Mareika

Today I met Mareika for the second time. Mareika is a strange name for a young person like her. Strange because it means bitter but she is the sweetest person you could meet. She has German roots and has been here for 7 years now. She is a mother of a toddler who can’t get enough of her.

I met her for the first time near the Central church close to the French embassy. She is a choir member in the church and plays the piano with great skill. Second time over, today at the supermarket where she was buying groceries for the weekend. Actually she was surprised to know that I remembered her name even after we first met a month an half ago. But then so did she.

Most people will take you at face value until they have reason to do otherwise. The best way is to talk and learn more. In just two conversations I learnt a lot about her. I had initiated the conversation by paying her due compliments for playing the piano so well.

She is married to her boyfriend of four years and as we talked I came to know that he was a song writer and wrote songs for her .’Hmmm so you are someone’s muse’ I said. Mareika answered ,‘yeah you can say that’

‘You know..you write for a girl, write because of a girl, write with a girl, right or wrong, the girl is important.’

And she nodded. I must have made sense.

‘So is it wrong for the girl to be important?’No, I said.

‘So it’s okay to be right, right?’ No, not always.

‘And when is that?’I don’t know Mareika.

‘Neither do I, nor do many.’hmmm...

By then, the toddler started demanding attention and we were through with our shopping list. We said our goodbyes and she invited me to her next choir play, next Saturday. I am looking forward to that .

Then she went home with her groceries and her son..I ate a shawarma, came back and wrote this post.