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"Like every morning, Hadj. Ali took his plastic chair outside his house, placed it in front of the metal door, and sat down. He spent the whole day sitting there, watching the world go by. He’s always there, rain or shine. His house was painted blue, which was a bold choice in this neighborhood, most houses were not even covered in cement. There were red bricks as far as the eye can see. He painted it himself.

Hadj. Ali was the eyes of the neighborhood. He saw children running to school, their backpacks bouncing. He waved to the mailman, who always smiled back. He watched birds fly from tree to tree, chirping their little songs. He noticed when young love started to blossom and when fights erupted behind closed doors.

He was the eyes of the neighborhood but above all, Hadj. Ali was the friend of the cats, all the cats and kittens from around the neighborhood. He pet them. He played with the. He fed them. He loved the.

One day, a boy named Sami stopped in front of Hadj. Ali’s house. “Good morning, Uncle!” Sami said.

“Good morning, young man,” Hadj. Ali replied. “Where are you going?”

“I’m coming to see you actually,” Sami said. “I have something to show you.”

Hadj. Ali was curious. “What’s that?” He said.

Sami giggled and got his phone out of his pocket to show him a video. On the video, one could see Hadj. Ali surrounded by a dozens cats. The cats seemed excited to see him. They were rubbing his legs and jumping around excitedly.

“I put this video on the internet, and it had more than one millions views! I received many messages of people who want to send you cat food so you can feed all your cats.”

Hadj. Ali was shocked. He wasn’t sure he understood everything, but he was very happy that the cats were going to get food.

Later, a cat came and sat near Hadj. Ali’s feet. It was a skinny, orange cat with big green eyes. “You are a star now, did you know that?” Hadj. Ali said, laughing.

Hadj ali was the heart of the neighborhood."

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Hang On a Second

• Hang on a second. So, you're telling me that you can make Crepponi at home? My mind is blown right now haha. I never thought that that was an option. I thought Crepponi just magically filled those old ice cream machines and only the chosen few could pull the lever for that delicious freezing swirly goodness haha. I have to try it. What do I need?

- I know right? Well, you need lemons of course. When life gives you lemons, you make...crepponi. and you also need sugar and eggs.

-Are you for real? Eggs? Is this ice cream or is it Mouskoutchou?

- I will send you the recipe. But just FYI, it takes some time and you might not get it right the first time. You need to hang in there and keep trying and maybe the next time we hang out we'll be eating your very own homemade Crepponi.

- I am excited. Crepponi was such a big part of my childhood. One of my core memories was running to 3ammi Zouzou's shop with my cousins with our 5 dinars in hand. He would always give me more, or at least that's what it felt like. I loved him for that. Sabrina would eat so slowly, it would melt on her hands and she'd always cry about it. That was the routine. Haha (Ding) Oh I just got your text. Thanks.

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Text: A Flood

I was standing on the edge of the pasture near Oued Djedi, watching the gray clouds gather over El Djelfa. The air was thick with the smell of rain, and the wind blew through the trees. Farmers nearby were hurriedly moving their sheep to higher ground. They were shouting and waving their hands. Every once and again, their yells mixed with the sound of thunder. Suddenly, the rain began, light at first, then heavy and relentless. The once-dry river bed began to fill up rapidly. Within minutes, the water was overflowing its banks. I was scared.

The sheep were stuck in the middle of the river bed, huddled together. Their loud bleats were drowned out by the sound of rushing water. An old shepherd, holding a long stick, stepped into the water. He shouted and tried to guide the sheep to higher ground. Other shepherds joined him, using ropes to pull some of the animals to safety. I wanted to help, but my legs felt rooted to the ground, overwhelmed by what I was seeing.

The water carried many things with it—branches, trash, and even a bright yellow bucket I had seen earlier. People from the village came to help. Everyone was wet and muddy, but they kept going.

Just as quickly as it began, the rain stopped, and the water’s advance slowed. The shepherds, soaked and exhausted, managed to save most of their sheep, though a few were still stranded on small patches of higher ground. I was very impressed by their quick actions, their resilience, and their bravery. I was embarrassed that I didn’t help and a little shocked at how frozen I had been. As the sun broke through the clouds, casting a golden light over the muddy scene, I felt a strange mixture of awe and sadness. The river that was nothing more than dry rocks that kids play on had reminded us all of its power.