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poliphiloA young woman comes to the door. She's wearing a headscarf and an ankle-length skirt. It's not entirely beside the point that she's pretty.
"No Muslim?" she asks. I guess she's been told that this is a Muslim street.
"No, I'm not a Muslim," I say.
She bows from the waist, hands held together as if in prayer, then extends one hand, open, with a pound coin lying on the palm. She says other things- mostly in a foreign language- out of which I pick the one word "Bosnian".
As I turn to go back into the house to fetch her what she wants I see another young woman, similarly dressed, on the pavement behind her.
I give her a coin. She bows again and says, "God bless you." I say, "God bless you too."
Ailz, who has been watching from an upstairs window tells me that there's a whole gang of them going house to house.
"No Muslim?" she asks. I guess she's been told that this is a Muslim street.
"No, I'm not a Muslim," I say.
She bows from the waist, hands held together as if in prayer, then extends one hand, open, with a pound coin lying on the palm. She says other things- mostly in a foreign language- out of which I pick the one word "Bosnian".
As I turn to go back into the house to fetch her what she wants I see another young woman, similarly dressed, on the pavement behind her.
I give her a coin. She bows again and says, "God bless you." I say, "God bless you too."
Ailz, who has been watching from an upstairs window tells me that there's a whole gang of them going house to house.
