Revisiting the Arabian Return Series by Colleen Wilson

By Aramco ExPats / / 6 November 2024

"As the huge plane lifted off the runway on March 20, 1975, I sat back in my seat and tried to relax. However, I did not want to dispel the excitement I felt at the prospect of going on this trip that would take me halfway around the world to start a new life."

Arabian Return Chapter II

"This book contains the highlights of my return to live in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the mid-1970s after an absence of 19 years. It was written for the express purpose of recording the events of my life and those of my family and friends, during that time, as I documented and remembered them."

"Daylight brought its own reward - the first real look at the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia again and our camp. It dawned bright, sunny and cloudless, as it usually did, with a perfect temperature in the low 80's for now."

"Oran flew back to Udhailiyah again the next day, Tuesday, March 25, 1975, with the intention of spending the night there for the first time. I made some business calls in connection with bringing Vicky and Keith over for the summer, wrote some letters, then went to visit Jeanine awhile."

"The next morning, Saturday, March 29, 1975, Oran flew back to 'Udhailiyah, and I started calling airlines and travel agents, when I could get a line through."

"Oran flew back to 'Udhailiyah the next morning, Saturday, April 5, 1975. I was called again by Ruth Cumings to play duplicate bridge, so decided to go."

"We still hadn't heard from Vicky and she was due to arrive in 4 days, so that evening the call that we had been trying to get through for three days finally made it. Everything was fine, so we were relieved about that. "

"After Oran flew back to ‘Udhailiyah the next day, Sunday, May 18, Vicky and I tried a morning Arabic Class with Jeanine that was taught by a woman, but decided we still didn't have time to go every day."

"The next day, Thursday, June 12, started another weekend. It was really hot already, with temperatures ranging from 109 to 111 degrees in the shade. Keith and Vicky went on one of the student group outings, west of Abqaiq to the Andar area to hunt for sand roses."

"So life goes on; one chapter ends and another begins. Since our arrival, we had been going at a pretty fast and exciting clip, especially while the kids were there, but on reflection, at that time, we didn't think it was nearly as nice as it had been when we lived there 19 years earlier."

"Oran had some business to take care of that required him to go to the Administration Building in Dhahran on Monday, July 2lst, so we caught the 7:30 bus that morning. After his business, we went to Al-Khobar to shop and have lunch at the Al-Gossabi Hotel. "

"The next day, July 26th just happened to be our birthday, both Oran’s and mine coincidentally, but since we had done so much for the past three days, considered that to be our celebration. Sharon Morris had me over for coffee that morning, and the Kings had me over for dinner that evening."

Arabian Return Chapter IX: Ramadan

"Ramadan began the next morning, Saturday, September 6th, 1975. That is the yearly month of fasting, prayer, and good deeds each Arab or Muslim is required to fulfill as part of their religion, unless they are ill or under a certain age."

"Oran had stayed in Abqaiq on Tuesday as he was going to have weekend duty again, and I would be going with him to 'Udhailiyah on Wednesday. So we slept late, had coffee on the porch before a big breakfast, ran errands around camp, and got clothes ready for the trip."

"For the next three days Oran was off work, so he stayed in Abqaiq. We did an assortment of things – visited with friends, played some bridge, and bowled. On Wednesday we went to a Halloween parade at the school and later sat on our porch passing out candy to the trick-or-treaters who came by."

"After an enjoyable five-week vacation in the United States, which included Christmas and New Year with family and friends and putting Vicky on a plane to Hawaii for her semester of school, we left Dallas on Sunday, January 11th, 1976, at 2:25 p.m. on a Braniff flight to New York."

"On Sunday, February 1st, I bussed to Al-Khobar to meet Pat Smyth and her sister, Phyllis, who was living in Arabia as well now, with her husband, Roy Boyd. We had known Roy in the early 50's in Ras Tanura, when he was married to Ilene, who later died. We had also known Pat's sister after several trips to Phoenix, Arizona, over the years to visit Pat and Guy."

"Believe me, I mostly rested the next day after Oran flew back to 'Udhailiyah. On Sunday morning I went to a Newcomers' Welcome Tea at the Women's Club Portable then walked to the Post Office with Marge Williams and Harriet Fretwell. Marge went on to my apartment with me, and we visited about the dance and future activities."

"Monday morning, I went to a bridge lesson at the Women’s Club Portable, and was taught the Staymen Convention, which I didn't like and probably wouldn't use. Marge Williams and I went to lunch at the Dining Hall afterward. All that afternoon I worried about whether or not to join the Sorority because of so many other activities. I finally decided not to, so called Marge to tell her I wouldn't be at the beginning meeting that night."

"Another trip to Al-Khobar was warranted Monday, so I made the usual bus connections and found another gold bracelet to buy on my one day shopping spree. I had finished a role of movie film on the way, so took that to the Post Office before visiting with Ruby and Frank Adams."

"The next day, Saturday, May 8th, 1976, started a new period in our life, though, that was different and stimulating for both of us. Oran didn't return to ‘Udhailiyah as usual, but started on his new job in Abqaiq teaching a class of 12 Saudi Arabs about the new Sea Water Project. He was very pleased to be "back in civilization", but a bit leery of teaching..."

"All good things must come to an end, so after nearly six weeks of living and working in Abqaiq, Oran had to fly back to 'Udhailiyah to continue his work there on Tuesday June 15th, 1976. For a couple of days, I felt rather lost and just tried to adjust to the old routine of being in camp alone again. "

"My worst fears came true the next day, July 28th, as Oran turned in his letter of resignation to be effective between September 23rd and October 23rd. He said he had decided that trying to re-adjust to living and working in 'Udhailiyah again just wasn't worth ruining his mental and physical health."

"There would be another cocktail party, dinner, and performance by the "Creative Source Group" in 'Udhailiyah Tuesday night, so that afternoon I went in a taxi to the airstrip with Trish Miller and Sharon Green, waiting there 45 minutes for the late plane to arrive."

"The day before had been invigorating and uplifting, so we went to our breakfast in the Dining Hall with the other regulars in a much better mood, but the rest of the day was just routine. Back at the apartment, we discussed the pros and cons of Oran's resignation and different possibilities."

"Oran was able to take his resignation retraction letter by his boss’s office before he caught the morning plane back to 'Udhailiyah on Wednesday, September 22nd, 1976. With a new lease on life, I had a spring to my step as I went to the Post Office to mail Vicky's birthday card..."

"Saturday, October 16th, 1976, Oran flew back to 'Udhailiyah for the start of another work week. Our lives were just settling back into a normal routine, and we were taking things one day at a time. Things came up at work every now and then that could have had an effect on what we did about staying, but so far Oran just remained calm, and didn't give an answer or reaction until he had thought about it for awhile."

"I met the girls at the Dining Hall at 9 o'clock for our "breakfast club". Sheila had received her film of our rug laying party at the Steindorfs, so we went to her house to watch that. It was really funny with everyone acting crazy, dancing, etc., but we wouldn't have wanted that film to fall into the wrong hands. It would either have been misinterpreted, or everyone would want to join our group."

"January isn't the best time of the year to travel through Europe, but we didn't have much choice, so we started our third return back to Saudi Arabia on Sunday, the 16th, 1977 from Dallas, Texas. By the time the plane arrived in New York, it was snowing so much we had to circle over the airport for an hour again before landing."

"Oran found out on Wednesday that he was being sent to London for a week, starting February 13th, 1977, to recruit men for the Water Injection Operations in Udhailiyah. That was a pleasant surprise for him. I wasn't being sent on this trip with him, but really didn't want to go anyway, as it was still very cold there."

"Oran started driving back to Mubarraz on his new job Monday morning, but, at least, this would be a short work week for him. Things were beginning to change for our group as a whole, both men and women. Sheila went to work at Community Maintenance, and Marge and Marvin Williams were going to move to Udhailiyah."

"We ate breakfast with Sandy and Jack at the Dining Hall Friday morning, then went to the library for awhile before going home to pick up some film to take to the Kaul’s to see on their projector. Sandy and Jack had gone there as well, so we had coffee while watching the film."

"The beach facilities at Qurrayah that were being constructed by the company for Abqaiq and Udhailiyah residents were not completed yet, but a site had been established north of the Seawater Plant. Our friend, Jack Hayes, who lived on the Construction Barge there, said he had been working on the site by bulldozing huge amounts of sand onto the beach itself and into the water."

"The next day, Monday, it was back to normal. Estella and I went to breakfast in the Dining Hall and met a new wife, Jerry Hook, then went to the pool and stayed all morning. That Wednesday evening, Oran and I went to the Kaul’s before going with them to a performance by "Archie Bell and The LaDrells"."

"For a while after that our life was rather anti-climatic, but we went on with our normal routines as much as possible. Since it was Thursday and the weekend, we had breakfast in the Dining Hall, then drove to Mubarraz to call Keith."

"Construction of new camp facilities was progressing at a rapid pace, too. Work was underway to widen and pave the road to the new townhouses, now 25th St, and the north perimeter road. As new housing areas and the additional 9 holes of the Golf Course were being completed, the camp was expanding to the west toward the highway to Dhahran."

"I didn't realize it then, but that was to be my last week of freedom for a while. Jeanine King was still in the hospital so she requested I help out at Community Maintenance until she could return. Her boss, Art Spitzer, called to make the offer on Saturday, October 22nd, and when I asked when he would need me he said, "yesterday"."

"That weekend on Thursday and Friday, November 10th and 11th, 1977, we went to a Fall Art Show in the Am Nakhl Golf Club House, and a Sorority going away party for Mary Lou and Chet Love at the home of Julie and Walter Busby."

"New Year's Eve had been different, and so was New Year's Day. Since the lack of daytime TV prevents the usual ritual of watching parades and bowl football games for hours on end in Saudi Arabia, it was necessary to find alternate entertainment."

"We had already made plans to fly to Riyadh on the AEA tour Thursday, February 2nd, 1978, so we caught a bus at the Dining Hall at 5:00 A.M. that morning to the Dhahran Airport local terminal. We flew on a Saudia Air flight to what was the old, original Riyadh Airport."

"That same Friday, February 17th, 1978, there had been the first tournament at Udhailiyah's new golf club, Wadi Al-Saeed Country Club. Although things were going full steam ahead there and he had no more problems with the government, Roy Steindorf had decided he had rather go back to the States than move down there permanently."

"So life went on. Sandy and Jack Adams had asked an Arab friend, Ahmed, to come to their condo one night to fix an Arab style dinner; so on Thursday, March 16th, 1978, Sheila, Keith, Oran and I, and a few people Sandy worked with, joined them to enjoy that. "

"Four days later, on Wednesday, April 26th, 1978, we left on our vacation at 12:20 p.m. on a Swiss Air flight to Athens, Greece. We were finally going to see Athens, and it was worth the wait. A beautiful, modern, yet ancient looking city greeted us as we drove in from the airport."

"So we made arrangements, and on Wednesday, May 31st, 1978, I flew by myself first class on a Swiss Air flight from Dallas toward New York on the first leg of my trip. But we couldn't land in New York because of a storm, so had to fly to Washington, D.C., land, and sit on the plane there until the weather cleared in an hour or so, then flew back to New York City."

"On Wednesday night I went to a dance in the gymnasium with the Kings, Yates, and some others to see a group called "The Blue Notes". My week alone went by really fast and Oran returned from the U.S. on a British Air Flight from London on Friday, June 9th, 1978, arriving at 6 p.m. Wouldn't you know it, his flight back and overnight in London were very nice. "

"At the beginning of next week, we were assigned a packing date of July 18th and made reservations to leave July 26th on a British Airways flight to London. Oran would stay one night, then fly on to Dallas, and I would stay 4 more nights as a concession for our not stopping in Athens again, which I had wanted to do. I started getting organized in earnest for the packers."

"Wednesday, July 5th, 1978, we started out at the King’s with our group. There was another dance and entertainment by Cody Marshall in the school gymnasium that we all went to afterward. On Thursday morning, we ate breakfast in the Dining Hall before going to visit with Sheila."

"The next morning, Wednesday, July 26th, 1978, my 50th birthday, Keith Kaul drove me to the Dhahran Airport on the new divided highway that had just opened recently. The sand dunes along the way all looked so undisturbed and pretty. I tried to relish as much of the old, familiar desert look of Arabia as I could as we drove along, with my eyes and my camera."

Colleen Wilson passed away on August 7, 2016. Read the obituary announcement here.

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