There is tangible excitement in the air in Egypt.  Not just in Tahrir Square but in the quiet, green suburbs of southern Cairo.  President Hosni Mubarak has stepped down and that the military will take charge during the transition period. 18 days of waiting.
 Ingrid phoned earlier.  Not because she had run out of her favourite brand, but to tell us that the curfew had been moved from 7am to 3pm and Tertius was on his way home for lunch. Thank goodness I’ve done my grocery shopping, came the whine, I stocked up with flour, too. We have to bake for the Neighbourhood watch! Our daughters have been baking, the neighbours have eaten cookies and brownies and we have given out recipes of the ones that have become their favourites over the past few weeks.  Ubuntu, on the streets of Cairo!
We knew there was something up as there were more tanks and soldiers on the streets than usual. This was on our way to the Grand Mall to buy my mother-in-law a camera. Granny is visiting from South Africa and is travelling to Europe on Saturday. Not that she wants to escape the Revolution. Anything, but; it was all I could do to stop her from going to Tahrir Square. I’ll cover up, she said, nobody will notice. No, she is going to Germany as a pet parent, accompanying a 3 legged Balady dog (Egyptian Street dog) called Rosy to a Rescue Centre in Hamburg. But that’s another story altogether.
There are tanks all around the Mall. It has been suggested that there is no one in them; they are just parked there to make us feel as if the army is protecting us.  In the spirit of recording history in the making, my husband decided to put this theory and the new camera to the test.  He began snapping away at the tank, getting us all to pose next to it. Granny was entering into the spirit of things and was all but draped over the front of it when the hatch clanged open and a soldier popped out, surprising us and those passers-by who had stopped to laugh.  He good-naturedly waved his finger, shouting No! We waved back and tried, as discreetly as possible, to push through the small crowd that had gathered.
Before tonight, we thought the Revolution had lost a bit of momentum. Things had started to get back to normal; shops in the Mall were open, albeit with whitewash in the windows to give the illusion of being closed, a protection against would-be looters, the ATM queue was almost non-existent and there was that wonderful sound of whirring machinery which indicated a successful cash withdrawl. Even Al Jazeera had started to run other stories. It turns out that there have been other newsworthy events going on around the world over the past few weeks. Berlusconi’s trial for one, and on a more positive note, the referendum in South Sudan.    I have to say, though, the programmers must have been rather desperate to run the story of the Latvian Timber Industry, not once, but several times.
Tonight’s announcement has saved not only Al Jazeera’s ratings but also the people of Egypt.  It has given hope for real change in Egypt and people have poured out onto the Square to celebrate.  The leaders of this protest have finally achieved what they set out to do. And there have been leaders, contrary to what the media will have us believe. The leaders are not, however, what we are used to. They are not easily recognisable. They are without the smart suits and flashy cars; they are part of the community, they are our neighbours. They are protected, not by bodyguards, but by the community.  They have protected themselves from the government of the country, the secret police and the army. The people on whom citizens usually rely to protect them.  These are the same leaders who mobilised millions and also organised the massive clean-up taking place in Tahrir Square today.  These community leaders are truly representative, and they haven’t even had elections yet.
 Surely our lives can now get back to normal?  In reality, Egypt can never go back. Shops may re- open and our routine will be restored but there is an expectation, that things will never be the same again.  A hope that this is just the beginning, the beginning of a new and democratic life for the people of Egypt.  And what better way to start a country’s first few steps into democracy than on the anniversary of Mandela’s release.   A long wait is sometimes worth it.
By Mandy