With the "Sabbouha" in Paris on the back of the "Bateaux Mouches"

The late Badih Serbey wrote in 1986:

It is only coincidence that unites me more than once every year in Paris with the star singer Sabah, without prior arrangements between us.

In the grand Paris, which seems like several cities, it is difficult for me to know if Sabah has come there, unless she was singing in a theater, or I could have known about her presence in Paris through the Arabic Monte Carlo Radio, which always hosts any Arab artistic figure who appears in the French capital, except that this radio is heard in all parts of the world except Paris, and until now I do not know the wisdom behind that?

But Sabah knows the soul of Paris, knows who is visiting as soon as she enters her go-to Hotel, the George V Hotel with her dazzling elegance and her illuminating presence. She has been staying at the George V for more than twenty years now, becoming a well known figure of the establishment amongst new and old employees alike. 

This is why Sabah always surprises me with her voice through the telephone telling me "I'm here"...

I came to Paris at the end of last summer to take a break after numerous business trips to multiple countries. I wanted to experience life without racing with the news or chasing after new journalistic topics.

One night, I was at a party with some Arab families residing in Paris. The conversations during this evening revolved around the artistic and social events that had taken place on the beaches of the French Riviera and Marbella in Spain the previous summer. There were various comments on these events that did not go beyond the usual time-wasting talk.

But, amidst the discussions and comments, one of the ladies mentioned the name: "Sabah!"
She said loudly:
- I heard this morning in Marbia, and oh my, how beautiful and elegant Sabah was!

As soon as the lady finished talking about Sabah, a discussion began, one that had no beginning and no end, about the difference between Sabah and other singers of the generation, about the age she had reached, and also about whether it was appropriate for her to continue singing!

The lady whose words had sparked this discussion turned to me and asked:
• You know better than anyone, how old Sabah is now?
I said:
- I don't care about her age written on her ID card!! When I look at her, I always see her as "young"!

A second lady intervened to tell me:
• It is not necessary to tell us how old she is. However, it is very important to know that Sabah has proven that there is no menopause for women if they do not want to reach it.

And I told her:
- Shame on you, Sabah has many years left before she reaches menopause.

She replied to me saying:
I'm not saying Sabah has reached menopause, and even if she had, it would make me admire her even more. What I'm saying is that there are actresses the age of Sabah's daughter, yet they appear flabby and the glow of youth has faded from their faces. So what is Sabah doing, I wonder, to remain eternally youthful?

I said:
- Shall I ask her?

She told me:
- when?

I said laughing:
- Tomorrow..

Of course, I said this word without meaning it, as I did not know where Sabah was to contact her, especially since she loves travelling in the summer, and is a flying bird that sings in more than one place. In addition to that, what I learned from her in my last meeting with her in London was that she was going on a long trip to the United States of America to see her son, the doctor Sabah Najib Al-Shammas!

But, as if Sabah had heard what I had promised, she did not want me to break it. I woke up the next day to the phone ringing. As soon as I picked up the receiver, her cheerful laughter echoed in my ears. It was like a musical introduction to her news bulletin, the summary of which she had given me, so that I would hear the details from her when we met!

She then asked me:
What are you doing today?
I said:
- I'm on vacation now.. what do you want us to do!

She replied:
-"Dakhlak", the sun is beautiful today in Paris, and I prefer to enjoy seeing the day, as long as I have no artistic work that makes me stay up until the end of the night!

I told her:
- I have an idea. Near the George V Hotel is the port for river ships called "Bateaux Mouches". How about a trip on one of them?

She replied:
- I always used to see these ships passing through the “Seine” and wish I was in them.

I said:
- So we'll be there today, and we will talk a lot..

Hours later, we were at the Bateaux-Mouches port, and Sabah chose to sit on the open side of the ship so she could enjoy the sun and easily see Paris from both banks of the Seine, especially since she would be just a tourist on the deck of the ship, unknown to anyone, even though the eyes of dozens of tourists were fixed on her when she entered the ship.

The ship began to walk over the Seine River, passing under the first bridge, the second bridge, and the third bridge, with Sabaha beaming, happy with what she saw, and extremely calm.

Sabah and I were sitting on two adjacent benches, and after a period of silence, we spent time watching the banks of the river.
I told her:
• Imagine, yesterday I promised a lady that I would ask you a question about you on her behalf, and I did not expect to keep my promise, and at the exact time I had set for her, which was... today!

The Sabbouha laughed and said:
- The question is of course about... my age!

I said:
I have become accustomed to hearing this question in any gathering where your name is mentioned, and I always have my answer ready.

She laughed again and said:
- How about I print thousands of copies of my ID card and distribute them to everyone who asks about my age, so that you and I can rest easy from having to answer the same question every time!

To Be Continued....