A few weeks ago, as I was walking around my school, because I had nothing to do, and listening to some music with headphones in my ears and phone in my hand, I saw a small old man of about 50-60 years of age, with a hat, wearing a dark-colored jacket and jeans, who politely, almost reluctantly, stopped me, asking me in broken German where the “/ee-beh/ Kurs” was.
I thought he was searching for the IB, the International Baccalaureate, hoping to study in a high school…
After understanding the spelling, I still couldn’t figure out what he was looking for. I asked what language he spoke. He replied, “Persisch.” I pulled up a translator app, put on English-Persian, and asked what he looked for. A language course around the block — that’s what he looked for.
I googled where the courses were and showed them to him on the phone. I pointed at the street to give him directions before proposing to go there together. And so we went!
“Are you from Tehran? Tabriz?” I asked. Those are two of the biggest cities in Iran. “Uhh, no… I am from Afghanistan,” said the man. — “Oh, right, because one speaks a dialect of Persian in Afghanistan, right?” — he replied affirmatively. I smiled and asked, “Oh, then, you must be from Kabul, right?” The man chuckled happily and said yes. — “Ah, beautiful.”
While having the small talk, we quickly walked to the courses around the corner. The sweet slouching grandpa and I quickly arrive, shaking hands while smiling and exchanging our gratitude and thank-you’s.
After coming back to the front of my school, where I was originally standing during the recess, and greeting my three classmates, telling them about my encounter with the Afghan grandpa, I was met with racist remarks. Not me directly, no, but they were made to that grandpa. As I told them about the German language courses he was looking for, they scornfully said, “Haha, he didn’t speak any German, did he? Right.”
Another one laughingly snickered, “Of course. Classic.”
The old grandpa of about 60 years old — a polite and "sweet" old man, I must note — was taking languages courses to learn German.
He was respectful, smiling both sincerely and out of politeness when necessary.
Thousands of kilometers away from his home.
Away from his culture. Away from the familiar… faces, language, culture, and people.
About 60. Slouching. Old. Biologically speaking, with a decaying body.
In his new home. Learning a new language. Around new people. Surrounded by a new culture.
Unfamiliar with everything.
Wishing love to all around,
- Nihad Badalov