About a year ago, an elderly Afghani couple moved into the apartment next door to mine. Soon after they arrived, my roommate Melissa baked cookies and invited me to join her in welcoming this new couple. "Do they eat cookies?" I asked...having no idea what the diet was for Middle Easterners.
We knocked on the door and it was answered by the couple. We handed them the plate of cookies and they smiled. We introduced ourselves and they said "No English. Farsi." The wife was on the phone. She said something in Farsi and then handed the phone to Melissa. A little baffled, she said, "Hello?" It was their nephew who spoke English. He asked if he could help us with something. Melissa explained that we wanted to welcome his uncle and aunt and just wanted to drop off some cookies. He was surprised and grateful and began to explain about the family and where they are throughout the valley.
The entire conversation I listened, smiled at the couple and they smiled and nodded back. Melissa handed back the phone to the wife who said a few more things. The husband introduced himself as Omar Safid and his wife, Hamdam. They said "Thank you" many times (one of the few things they can say in English) and we parted.
They soon brought us a plate full of fruit. I made some pumpkin/chocolate chip bread for them. I began to realize that we couldn't communicate by speaking so we were communicating through food.
Then several months ago as I was about to leave for work, I heard something in the stairwell. Omar was being taken to the hospital. I was concerned, but I didn't know how to communicate that I would be happy to help if needed. I let the family focus on getting to the hospital and I left for work. Later that day, I got a small potted plant and gave a note to the family hoping that the nephew would translate.
A few days later, Omar was at my door with a boy of I would guess 14 or 15. Omar spoke in Farsi for several minutes as I listened. The boy then said, "He says 'Thank you.'" I smiled on the inside. I knew he had to have said a WHOLE lot more than that, but that crazy language barrier!! Omar handed me a card that thanked me for my kindness and then shook my hand. This I knew was a grand gesture because my understanding is that Middle Eastern men do not touch women very often. So, it was a show of respect to do something for me that was culturally American. I was just super glad he was okay.
So, I'm really growing to like this couple very much. I wrote them a thank you note and after talking to Melissa told them that I would like to invite them to dinner sometime in a month or so when Melissa returned from helping to clean up the oil spill in Alabama.
Well, months have passed and Melissa has not yet come home. So, dinner has been delayed. I went on vacation and then Omar and Hamdam left for several weeks. Just this week they returned and gave me a plate piled with sweet breads. I baked them a loaf of bread in return. Tonight they stopped by (they being Hamdam, her daughter in law that speaks English - and I can't remember her name (argh!) - and her cute granddaughter. They handed me a plate of Afghani food and said they wanted to give it to me at lunch but I was away. It smells heavenly and I can't wait to try it!
So...I am looking forward to having them over for dinner. I am a bit nervous because my shy bone really comes out when it's hard to communicate. It will be worth it, though. These seem to be some of the sweetest people I've met.
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