Something to remember

Setting: A famous street in Manial overlooking the Nile
Characters: Myself (dalulla) and a little (cute) girl selling tissues for a living

I am standing on the sidewalk at night, with no money waiting for my mom's cousin to pick me up to go home.

Little girl: Do you want tissue?
Dalulla: I would love to buy one from you (I patted her gently on the shoulder or back I can't exactly remember), but I am soo sorry (I continued nicely), I have no money with me now. But aren't you too young to be on the street now? ( I always manage to open discussions with almost anyone)
Little girl: What can I do, I need to work and I do not want to go on the street begging, so I must work hard.

She looked real sincere. In my evaluation she was about seven or eight years old. I really wanted to buy from her to help and to encourage her but had no money at all.

Little girl: It is alright, I believe you, people are usually not nice but you are.

So I smiled at her and told her thank you, you are very sweet. She walked away, and I continued waiting. A minute later, she came back

Little girl: Excuse me miss ( ya anesa), why are you standing alone?
dalulla: I am waiting for someone to drive me home, but I don't know why he is late.
Little girl: I will stand with you
dalulla: Why?
Little girl: To protect you from young men who might hassle you or try to flirt
dalulla: (I laughed) And how will such a little girl like you protect me?
Little girl: I will just stand with you and if anyone comes I will tell them to go away.
dalulla: (I smiled at her innocence) Ok I will let you protect me.

For some reason she was happy to stand with me. She lifted her small hand and reached out to mine to hold it, so I gave her my hand. She just kept looking up and smiling and I smiled back, we were both silent. After another couple of minutes of waiting:

Little girl: Why is your relative late? You cannot stand here all night, and you do not have money.. What will you do? (she was quite concerned)
dalulla: What about you, you are still on the street, I at least am a big girl, but you are little
Little girl: I am used to staying out and going home on my own, but "enty mosh wesh bahdala"

I was so surprised at the way she thought, and at her remarks which to me seemed much older than her age.

dalulla: Thank you for protecting me
Little girl: I like you, you were nice to me, you didn't shove me aside or told me to scram or any thing of the sort, and you smiled at me too, and tapped me on the shoulder. Is this not a good enough reason for me to like you?

Then she left my hand and reached into one of her torn pockets, from her shaggy clothes, and took out all the money she had, which were about five pounds, and held them out to give them to me and said:
Little girl: here, forget your cousin, take these and go home!!!

I was in shock! I truly was, I was speechless for a couple of seconds and I went down on my knees and held her so tight in my arms. But she seemed a bit stiff, trying not to get too close to me. I then held her back and looked at her in the eyes:
Little girl: What? (She asked, she being surprised at my reaction) why did you hug me? And aren't you afraid your clothes would get dirty from mine?

I couldn't help but hug her again and for a longer time, but this time she was not so stiff, I felt she enjoyed the warmth I was trying to convey to her little heart. I then held her back and looked her straight in the eyes, to my surprise, she had some tears, but they had not come down yet, it was as if she was trying to hold them for some reason.

dalulla: You want to give me all the money you probably had a very hard time earning today? And you don't even know me? What about this money, don't you need it?
Little girl: Mana 2oltelek (I already told you), enty mosh wesh bahdala, if I go home without the money, 3al2a we tefout wala 7ad yemout, or I will get badgered for a while we khalas.
But I don't want you to stnd here waiting for long.

She marveled me! She really did. My cousin arrived. I told her he had, she was happy I was not going to be alone, but I was not, since I was going to leave her. At that moment I wished I could take her back home with me.

Maybe if I was old enough at that time and had a home of my own, I may have actually taken her. It was finished at that. I stood for a while unable to take any steps, so she said, aren't you going to leave? I said yes I will. I told her thank you so much for what you wanted to do, and I explained that it was something very selfless for her to propose.

Little girl: I told you, I liked you because you were nice to me and patted me on the shoulder (or back I still can't remember). I walked slowly to the car, and she kept waving good bye to me. It was a hard good bye for me. Very hard!
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I always remember this story for some reason, and believe me it is very true.
I wanted to share it with you just to say, we do not and should not be nasty to people on the streets. I know they can really be a menace at times, but remember this:
It is not their fault they became like this. They did not choose this sort of life. The way they were brought up was wrong (that is even if they were brought up by someone from the first place!) and the circumstances were and are difficult. Do not shove them off as if they are trash, or tell them something nasty, even if they do, because some of them do... Just try to be nice on your part.

If you have time, encourage them to try to do something with their lives, and if you have more time, try to help them do something positive, like selling vegetables, or tissue or whatever, or even working somewhere. I know it is not easy, but I have tried it, it has a much better impact than scolding them or shoving them off. Worked out many times…At least you walk away not hurting them… They happen to be human.

Think of how you would feel if you were in their shoes.