Ordinary Man

By Karim Mostafa

Part of a restricted circle of elites, he uses sex, alcohol, and drugs to get over the struggles of a failed childhood. Son of a rich diplomat who offers money as a means for affection and of a mother who abandoned her children, Kamal has always felt lost. He believes he missed his chance for true love, which leads him to build a strong defense mechanism to not let anyone get close enough to him. One evening in New York brings him back to confront the demons of his past. One phone call, and life as he knows it changes forever. He has always known one day his life would be in danger. But could one act of terrorism restore his faith in love and family?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing Singapore
• Release date: Feb 12, 2018
• ISBN: 9781543744521

Book preview

Copyright © 2018 by Karim Mostafa.

ISBN:      Softcover   978-1-5437-4453-8

      eBook      978-1-5437-4452-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

www.partridgepublishing.com/singapore

Contents

Chapter 1: Sirens

Chapter 2: Leaving on a Jet Plane

Chapter 3: Empire State of Mind

Chapter 4: Almost Here

Chapter 5: Amen Omen

Chapter 6: Hallelujah

Chapter 7: Seven Devils

Chapter 8: Fix You

Chapter 9: Ordinary Love

Karim Mostafa

Ordinary Man

Inspired by True Events

A Short Story

I have nothing special

I am an ordinary man with ordinary thoughts

And an ordinary life

No monument is dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten

But on one side

I was as successful as anyone

Chapter 1: Sirens

They keep calling out, calling out someone’s name, all you can do is pray these sirens don’t come our way

Geneva, Switzerland, May 07th 2015,

As the Alarm of his phone kept going off, barely awake, he grabs his phone and smashes it against the wall. He knew he had to wake up, he knew a new day had already long started, but the amount of alcohol still in his blood system didn’t help with his terrible migraine. With one eye open, he tries to make sense of where he is. Different empty vodka bottles on the floor, white powder on the bed side table, a marijuana cigarette still half smoked in the ashtray, he was in a trashed hotel room. Coming out of the bathroom, he lights a cigarette, and looks at that naked woman still fast asleep in the bed. Lying there between the silk sheets in her immaculate form, her blonde hair flowed down to the middle of her back, he couldn’t help but notice a small ‘Peace Flower’ tattoo above her pelvic area. He takes a long puff of smoke and thinks I can do better!.

Getting dressed and ready to rush out of the room, she wakes up and looks at him with a flirtatious smile:

-What? You’re not offering me breakfast?

-Sorry baby, got a flight to catch! He replies while half way out of the door.

Parked on the shores of Lake Geneva, he grabs the fine on his windshield, tears it apart and gets in the car. The Audi R8’s V10 engine roars, breaking the morning silence with pedestrians turning around, he pulls out on the road and in a just few seconds has already crossed the Mont Blanc Bridge.

Kamal Mahfooz, strongly built, working out at the gym is a very important part of his lifestyle. He never liked a particular sport, but always made efforts in staying healthy and building a physique for himself. Son of Egyptian parents, his Middle Eastern looks combined to his European charm is one of his most appealing attributes.Thus offering him a lot of success with women. Charismatic, Kamal always had one of these qualities that attracted people, they do not only listen to him but believe in him. Fluently speaking eight languages, he attended the most prestigious international schools, his parents deeply invested in his education while he graduated with Masters in Financial Management. All that has lead him to be one of the industry’s most successful bankers. Sports Players, Celebrities and Politicians, trusted him with their wealth in benefiting with the Swiss Bank Secrecy in the city’s most prominent Bank. In fact, Kamal is not like the average banker that needs to work to support his wife and family, he did not have any. Still in his late twenties, his lifestyle did not allow to settle down with one woman. From erratic partying behavior, wild one night stands, Kamal only knows how to have fun. He is an expert at spending money, from the clubs of Paris, to the beaches of Saint Bart’s, where tremendous amounts were spent on a daily basis, Kamal was part of that one percent of the world, with his entourage forming a circle of an Elite, not afraid to show off their wealth.

Sitting in the Smoking Lounge of Geneva Cointrain Airport, he pulls out his phone and checks his Snapchat Story, a reminder of his previous night. Through the broken IPhone screen