In the cyber cafe a little boy, of about seven, takes the computer next to me and excitedly pokes me in the arm, firing off rapid Darija and drawing my attention to a flash game website he's opened.  I look at the screen, mime some excitement and go back to my email.
Every time he feels my attention waning the little boy pokes me again and shows me a new game, pointing excitedly and babbling on and on in Arabic.
A waiter laughs and sits next to him, explaining, "The lady doesn't understand Arabic" (a sentence I'm happy to find I DO understand.)  The boy prattles on, too excited to care. The waiter removes the little guy's headphones and explains again that I don't speak Arabic.  With this, the little boy turns to me, smiles...and chatters at me again.  The waiter and I both laugh and let him continue. 
A few minutes later a man comes to get the boy, telling him, "Enough, time to go." (I understand this sentence too...my studying is paying off!)  The boy protests a bit but conceeds, stopping to locate his flip flop which has gone awol from his foot. 
The man turns to me and fires off rapid French and this time I can explain for myself that I don't speak the language.  In English he says, "I am his father, but I don't know these machines." He feins typing.  I understand his amazement: his young son is a little computer wiz.
Just as they reach the door and are about to leave the little boy runs back, smiles and plants a big lip-smaking kiss on my check and, with it, gives me a smile that lasts the rest of the day.

Mint tea in a personal size pot.

 

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