Moment #630. Urdu, Arabic. Tue, Jun 27, 2006.

06/27/2006. I went to try to do a follow-up at a store, and didn't find the man I was looking for. For some reason I ended up trying to drive around the opposite end of that strip mall, and that put me into position to see another strip mall that was hidden behind it. I hadn't been to the hidden one in many years and had forgotten about it.

I found another middle-eastern store there, and bought some snacks and spices. The cashier had come to America when very young, and could only speak his native language, not read it. He said he'd like to see the book I offered and I could leave it at the store in case anyone else wanted it.

Apparently, another customer overheard our conversation, and when I went out to my car to retrieve the books, he approached me, and asked for a copy for him, and one for a friend. I only had one Urdu copy in the car, and since this guy could read it, I gave it to him, and said I'd have to go home for more copies. We agreed that I'd bring the extra copy back to the store so he could pick it up on his next trip there. He spoke Arabic, so I ended up giving him Urdu, Arabic, and English copies.

I went back in and explained to the cashier that I'd have to go home and get more. So I went home, got more books, came back, and left him two Urdu and two English copies.

Who'd 'a thunk that I'd need to carry three Urdu copies in the car.