Yussef

A lady in African garb is selecting pears from outside a twenty-four hour shop.  She has a gold turban and tunic decorated with flowers and small circles of glass.  On the end of her nose are gold-rimmed spectacles held to her head with a gold chain.  From her earlobes hang gold earrings in the shape of leaves. She eyes me with suspicion.

'Why do you want to know?' she asks.  I awkwardly explain my resolution.  She is unimpressed.  'I can't tell you my middle name.  I don't even know you'.  I tell her that it is not obligatory but that it would help me out.  She purses her lips.  I wait it out.  'Okay', she says and mumbles it.  I have to ask her to repeat herself.  'What's your name?' she asks.  'I'm Richard', I say and hold out my hand.  She shakes it.  'Nice to meet you, Richard', she says and turns back to the pears.