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WINTER
2010
11
No student was ever refused an item –
Mehio simply jotted his/her name down
in a little notebook. Neither did he forget
a loan as he called each and every student
on their IOUs. “His whole business was
built up on these loans,” recalled Itani.
In fact, students even flocked to Mehio for
personal loans. “Mehio provided soft loans
to go watch the latest 007 movie showing
at the Edisson cinema nearby and to get
popcorn with maybe a Pepsi or a Mir-
inda,” recalled
Kamal Abu Haidar ‘79
.
Like all others, Abu Haidar’s name was
religiously inserted in his little notebook.
The infamous notebooks remained with
the family until 2008 when the family
home was hit by a small rocket during
May conflict in 2008.
“These notebooks were heirlooms to us,”
said Itani. “I hated to see them burn.”
Most students honored their IOU’s. A
Libyan student even sent in his money af-
ter graduating and returning to his home
country. “This is why my father agreed to
IOUs because of such people,” said Itani.
Anybody who was anybody could be
found at Mehio’s. It was THE place to
‘hang out’.
“I remember Mr Chukri Husni, our Eng-
lish philosophy teacher, used to follow
us to Mehio after starting his class and
discovering our absence, to convince us
to leave Mehio alone and come to class,”
recalled Dabbous who at times skipped
classes and manned the kiosk as Mehio
delivered newspapers at AUB.
Mehio never missed a day – not even
Sundays. Not during illnesses, not during
rainstorms. Not even during the fero-
cious battles of the 16-year civil war.
At home, Mehio, was a quiet man. He
rose at 4am and made his way to the
printing presses and bakeries to collect
the newspapers and fresh pastries. He
rarely showed up at home before night-
fall. And then, he was too tired to interact
with his family.
“It’s true he never had time for us,” said
Youssef. “His life consisted of mostly IC
and AUB.” But, he added, his boys held
no resentment against him. Not only
was Mehio responsible for his own five
children, he also had to provide for his
widowed sister-in-law’s five offsprings.
Every night and without fail he would
seat himself on the floor, open his note-
books and check the day’s accounts and
IOUs. Unfailingly, his eyes would nod
and he would lay his head on the cigarette
pack next to him.
Nevertheless, he provided for 10 children
– some of whom made it to university
(paid for by Mehio).
In 1988, it was business as usual for
Mehio when he felt stabbing pains in his
back. At the hospital he was diagnosed
with cancer and succumbed to the disease
in less than a month.
It was the end of an era.
As for Yussef, he finds himself the center
of much attention once it is revealed
that his father is none other than Mehio.
“Major CEOs want to meet me,” he said
smiling. “I am very proud to be known as
Mehio’s son.”
In 2010, IC alumnus Omar Sawaf ‘73 started a fund in Mehio’s honor.
Proceeds from the Mehio Fund will go towards the Partnership for Excellence
Campaign to help build the new elementary school and renovate the campus.
A special memorial will be named in Mehio’s honor.
For more information please contact the Alumni Office.
(alumni@ic.edu.lb; tel: 961 1 367433)
Mehio with his family