَدَّثَا عَنِ الْمَدِينَةِ الْجَدِيدَةِ، بَيْنَمَا بَقِيَ الْجَدْوَلُ عَلَى الطَّاوِلَةِ. وَقَبْلَ أَنْ تَنَامَ، سَأَلَتْهَا هَنَاءُ: «وَمَاذَا إِذَا لَمْ تَكْفِ الْخُطَّةُ؟» أَجَابَتْ: «سَنُغَيِّرُهَا، وَقَدْ أَحْتَاجُ إِلَى تَغْيِيرِ خُطَطِي هُنَاكَ أَيْضًا».
Show English translationHide English translation
When the scholarship letter arrived, Salma read it twice before telling her sister Hanaa. The programme was in a distant country, began in a month and lasted a year. She had long wished for this opportunity, but she had promised Hanaa that they would share helping their grandfather with household matters until the end of summer. On that basis, Hanaa had enrolled in an evening course. She hoped the course would open the door to a new job.
Hanaa said the scholarship was wonderful news, then asked who would buy the supplies and prepare dinner. Salma suggested postponing her departure, but the programme coordinator confirmed that her place was available only for this intake. Their grandfather said he did not want to be the reason she lost the opportunity, then asked when she would return.
Salma prepared a task schedule instead of repeating, “We will find a solution.” Her uncle agreed to help at weekends, and she proposed paying a helper to come twice a week. The scholarship covered tuition and a limited monthly living allowance abroad. She calculated her expenses to see what she could afford. The money would be enough, provided she lived in a shared room and reduced her visits home.
Their grandfather agreed to try the arrangement, but Hanaa pointed to the empty days on the schedule. She said, “I will fill these gaps, and I do not want us to act as though the burden is equal.” Salma did not object. They agreed to review the plan after a month and seek additional help if the tasks conflicted with Hanaa’s course. Hanaa did not hide that she was still hesitant.
Salma sent her acceptance and began packing. That evening, her grandfather set out two cups of tea as usual and called her to sit with him. They talked about the new city while the schedule remained on the table. Before she went to sleep, Hanaa asked, “And what if the plan is not enough?” She answered, “We will change it, and I may need to change my plans there too.”
02Useful words from the story
| Arabic in the story | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| الْمِنْحَةِ | the scholarship |
| تَتَقَاسَمَا | that the two of them share |
| شُؤُونِ الْبَيْتِ | household matters |
| تَأْجِيلَ السَّفَرِ | postponing the departure |
| مُتَاحٌ | available |
| بِالْمَهَامِّ | of the tasks |
| نَفَقَاتِهَا | her expenses |
| غُرْفَةٍ مُشْتَرَكَةٍ | a shared room |
| الْعِبْءَ | the burden of responsibility |
| مُتَرَدِّدَةً | hesitant |
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
- Hanaa recognises the opportunity while asking that her larger share of the work remain visible.
- The grandfather’s support can coexist with concern about losing everyday companionship.
Explore the Arabic in this story
Related grammar and vocabularyOpen Araqick guides connected to this story.
Lakinna and Lakin in Arabic: Two Patterns for But
لَكِنَّ هَنَاءَ أَشَارَتْ إِلَى الْأَيَّامِ الْفَارِغَةِ
Follow lakinna as it contrasts the grandfather’s willingness to try with Hanaa’s practical objection.
Purpose Li in Arabic: How to Say “In Order To”
لِتَعْرِفَ مَا تَسْتَطِيعُ تَحَمُّلَهُ
Identify the purpose of calculating expenses before committing to paid help.
