I lost my man.....

It is actually very sad, and my days at work are no longer the same......

For the past 7 months that I've been working in Egypt, namely at the Egyptian American Cultural Center, I've always seen this old man, with a big broom in his hand sweeping the pavement in front of the Center. He was not employed by the center, but I guess he was employed by the government.

He is quite an old man, with snow white hair and a funny cap, a bit of a hunch back, nice sparkling eyes, and a nice toothless smile.... quite a character.....

I never actually spoke to this man, but every morning, when I get to work, and every evening when I finish work I see him sitting on the pavement with the broom in his hand, and every day, every time I pass from next to him he stands up and he tells me ' Ma Salaama ' which would mean hello or literally translated ' Bless you'.

At first I used to ignore him and think that he was one of those weird Egyptians who you see in the street who greet you cause you're white and obviously a foreigner, and who follow you in the street shouting 'Welcome welcome' in the funny Egyptian accent.

But he was not one of those, how could you resist the persistence in telling me hello every time I walked passed even though I ignored him??? So I gave in, and took it in as a habit to look out for him every morning and make sure I reply to his 'Ma Salaama' which is what I have been doing for these past 3 months.....

Until lately I have not seen this man anymore..... I wonder what has happened to him..... maybe he fell sick...... maybe God decided to call upon him...... or maybe he gave up on me and went to
look for some other foreigner........

It has actually been one week since the last time I saw him, and I miss him - he used to start my day and close it with his 'Ma Salaama' but now he is no longer there......

He did not know my name or where I came from and I did not know his........ and now my MAN is no longer there.........