Good Samaritans of Cairo

This afternoon we set out for a walk down to Road 9, one of the local shopping districts. On the agenda were a haircut, a stop at a jeweler's and a visit to the green grocer. We almost made it.

After agreeing where we would meet up after the haircut, Seth took one step off the curb and onto a shard of glass. I heard the signature pop glass makes when it cracks under pressure and saw him immediately pull up. He took off his sandal and stood on one foot among the garbage. As I pried the glass out of the sole and Seth held his foot of the ground blood began to drip and then flow.

He looked at me and said, "OK, where do we go? Think." Before either of us had time to decide a man came jogging over with a fully stocked first aid kit that he unfurled on the hood of a car next to us. Stunned, we both thanked him and Seth maneuvered to the curb to sit down, while Good Samaritan #1 began pulling out gauze pads, scissors, and tape.

Several other man gathered around as we wrapped the foot securely enough to get us home. One of the men asked if we needed a ride. I looked up and saw that he, himself, had one arm in a sling and a Band-Aid on his forehead. I said, "No, we'll take a cab, thanks. You're hurt too." He assured us that he was OK and that his car was an automatic, so we took him up on his offer and hopped in.

Good Samaritan #2 drove us right back to our apartment, where we got to work cleaning out the wound and bandaging it up again. Seth is resting on the couch, along with Jager, a 3-year old German Shepard that we are dog sitting. After we got the bleeding under control we both commented on the displays of selfless kindess we were on the receiving end of today. In a time of economic dispair, neither of the men would accept any money for their assistance.

Life is good. Pay it forward.