For the remaining hour, they dined in complete silence. No one dared to joke or speak loudly – as if the waitress’s words hung in the air, reminding everyone of what had been said.
When the dinner concluded, the sheikh left a generous tip on the table.
But he didn’t stop there: he stood up, walked around the table, and personally approached the waitress. — Forgive me, — he said quietly. — In this luxury, I forgot humanity.
How is it that you speak Arabic so perfectly?
The waitress calmly explained that her adoptive father had been an Eastern scholar who raised her with respect for language and culture. The sheikh pondered, looked at her closely, and said:
— Such talent should not be lost behind trays.
If you wish, I invite you to work with me as a translator. This was the beginning of a new chapter in her life – a chapter she had never even dared to dream of.
