Sitting on the beach one day in Eqypt, I noticed a gathering off to my right, just off the beach property. It appeared to be a Muslim woman and her family escaping the heat of the sun under the safe covering of a water cooler on an abandoned property. I watched as the littlest one kept trying to run towards the sea and the second to youngest one kept running after him. For a brief moment, I tsked them as an unwatched family but then I caught myself wondering how many large families have done the same in other countries.
The mother, I had met on the first day we were there. I learned it was her job to capture octopus for the local restaurants (cost $1 each) She was wading through the shallow waters and the children, I'm guessing, were assigned to watch each other and stay out of trouble.
The images of these darling children playing and their mother wading back and forth in the sea in full abaya dress were so wonderful, I desperately wanted to take pictures. But I was trying to mindful that most Muslim women do not want their pictures taken and also be respectful of the children as minors.
Soon I noticed that two children started to search the beach area, getting closer and closer to where I was sitting. I figured that they had been either been sent out on a "dare" to see how close they could get to me without harming themselves or they were on a mission to see if I was safe before the other children came. It took about five minutes until they approached me with huge smiles on their faces, showing me a starfish they had captured. I smiled and talked to them, still not wanting to take my camera out. But when they bent down to talk to me and smiled, well, the camera just naturally jumped into my hands and I took their picture.
Soon all of them came over, with the oldest one carrying the youngest one on her hips. I learned their names (which I am embarrassed to say I forgot), found out that they spoke English quite well (certainly better than my Arabic) and that they were waiting for their mother as I thought. They also said "yes all of us who were old enough go to school". At least that's what they told me.
Suddenly the oldest one smiles at me and says, "I come tomorrow and you bring me clothes". Just like that. I was shocked and asked her why she needed clothes. She said "for school of course". Immediately I thought of what I could bring out of Anna's suitcase but then I decided that wouldn't be fair to the others (nor probably not a great idea as far as my daughter was concerned). Certainly I couldn't go to the Dahab WalMart and purchase clothing for the entire family. So I came upon the idea of paying them to have their pictures taken. They readily agreed and so snap, snap, snap went my Canon taking several shots. I paid them the equivalent of $2 for the priviledge of placing their images here for you.
As the oldest girl, Nour (I remembered her name!)left she said, "come tomorrow at 10 o clock and I will bring you present. You bring me present too?". Of course I said and immediately thought of what I could bring her.
When I told David and Anna about my adventure, they couldn't believe that I would trust the girl to appear the next day. Well, I said, "the worst thing that could happen if she didn't show up is that I got more time to sit down by the beach." Secretly I hoped she would show up, but like them, I had my doubts.
So for the next 22 hours I thought about what I could bring for a present? Again, I wondered about the fairness of bringing one gift for 5 children. And as there was no WalMart in Dahab (maybe not in all of Eqypt, I'm not sure) I didn't have access to ready shopping opportunities. We were about five miles from town and somehow giving them my week long collection of seaglass didn't seem appropriate either.
The answer came to me the next day at breakfast when I saw the overflowing plate of sweets set out for our buffet. So, trying to look oh so innocent, I went to the buffet table and took 5 chocolate covered rolls. David thought I had gone off my diet for sure. He really thought I'd gone over the edge when I returned and snatched 5 gingerbread cookies off another platter.
Wrapping the sweets up after breakfast, I set off to my location and waited...and waited...and waited until about 11 am. I tried not to get too upset when they didn't show up. Oh well, I told myself, it's not like they could get in the car and drive down to the beach.Maybe it's too windy to catch octopus today.
Soon my husband and daughter, who must have felt sorry for me, came down and we started to build sandcastles. Half way into our construction project, two young teenage girls, wrapped in hejabs, came up selling beadwork (a common thing for teenage girls to do in this area). I started to barter with them ( as much as my conscience allowed!) and suddenly the taller girl says, "Don't you remember me my friend, I am Nour from yesterday". I was overjoyed at seeing her again and told her that I had a present for her and her friend. I didn't mention that I had grabbed gifts for the rest of the family because I knew the sweets would not last longer than it took for them to walk the remainder of the beach.
Nour and her friend were delighted at the sight of sweets and hungrily ate one of them. They wanted to make sure that it was fair deal so they each gave me one gift after I purchased 4 items from them-2 each. Don't ask me what I am going to do with six beaded bracelets, I'll find a use. (Ms D--one is going to you at Christmas!)
Pictured below:
The family as they played and worked by the shore
The search team
The whole family ages 1 to 12
Nour, her friend and I by the beach the next day
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