Missing in Egypt Read online

  Missing in Egypt

  by Rita Lee Chapman

  “Missing in Egypt” © Copyright R. Chapman 2011

  Contents

  Section I Life Decisions - Career Move

  1. Missing

  2. Kareem

  3. The Search for Ramy

  4. The Ransom

  5. Kareem’s Disappearance

  6. The Secret

  Section II Life Decisions - Ramy’s Story

  1. Yasmeen

  2. The Disagreement

  3. The Secret Tomb

  4. Golden Treasures

  Section III Life Decisions - Mine

  1. Valley of the Queens

  2. What Lay Beyond

  3. Back in Australia

  4. Ramy’s Story Continues

  5. Fate’s Next Twist

  6. Hard Decisions

  Section I Life Decisions - Career Move

  1. Missing

  I was alone in the electorate office late one Friday afternoon when a well-dressed man of about 30 came in. “Excuse me”, he said “but I need Mr Blake’s help”. I invited him to sit down and tell me how we could help. “Its my brother” he explained “he’s missing”.

  “I’m sorry to hear that” I replied “although missing persons are a Police matter so they really come under the State Government”.

  “No, you don’t understand – my brother is missing in Egypt. We haven’t been able to contact him for over a month and my family are crazy with worry about him”.

  “Oh, I’m sorry” I replied. “I didn’t realise. Have you contacted the Australian Embassy in Cairo?”

  “Yes, they say they are doing everything they can, but they cannot tell us anything”.

  As the story unfolded, it appeared that Kareem Hazif’s younger brother, Ramy, had taken a few weeks holiday after finishing Uni to visit Egypt before he looked for a permanent job. He had been to Egypt once before, as a child, to visit his extended family there and was keen to return to see more of the country of his forebears. After staying with family in Cairo for a month he said he wanted to travel around by himself for a while and headed off up the Nile. Kareem said his family had received a postcard from Abu Simbel but there had been no contact since then. “Ramy is usually very good at keeping in touch with regular postcards and phone calls, but no-one has heard anything since Abu Simbel” Kareem explained.

  “Mr Blake is in Canberra at the moment, as the Parliament is sitting” I advised Mr Hazif. “However, I will be in contact with him and I know he will want to follow this matter up with the Minister for Foreign Affairs for you.”

  I tried to reassure him that young people can be very thoughtless when they are enjoying themselves but promised to contact him as soon as we received a reply from the Minister.

  I watched him leave the office. He was quite good looking, I noticed. Tall and well built he was wearing a dark suit and his white shirt highlighted huge brown eyes framed with long, dark eyelashes that most girls would die for. I typed up my case notes and prepared a letter to the Minister. I placed it on the pile for Jim’s signature over the week-end and called it a day.

  As I sipped a hot chocolate at home curled up in my favourite chair, my mind slipped back to when I first went to work for Jim Blake and the learning curve that came with the job.

  I’d been working in the City as Executive Assistant for the Group General Manager of a large corporation in Sydney – very prestigious, swish offices, an army of staff to assist with every request and a lovely boss. However, I hated the train travel and wasn’t being stretched in my work. I was on the move! Then I saw the ad in the local paper – Personal Secretary to a Federal Member of Parliament – and close to home with parking!

  At 30 years of age and single I, Anna Davies, had been ready for this new challenge. I owned my own home (well, at least a few bricks of it by now) and I was looking for a new career move. I was also looking for the chance to meet some new people (for “people” read “men”!)

  The interview wasn’t as terrifying as I had thought it would be. Tall and slim and wearing a very expensive looking suit he looked every inch the politician. I had done my research - Jim Blake was known as a hard-working Liberal Member with a reputation for working his staff as hard as himself and having an open door policy to all his constituents. Father to two boys, aged 15 and 17 and a daughter of 22 he had little time for any hobbies and was a 24 hour a day politician. I was welcomed warmly by Lesley, his other staffer with whom I would be working and taken into Jim’s office. Jim explained the requirements of the position, his expectations of me and asked me about my previous experience. He told me that his wife, Janine, had returned to work when the children were older and had a good career of her own as deputy principal of a local primary school. He was easy to talk to and .I decided if I was offered the job I would take it.

  It wasn’t long after the interview that I heard the job was mine. On my first day I was both nervous and excited as I walked into the office of the local Federal MP. Right from the start I loved the job – it was very busy, very demanding and very interesting. I did find going from the private sector to a government job was very restrictive in some areas though. I was used to picking up the phone and ordering anything we needed but the government way of doing things – going through the department, completing paperwork and not always getting exactly what you wanted, could be very frustrating!

  My work consisted of looking after the MP, making his appointments, keeping the diary, accepting or regretting invitations, arranging travel – flights, Commonwealth cars to and from the airport and to his appointments. I also looked after everything from stationery to coffee supplies. However the major part of my job was helping constituents, particularly when Jim was out of the office or in Canberra when the Parliament was sitting. They would walk through the door - either premeditated or on a whim on their way past whilst out shopping - telephone or fax with a variety of problems from issues with Telstra, Social Security, Immigration, Veterans Affairs, Aboriginal Affairs – and everything else the Federal Government was responsible for running. Some times they just came in to give their views on a current affair or a position taken by the Opposition on an issue. In addition, I arranged telegrams for Silver, Golden and Diamond Wedding Anniversaries upon request from a family member. I also needed to be abreast of current political and government affairs in order to handle their inquiries. I soon began to wish I had a dollar for every time someone walked into the office and said “haven’t you anything better to do?” as I struggled to scan the paper inbetween calls and mark off items of interest for Jim.

  There were only two staff in the electorate office. My colleague, Lesley, handled the Liberal Party members and meetings, press releases and also some constituent work. Lesley was very outgoing, married to an architect and I suspected that she was keen to enter politics herself one day. At 5” 4”, with long dark hair and expressive brown eyes she was always very smartly dressed, her hair and make-up immaculate and she was always able to handle even the most difficult constituent with patience and flair – something I didn’t always find easy!

  After a few months it was suggested I go down to Canberra during a sitting week to see what happens in the Parliament House office. I certainly had plenty of butterflies on my first day at Old Parliament House! After putting my bag through the X-ray machine and passing through the scanner I was given a daily pass and some forms for Jim to sign for my permanent pass. The attendants were very helpful and directed me to Jim’s office which turned out to be not much bigger than a broom cupboard. In the middle of the cupboard was a big desk, which we shared, sitting opposite each other. Fortunately Jim was out of the office most of the time, either in the Chamber or at Committee Meetings. He was ver
y self-sufficient - and needed to be as he didn’t have a member of staff in Canberra to assist him. The building was a rabbit-warren of little corridors and offices and it was easy to get lost. Jim gave me a tour, showing me the Chambers, Members’ Private Rooms, the Party Room and the MPs’ Dining Room. It was all very impressive.

  I was in the office by 9 am and the House sat until 6.30 pm when it would break for dinner until 8 pm and then sit until around 11 pm. Some times they would sit past midnight – occasionally there were even all night sittings. There was a very good staff cafeteria which sold a large variety of food at very reasonable prices and here I met a few other staffers.

  I was very conscious of having to think before I spoke of any political matters, especially if there were Labor party staffers around and even amongst our own colleagues. I was very lucky as usually Jim told me not to come back after 6.30 pm so I was free to return to my motel room, but I was still very tired at the end of each day. The staff of Ministers and Shadow Ministers were of course needed until the House rose. I learned on day one where the Press Boxes were as Jim was a prolific press release writer and I would climb up to the top level armed with about 60 copies of the press release and throw one into each box. Then we would wait to see if any of the papers picked up the story. It was a very exciting week for me and I loved every minute of it.

  I had been with Jim for about a year when there was a Shadow Ministry reshuffle and Jim was appointed Shadow Minister for Immigration. This meant a much better office in Parliament House! The offices were allocated at the beginning of each Parliament and the longest serving MPs were given priority after the Shadow Ministers. We now had an office in the new annexe and it was very grand after the cupboard! We had a suite with 2 offices and 3 desks and a nice view over the Rose Garden! The other advantage was that we were now entitled to another staff member.

  It was decided that, for the time being, we would put another person on in Sydney and I would go to Canberra for the sitting weeks.

  It was much more pleasant working in our new environment. As a Shadow Minister Jim was very busy and now he really did need someone in Canberra when the House was sitting. The lady who took my photo for my new Pass commented “you all come in looking so fresh and within a couple of sittings you all look so worn out and tired”.

  Jim had always had a big interest in the immigration portfolio so we had a lot of inquiries and with his new title these increased fourfold as he dealt with cases Australia wide. As I found immigration very interesting I took on most of the Immigration caseload in the office.

  Immigration seemed to bring out the best and worst in human nature and cultures. A Middle Eastern man came into the office one day. “I want Mr Blake to help me speed up my relative’s immigration application” he demanded. “Certainly”, I replied “when did you lodge it?” The reply? “I’m lodging it tomorrow”.

  It was therefore a refreshing, if sad, experience when an Asian gentleman came in and, very apologetically, asked if we could find out what was happening with his young daughter’s application. “I’m so sorry to bother you, but she is living with my mother and she is very old” he said. “I know you are very busy and I very sorry”.

  “That’s okay” I replied. “We are here to help you. How long ago did you lodge the application?” “Three years ago” was his response. When I rang the Department it was ultimately decided that the application had somehow been lost and it was necessary for him to lodge a new one. We sent a letter in with the new application explaining the problems and it was very satisfying when his daughter finally arrived in Australia.

  Every Department had a Parliamentary Liaison Officer who was the contact for MPs and their staff to help them through the departmental bureaucracy and provide quick and accurate responses to our inquiries. 95% of them were skilled professionals and without their help it would be impossible to service our constituents’ inquiries. Of course there were always the odd exceptions who were not particularly helpful or quick, but the majority are a pleasure to deal with. (I’m sure they say the same about us!)

  A lot of immigration inquiries were directed to Parliament House and a lot of my time was spent following up these cases. In addition, Jim often required me to research information for a speech – often at very short notice. It was nothing for him to say “I’m giving a speech in the House on so-and-so in an hour’s time – see what you can dig up for me”. The Parliamentary Library was wonderful for these occasions. They had a dedicated, hard-working staff who would happily pull out masses of information, which I could then sift through. There was of course a pecking order, which meant that the Ministers requests were given priority, then the Government MPs followed by the Opposition Ministers and lastly the Opposition backbenchers. It was just a matter of luck whether they were rushed off their feet at the time of your request. I discovered it certainly paid to be very nice to the researchers and to beg rather than demand in times of need! I was very proud when one of Jim’s speeches, for which I had provided most of the material, was hailed by his colleagues as his best yet. (I think some credit should probably go to Jim’s use of the material and his delivery!).

  It was an odd life when Parliament was sitting. I would fly down Sunday night, stay in a motel all week, work odd hours and then fly back Friday morning the first week and Friday night the second week, when the House sat a day longer. The first week I would go straight from the airport to the Electorate Office and try to get on top of the Electorate work and then it would be back to Canberra again on Sunday night. Although we had a very good casual who came in for those weeks, I liked to do my own filing. If Jim needed something quickly I had to know exactly where to put my hands on it.

  The highlight of the Parliamentary week was Wednesday evening, when the House rose at 6.30 pm and everyone went out for dinner. I had become friendly with a couple of other girls and we usually went to one of the restaurants in Manuka Wednesday nights. Manuka was particularly popular and would be buzzing with groups of Parliamentary staffers and, quite often, Members as well. We were lucky that we were also ate very well during the rest of the week as the staff canteen was exceptionally good, with many choices of hot and cold food, entrees, desserts, cakes for morning or afternoon tea, fruit and even small bottles of wine. Despite all the running around it was easy to put on weight.

  By 1988 when the new Parliament House was opened I was no longer travelling down to Canberra for the Sitting weeks. Colleen was employed permanently in Canberra and she was very proficient in her role, with the added advantage of having previously worked in Parliament. In her thirties, Colleen was single and very popular around Parliament House. She was very tall, blonde and had piercing blue eyes that defied you to tell her an untruth. I know she was constantly being asked out by other staffers and politicians alike but she was smart enough not to mix politics with pleasure! It was Colleen who oversaw the move to the new building – the old Parliament House had become redundant. I must admit to feeling a little sad at the thought of never trotting down those famous halls again. She told me over the phone that when the guys came to move Jim he just waved his hands and said “put everything in exactly the same place in the new office” and left them to it.

  The Parliament was formally opened by Her Majesty The Queen on 9 May 1988 and on the first sitting week in August there was to be an inaugural Dinner in the Great Hall, hosted by the Prime Minister, Bob Hawke. As Jim’s wife was unable to attend due to another commitment in Sydney, Jim invited me along and I eagerly accepted. It was a good opportunity for me to familiarise myself with the new layout as I was still doing relief work in Canberra from time to time. What an amazing building! From its impressive entrance to its huge marble pillared forecourt, sweeping staircase up to the Members’ offices and the beautiful Chambers it is an architectural marvel that all Australians can be proud to call their seat of Government. Much of it is made of glass and it is a very spacious, light and airy building. I marvelled at our suite of offices – a huge office for the M
ember, with ensuite; a large reception area and desk plus another office, a filing room and a kitchenette! In addition it is set in large grassed grounds overlooking the mountains. There are tennis courts for the use of Members and staff and underneath is a huge parking area.

  By this time I was driving down to Canberra as I found it more convenient to have my car there and by the time I went to the airport and then waited for a car the other end, there was not much difference in the timing. It was tiring but it sure beat those occasions when a plane strike was called on a Friday evening, deliberately aimed at the politicians and we were all sitting at Canberra airport wondering if we were going to get home that week-end.

  I went back to my motel and changed quickly and returned to the House. Drinks were served and as Jim was circulating I was left pretty much on my own. One of the other Shadow Ministers, whose Parliamentary office was close to ours, kindly came over to talk to me with his wife. However, when she realised I was not Jim’s wife she gave me a look of disdain and quickly moved him along! I was not only embarrassed, but humiliated. I knew I had flushed bright red as she obviously thought Jim and I were having an affair. Jim was not a womaniser and I was certainly not interested in anything but a professional relationship in my working life.

  I determined not to let this spoil my evening. Fortunately it was not long before we sat down to dinner, underneath the famous, if somewhat contentious, painting “Blue Poles”. The Prime Minister gave a welcoming address and the rest of the evening passed pleasantly – the food was delicious and even the speeches were mostly entertaining.