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The birth of a king

Feb 01,2016 - Last updated at Feb 01,2016

In 1953, I was still a child with wide-eyed dreams. At any expense, I wanted to see King Hussein’s coronation at the Parliament House near the 1st Circle in Jabal Amman.

There were many people. I could not squeeze my way through the taller and bigger men waiting for the King and his red jeep entourage.

To my luck, I saw a glittering gold ring on the curb of the street. 

Minutes later, a 20ish woman came out of the Umm Darwish two-storey mansion overlooking the Parliament’s court.

Obviously perturbed, she pushed me aside and started to ardently search for something.

She suddenly stopped, looked at me with a begging, hopeful, look and asked: “Have you been here long?”

I nodded.

“Did you find anything yellow?” 

I nodded. 

“What is it. Show me,” she yelled. I sluggishly put my hand in my pocket and produced the ring.

She snatched it and hammered me with kisses. Then she abruptly went back through the door she had come out from.

The door was reopened, and she came out and extended her hand with a half-a-dinar note.

“Please take it.”

“No,” I said.

“No, no,” she exclaimed. 

“Why not?”

“I just do not take money from strangers,” I replied.

“What do you want, habibi?” she asked.

I was only nine at the time. I told her to take me up into her house so I can see the King.

Without hesitation, she grabbed my hand and lifted me to that heavenly balcony.

I did not care about the people who were there. I rushed to the veranda’s edge and looked down.

How impressed I was watching the King get out of his car, salute the guard of honour and wait in attention as the military band played the national anthem.

That kid never forgot the fascinating, awe-filling experience.

I lived to be the King’s last chief of the Royal Court and the first under His Majesty King Abdullah.

During the 47 years of His Majesty King Hussein’s reign, I became a minister many times, a deputy prime minister and held many other leading positions.

I attended HRH Prince Abdullah’s wedding to Rania Al Yassin. I saw him being crowned. It was a fascinating experience.

King Abdullah’s 54th birthday was a few days ago. On February 7, it will be the 17th anniversary of his Ascension to the Hashemite Throne.

I remember when he was born. 

At the time, I had just arrived in California to begin my undergraduate studies at the California Polytechnic University in Pomona.

A letter arrived from my father informing me that King Hussein became Abu Abdullah.

Time surely flies. I met Prince Abdullah on many occasions during my travels. He exudes energy even when he enjoys a hot-dog sandwich at JFK Airport in New York.

He has moulded his own persona, and what a determined, inspiring man he is!

It is his birthday, and we all wish him the best of health, vision and happiness.

 

The writer, a former Royal Court chief and deputy prime minister, is a member of Senate. He contributed this article to The Jordan Times.

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