Fresh Mangos and Fig Jam 2010:10

Nearly every morning at breakfast there is a tray of jam to spread in addition to the infamous ful (fava beans) that so many of you have heard about. Some mornings, when I just can’t face another plate of ful mixed with cheese, I opt for a container of fig jam to spread on my bread.

Fig jam and fresh mangos are two of my favorite Egyptian treats. I’m sure I could buy fig jam in America, but I never had it before coming here and I never think to look for it at home because I don’t usually have jam at home.

Monday afternoon in study hall Samer started asking me strange questions. Samer’s English is excellent so it was not a matter of not understanding his English syntax, I just didn’t understand his questions: “If Jesus were to come to your door what hour would he come?”

“Any hour.”

“Any hour?”

“Yes. Jesus could come at any hour.”

“What about a messenger of Jesus. When would a messenger of Jesus come?”

“Why is a messenger of Jesus going to come?”

A shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe he will come, maybe he won’t. But at what hour would he come?”

I was entirely confused by this point. I had no idea what Samer was asking. We left it with Samer’s words, “Be aware. You never know when a messenger of the Lord will come” and an understanding that it would be better if the messenger came before 10:30 if the messenger wanted me to answer a knock on the door.

Sure enough at 10:15 there was a knock on the door. When I opened it I found Samer holding a bag with a package of fresh, ripe mangos and a large jar of fig jam. “A gift from Jesus” he said and left.

If you come and visit I’ll share my fig jam, but I’m eating my mangos for lunch today!