Mr Calculator
It is hard to argue with the sheer weight of numbers. Mahmoud Wael, a veritable Wunderkind, had mastered the rudiments of mathematics by the age of three; at four, he could add and subtract, multiply and divide with remarkable ease. Today, he can make, in a matter of seconds, the most intricate calculations. Family and friends refer to him as Mr Calculator. But Moody, as he is more commonly called, has been an acknowledged prodigy since the age of four, recognised by his teachers and later by officials at the Ministry of Education.
So how was his genius discovered? "One evening when I was four years old, I was playing next to my sister Abla's bedroom," Mahmoud dissolves into giggles, wriggling like a puppy. "My dad was testing her knowledge of mathematics. He asked her what seven times seven was. She gave him the wrong answer and so I chipped in and said 49. My dad was astonished and asked me how did I know the correct answer."
I step back to study his face: his impish features, small upturned nose, large bespectacled eyes gleaming in the sunlight and a ready, angelic smile, notwithstanding his apparent proggishness.
An amiable fellow, Mahmoud is shy in spite of his playful eyes. He speaks nonchalantly about his genius. He shrugs when asked how his friends have reacted to it. "I help them learn mathematics and they are always asking me questions." So who are his best friends at school? For a moment he stared at me, speechless. Then he found his voice. "At my old school or in my new school?" he inquired. "Either? Both," His father chipped in. Mahmoud drew a deep breath. He mumbled two or three names. I could not make out what he was saying.
"Stop mumbling, Mahmoud," his father chided him, all prim. "Ahmed," he murmured imperceptibly. As it turns out he is extremely shy and a tad too self-conscious to hold forth. Moody is not one of those child prodigies who come across as terribly grown up. He might not be a gifted speaker, but he sure has thought-provoking revelations to offer whenever he does speak. He interacts well with the media.
Moody's Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is high by any standards. At Mansheyat Al-Bakry Hospital, professors gave him an IQ of 151. Then he was re-evaluated and his score was 155. "Ahmed Zuweil's IQ is 165," he explains excitedly. Zuweil, the internationally-esteemed Egyptian scientist who "won the 1999 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his studies on the transition states of chemical reactions using femtosecond spectroscopy," Moody proudly declares, is the Wunderkind's idol. "I want to be a scientist like Ahmed Zuweil -- a mathematical scientist, when I grow up." His face brightens with anticipation. Already he is becoming more courageous, more articulate by the minute. In life in general, he no longer needs his father's prodding. He exhibits a profound grasp of the fundamentals of mathematics. He is not simply interested in counting and calculation. He professes an understanding of the deeper principles behind mathematics. Perhaps it is a question of genes? Mahmoud's maternal grandfather was exceptionally clever at maths, too. He pulled his eight children out of school because he simply had no faith in the state school system. He was convinced he could do a better job educating them at home. And, sure enough, six of his children graduated to become medical doctors, the other two are teachers -- including Mahmoud's mother who teaches biology. Mahmoud's paternal grandfather was also a mathematical genius and his own dad a physician with a passion for mathematics.
Mahmoud's siblings, while not quite child prodigies like their younger brother, score impressively high grades at school. "They are bookworms," Moody chuckles. He, too, loves books, but he prefers computers. He is a child at heart, thank God. He loves to play games with his friends and is looking forward to going to the seaside this summer. He is not too fond of swimming, though. "I don't particularly enjoy swimming in the sea and especially when the Mediterranean is rough and the waves are high," he coyly confides. He says that he much prefers to play ball on the beach. Indeed, Mahmoud adores soccer. He backs Brazil. He was actually convinced that Brazil would win the 2006 World Cup tournament -- he must be disappointed by now. He knows everything there is to know about the Brazilian national team, the "Selected" or the "Dancing Samba" as they are popularly called in Egypt. One of his favourite pastimes is to sit down at the computer and log onto the Internet following news of the World Cup. "The English invented football, and the Brazilians perfected the game," Moody notes. We both roar with laughter. His father laughs with us.
On a more serious note, the conversation veers towards less mundane matters. Being highly intelligent is a blessing, but would that be enough? "We are a family that takes our religion very seriously," Mahmoud's father explains. "We know that Moody's exceptionally high IQ is a gift from God and we are most grateful. We also know that there are probably hundreds of such gifted children in Egypt today, but not all of them were fortunate enough to be given the chance to develop their talents," Dr Wael elucidates further. "I am quite certain that there are hundreds of child prodigies in the shanty towns in and around Cairo. Nobody will get to hear about them." He pointed out that because of these children's circumstances, they will never get the assistance necessary to advance their intellect. "His mother and I consider developing and advancing Mahmoud's talents to be our solemn charge," Dr Wael says. "We want him to enjoy his childhood like any normal child, but we do not encourage in him incessant amusement."
Indeed, he explains, Mahmoud is encouraged to learn the Qur'an, and promptly asked to recite favourite verses. Mahmoud proceeds to recite several verses from Surat As-Saffat (Those Ranged in Ranks), which narrates the story of Noah the Prophet. "I enjoy the story of Noah and his Ark. Noah built the Ark on dry land, before the flood, and he warned his compatriots about the impending danger. They heeded him not and they drowned," Mahmoud clarifies. "And, Noah saved all the animals, too". Mahmoud, who loves the zoo and enjoys watching animals at play and learning about the characteristics of each and every creature, has recently learnt the names of all his favourite animals in English and in French. When his talent was discovered, he won an LE25,000 scholarship to study at the prestigious Greenland International Language School. Previous to that he went to an Arabic language state-run school.
For Greenland, he had to take a crash course in English first. His father applied to the American University in Cairo's English language course. However, he was told that Mahmoud was too young to qualify. His father refused to take no for an answer and personally appealed to the President of the AUC David Arnold who in an unprecedented move made an exception and enrolled Mahmoud, who became the youngest ever student at AUC. It was soon time for Mahmoud to meet up with his friends at a birthday party of a classmate. I kiss him good-bye, but Moody returns my embrace in a distracted, perfunctory manner. "You are an exceptionally intelligent young man," I cuddle him again. Many might call him a genius; he is too modest to agree.
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