Hello Majid-Agha, what happen here?
Why is the glass on the front door shattered?
Oh, seek shelter in god, we were held up!
It was a young man and he had a gun
He was wearing a mask
He locked us in and took the money and the keys
Wow, I am sorry to hear it
Did you have customers at the time?
Yes, two students from the Hogeschool here
They were buying frisdrinks
But, thank God, nobody got hurt
I notice, he is as white as chalk
He is wide-eyed and taken back
Do you still have some of that homemade torshi?
Yes we do, I get you a plastic dish from the back
Oh, don’t bother. I have brought my own dish
So why is the front door broken?
Did the bad guy do it?
Oh, no. When I called the police
They told us to break it and get out of the shop
In case the robber comes back
He opens the lid of a big plastic bucket
And begins spooning the pickled veggies
How much of this do you want? A kilo?
How much for a kilo?
Four Euros
Yes, that would be good.
Where is your colleague?
He is with his family today.
I have called him, he should be here soon
I can’t work the rest of today
He says: look at my hands,
And he holds out his right hand
It is trembling
I walk through the isles
Picking up a few things
Chick pea cookies, Ahmad Tea, dried lemons
Pomegranate juice and two cans of fried herbs
I put them down on the counter
I take out my list from my pocket and check it
I seem to have everything
He rings me up and I pay him
Do you think, they will ever catch him?
I don’t know, nobody saw his face
Do you want me to stay until your friend comes?
The other shopkeepers have been in and out all morning
They are looking after me, I’ll be fine
Then take care of yourself Majid-Agha and be safe!
You too! May god be with you!
-Rotterdam, Netherlands
