THE DAY I DECIDED TO ROB A BANK

I don't know how all this anger built up in me

All I know

Tone is everyone was always some place and I was some place else

That left me with just one thing : my brain

Now at last

I'm going to do what my brain's been telling me

{WWW}

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The little shit's always late

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{TERRINN}

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{CLICK, ZEEK , ZUCK}

Note on the top: Please read from right to left
The platform phones never ring !!
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We're the ones who set up this network and only Shihab knows how to make it take calls ..

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Mustafa: Morning , Prince. I was just saying Mr. Shihab's the only one who can make the phones ring .. ...... Sure , Sure . I'm on my way up .

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Mustafa: I really don't feel good about this operation .. Come on , let's drop it Mr. Shihab Kay That's exactly the sort of wavering that'll do us in

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Mr. Shihab: I can't tell you everything'll be alright but the police don't have time for us ..... They're too busy looking after the security of just one person . Anything unexpected gets past them .

Mustafa: But this time it could be prison , Mr. Shihab

Mr. Shihab: In this country prison's for the poor , Mustafa ... and you're going to be rich Shall we go ?

Note on the top: Please read from right to left ←


Shihab remembers how his former partner and creditor accosted him two weeks previously

{AEEEE}

Man in Car (Hagg Gharib): Hey ! Shihab Got the money ?

Mr. Shihab: We're working on it ...

Hagg Gharib: Whaddya mean , you're working on it

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Mr. Shihab: But Hagg Gharib , you were our partner and with us all the way

Hagg Gharib: And thank God I made sure I was OK .. Listen..You got the money in one shot and I want it back the same way ... If not , I'll hunt you down

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{VREERROOOOOOOMMM}


Mr. Shihab: Mustafa , take all the bank papers . I can't show my face there any more . The only guarantee we can use is the program I designed .

Mustafa: That could be sold any where in the world
But the banks only lend to Gharib and others like him

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Mr. Shihab: The last loan we took was against the office I built with my sweat and tears and we still couldn't pay it back , I'll wait for you at Wannas's

Note on the top: Please read from right to left ←


Mustafa: Know what , Mr. Shihab ? We live in a God - forsaken place behind Izbit el Nakhl . Trash ... goats ... flying animals we call mosquitoes
not to mention sewers open to the sky ..
Anyway , they decided it didn't look nice and wouldn't do
Know what they did ?

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Mr. Shihab: What ?

Mustafa: They built a wall around us

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Mr. Shihab: All of us are in this very big trap And we'll stay in there , waiting . Maybe somebody'll throw us a bit of cheese


Mustafa: Take Wannas . His bit of cheese is a pound note . And you , your bit of cheese is a new cell phone . The rich man's bit of cheese is a hot chick and the chick is chasing after a new BMW . The biggest bit of cheese is a palace in Sharm El Sheikh , or a yacht at Marina . The main thing is , everyone's kept too busy going around in circles to think about anything else .
Sign: ALFA MARKI

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Mustafa: I have to find a way out of the whole trap
OK . Aren't the big officials outside the trap ? We ought to get into the government ... and steal and live

Mustafa: Then Gharib'd kiss our feet , swear to God !

Mr. Shihab: I've got a helluva idea

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Mr. Shihab: Know what's right on in what you said ? The solution's in front of us . The trap is open only nobody leaves , exactly like you guys when they built a wall around you -you just stood there and watched .

Mustafa: Give over ! The rusty nail gets hammered down

Mr. Shihab: That's the problem . We have to get out of the trap together..Hey , It's almost eight .


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Mr. Shihab: Let's go back to the office . They'll have buzzed off by now

Return to the present . Shihab and Mustafa set off to rob a bank ....

List of locations on a map: Bohooth - Dokki - Gezira - Mubarak ( Ramses ) - Orabi - Nasser- Sadat ( Tahrir )- Saad Zaghloul- Mohammed Naguib - Ataba - Emad-Eldin - Naguib El-Rihani - Port - Saic


Mr. Shihab: The trap's open .. Mustafa
Just two steps and we're out

Mustafa:Yeah , but is it safe ?

Note on the top: Please read from right to left ←


But before Shihab can carry out his plan ....

Inside the bank . The director's office

Bank director: What collateral , sir ? The bank is honored to make Your Excellency the loan

His Excellency: Have you finished ? !!

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Mr. Shihab(to himself): Hey , what's going on ? Five million dollars have been issued and who to!

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Mr. Shihab: Looks like I'll have to finish off the work on my own inside . I'll be back in five

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His Excellency: You don't say so. We go to all this trouble and I swear people don't give a damn . Listen , friend . I'm a straight shooter praise God ! You'll get your commission .

Bank director: Here's the money

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His Excellency: Who's that ?
Bank director: What's that ?


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Mr. Shihab: Clean up time

Voice: Call security !

Mr. Shihab: Ever since I was little , I've loved Bruce Lee ..
When we were in Upper Egypt with Dad

Mr. Shihab: We used to copy the men playing at stick fighting

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Sticks
{Crash}
Bones
{Smash}

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Today...

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Mr. Shihab: Today , let bones be smashed , like the dreams of our youth

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Mr. Shihab: You . Hand over the money

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Mr. Shihab: Don't move an inch ! Every thing ' ll be over in couple a minutes

His Excellency: Wait . I beg you , don't hurt me . I'm ... I'm . ... ready to let you make more than that . And without breaking the law..hhmmmfff

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Mr. Shihab: The alarm . It's off , right ?

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His Excellency: Li ... Li ... Listen . Don't think ...


Mr. Shihab: Cut the ' listen ' crap This time , you get to do the listening . Move Keep your mouth shut . and walk ahead of me

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Mr. Shihab: You have to make even an honest robbery dirty
Anyway if that finger presses the alarm it'll be the last thing it does for a month

Mr. Shihab: Hallo ? I'm coming out

His Excellency: Ah ! Don't think

Mr. Shihab: Shut it , asshole
No , no . Not you , Mustafa Be ready in 20 seconds

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Mr. Shihab: Now you're the government and here are the guys who've been robbing you , taking your money , and making you go hungry . Here he is , trussed like chicken

Mustafa: Anyone want to have a go ... ?

The politician , fearing scandal , tells the bank manager to hush the whole affair up and Shihab hides the money . Mustafa returns to his home in a slum ....

Next day . Shihab's house , Shihab and Mustafa search the papers for mention of the bank robbery . There is none . Dina turns up with stuff from Shihab's office .

Note on the top: Please read from right to left ←

Mustafa: She isn't a stranger , Hagga . This is Dina
Dina's a journalist , and she's interested in Mr. Shihab's .. system , y'know

Hagga: Nice to meet you , dearie

Dina: And nice to meet you , Tante. That friend of yours is amazingly rude . I mean like how can you be friends with a guy like that?



Mr. Shihab: I've known him for ages . He stayed with me after all the rest of the company's employees had left me I've known him since Elementary , when we used to jump over the turnstiles in the metro

Dina: OK , so he'd jump over . I can see it . But why you?


Mr. Shihab: Because I like to cheat the system . In fact , it's not a system , it's a long line of prisoners who don't know how to get out or where to go . Anyway , Mustafa's a decent guy . And he always thinks whatever I do is great .

Mr. Shihab: People are numb . Nothing has any effect on them . They've put up with so much they just say , ' That's the way things are here .

Dina: So what then ? Can this really be the end ?

Dina: Isn't there any solution ? What about all those computers and that software of yours , genius ?

Mr. Shihab: Dina , we have a well known rule . When a program you're designing gets messy , throw it out , and start over . And our programs aren't just messy , they've got a virus

Dina: What's That ?

{TRRN}
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Mr. Shihab: What's that ? The plat form phones never ring

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Mr. Shihab: Wait , Dina ....
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Mr. Shihab: We're the only ones who know how to pull that trick ...
{TRRN}

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Mustafa:it wouldn't be right to go abroad without speaking to you

Mr. Shihab: You ?!

Mustafa: That's right . Mustafa . I knew you'd figure out it was me

Mustafa: I'm one of the many people who are worth nothing

Mustafa: and there's no way I'm going to be worth anything not in a hundred years

Mustafa: I couldn't pass up the money . I'll never get a chance like this again

Mr. Shihab: You've robbed me !

Mr. Shihab: Don't get too upset , brother . This country gets ripped off every day . This time it's my turn . It's true I won't be coming back here , but I'll never forget my friends . As soon as I've got myself set up , I'll send you an invitation to come and visit

Mustafa: you could have been worth something Now you've cost yourself that chance

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Mustafa: All the same , wasn't it you who said we had to find a way out of the trap ?

Mr. Shihab: I said ' we , not ' you . ' Do you know what I found outside the trap ?
I found people even more scared than we are

Mustafa: Excuse me , Mr. Shihab . I've got to throw the cell phone away now . Like you told us , the mobile is the most dangerous tracking device

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Mr. Shihab: I just hope I never hear your voice again , you whore

Dina: Watch your language , Shihab . Who was that ?

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Mr. Shihab: He used to Be my friend , but to be honest ...

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Mr. Shihab:..no one ever gave a damn about him

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Mr. Shihab: Not even me !

Shihab reflects that , despite his qualifications and effort , it has been easier for him in this society where everything is upside down , to make money robbing a bank . The bank manager has found a way to hide the robbery and nothing will ever be heard of it . He and Dina are alone on the metro platform ...

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Mr. Shihab: Now the train has left

Mr. Shihab: Dina ..