Mo Gawdat

He told his mom, I said, yeah, absolutely. But I was busy at the time. I'll talk to him when he comes to Dubai. So I go, you know, for the first three days, I keep telling him, Ali, shall we talk about this just so that we get it out of the way? And he was like, no, it's okay, Papa. And then the last time I asked him, the night before he left us, I said, Ali, shouldn't we talk about this?

He told his mom, I said, yeah, absolutely. But I was busy at the time. I'll talk to him when he comes to Dubai. So I go, you know, for the first three days, I keep telling him, Ali, shall we talk about this just so that we get it out of the way? And he was like, no, it's okay, Papa. And then the last time I asked him, the night before he left us, I said, Ali, shouldn't we talk about this?

And he said, again, I quote, he said, Papa, it's okay. I'm not going to make it. Anyway, the next morning he wakes up with a very severe belly ache. They say they know. So good people know when they're leaving. And Ali knew. Ali knew in so many ways. Oh my God. The day before Habibi took us, It's probably the most touching moment of my life. We went out for lunch two days before.

And he said, again, I quote, he said, Papa, it's okay. I'm not going to make it. Anyway, the next morning he wakes up with a very severe belly ache. They say they know. So good people know when they're leaving. And Ali knew. Ali knew in so many ways. Oh my God. The day before Habibi took us, It's probably the most touching moment of my life. We went out for lunch two days before.

And Ali, as I said, he didn't speak much. Always either joked or said something wise. So we're out there, we're having lunch together, the four of us. And then he says, I have something to say. We go like, yes, Ali has something to say. And he speaks for 45 minutes nonstop. He looks at each of us in the eyes. And he says, you really know I love you, right? Like a dying grandfather.

And Ali, as I said, he didn't speak much. Always either joked or said something wise. So we're out there, we're having lunch together, the four of us. And then he says, I have something to say. We go like, yes, Ali has something to say. And he speaks for 45 minutes nonstop. He looks at each of us in the eyes. And he says, you really know I love you, right? Like a dying grandfather.

He says, this is what I really love about you. This is what you taught me when I was this. And he just recites the whole thing, each of us for like 10, 15 minutes. And then he says, but there are a couple of things I'd like you to do. I think it would make you perfect. Anyway, on the 1st of July, he gets this belly pain. We take him to a hospital. He's diagnosed with an appendix inflammation.

He says, this is what I really love about you. This is what you taught me when I was this. And he just recites the whole thing, each of us for like 10, 15 minutes. And then he says, but there are a couple of things I'd like you to do. I think it would make you perfect. Anyway, on the 1st of July, he gets this belly pain. We take him to a hospital. He's diagnosed with an appendix inflammation.

Not even severe. They prescribe her an appendectomy, which is the simplest surgery known to humankind. The surgeon does five mistakes in a row. Ali gets into the operating room at 10 p.m. At 4 a.m., we lose her. Five mistakes in a row. Every one of them was preventable. Every one of them was fixable. They fixed them wrong. And then suddenly life is put in perspective.

Not even severe. They prescribe her an appendectomy, which is the simplest surgery known to humankind. The surgeon does five mistakes in a row. Ali gets into the operating room at 10 p.m. At 4 a.m., we lose her. Five mistakes in a row. Every one of them was preventable. Every one of them was fixable. They fixed them wrong. And then suddenly life is put in perspective.

Suddenly you recognize so many things. There is an inevitability to loss that completely beats your ego out of you.

Suddenly you recognize so many things. There is an inevitability to loss that completely beats your ego out of you.

Yeah, and at his absolute prime and a loving child and the pride of a father, I mean, that moment... When I hugged him before he went into the operating room, Ali was tall, handsome, very wise, very smart, but also very loving. He had this incredible hug. And when he was maybe 15, he was a shorter child than normal. So being an annoying father that I am, I used to call him Shorty.

Yeah, and at his absolute prime and a loving child and the pride of a father, I mean, that moment... When I hugged him before he went into the operating room, Ali was tall, handsome, very wise, very smart, but also very loving. He had this incredible hug. And when he was maybe 15, he was a shorter child than normal. So being an annoying father that I am, I used to call him Shorty.

You know, jokingly, not all the time, but like, hey, come here, Shorty, do you want to, you know, should I, you know, whatever, play, whatever. And he would laugh about it. And then when he was 15, I traveled a lot, but sometimes two, three weeks at a time. And then I come back and he's taller than me. And I'm like, Ali, are you taller than me? He answers and says, yes, fat hobbit.

You know, jokingly, not all the time, but like, hey, come here, Shorty, do you want to, you know, should I, you know, whatever, play, whatever. And he would laugh about it. And then when he was 15, I traveled a lot, but sometimes two, three weeks at a time. And then I come back and he's taller than me. And I'm like, Ali, are you taller than me? He answers and says, yes, fat hobbit.

And from then onwards, you know, I don't get to call him shorty anymore. And he gets to call me fat hobbit. And I hug him before he goes into the operating room and he goes like, it's going to be fine, fat hobbit. And then he sits on the operating table and he had a tattoo on his back that he had and never told me that he had. He told his mom. Again, because of how Ali is.

And from then onwards, you know, I don't get to call him shorty anymore. And he gets to call me fat hobbit. And I hug him before he goes into the operating room and he goes like, it's going to be fine, fat hobbit. And then he sits on the operating table and he had a tattoo on his back that he had and never told me that he had. He told his mom. Again, because of how Ali is.

He basically said, I'm so upset because I didn't ask Papa if I can use his money to get that tattoo. But then I'm going to tell him one day, but I'm not ready. Anyway, so I see it for the first time because it's appearing from his scrubs from the back. And it says, the very last sentence that Ali tells me, the gravity of the battle means nothing to those at peace. That's what the tattoo says.

He basically said, I'm so upset because I didn't ask Papa if I can use his money to get that tattoo. But then I'm going to tell him one day, but I'm not ready. Anyway, so I see it for the first time because it's appearing from his scrubs from the back. And it says, the very last sentence that Ali tells me, the gravity of the battle means nothing to those at peace. That's what the tattoo says.