On one of our mornings in Essaouira, T, Brian, Sara and I were walking outside the Medina. We walked by an elderly man standing carefully and somewhat precariously in front of his wheelchair. Both the man and the wheelchair appeared dirty and worn. The man was surrounded by a ring of Medina cats, and he was gently handing them scraps of meat from a plastic bag.
I cannot completely explain why, but this was one of the times that my heart was filled with an intense and mysterious love for Morocco. That this man, clearly on the edges (or maybe in the gutters) of society would take the time to care for perhaps the only beings with lowlier lives than his – it touched me greatly.
I didn't need to take a picture. It's a scene I won't forget.
JABS,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the story. I wish I could have helped him out in some way. Was he in a public place? Have your friends seen him before in the same place? (I'm not being idly curious here. If he's a regular at a marketplace, say, please let me know, and I'll send you $10 or so to give him.)
Beautiful and poignant, Jabs.
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