Ahmed

Ahmed, you could say, is just one among hundreds and thousands of Ahmeds in Egypt, like the stars in the sky.  However, like a planet among stars, this student has a unique shine.

Last week in class my students were discussing types of crime and ranking them as: not very, somewhat, or very serious. Typically, most students agreed that murder of humans is the most serious. Knowing that many Egyptians consider it bad luck to kill cats, I threw out the question, “How serious is it to kill a cat?”

Several of the students smiled and said, “Not very serious.” 

Ahmed, however, disagreed. With a very serious expression he asserted, “It’s very serious! Then he proceeded to tell us of having hit a cat on the street and seeing, in his rear view mirror, its death struggle. “I didn’t sleep for two nights after that,” he said.

Two of the girls looked at him amazed, and one of them burst out  “You are so kind!” I think we were all surprised at this admission of his feelings.

Last night Ahmed, who works full days and attends class ten hours per week (two classes), came late and then almost immediately left the classroom to take a long work-related phone call. I was a bit annoyed that he had missed half the class, even though it’s hard for him to show up given his tiring job and busy schedule.

However, after class he came to me and said shamefacedly,  “I’m so sorry. I know I came late, I didn’t bring my book, and I didn’t do my homework. I’m a bad student. Really, I respect you and I like your way of teaching. I’m so sorry!”

True! He does not shine in academics, but what’s not to love about a young man with this kind of drive, honesty and sensitivity?!