Two young girls and a book made the trip memorable

Why would a Russian novel bought in the US remind him of Egypt?

from the May 25, 2007 edition

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Partly because of their simplicity, they could see me. They even felt an interest in joining me. For free, they said, they would show me the best way up the mountain.

In my clumsy Arabic, I chatted with them about school and family, and the girls asked how things were in America. Their company was delightful.

Before long we reached the point where the trail began its ascent. Here the girls needed to turn back toward home, but before they did, they made me promise I would stop by their house to say hello once I was off the mountain.

I gave them my word that I would.

Forty-five minutes later, sweaty and coated in dust, I reached my destination.From my perch, I looked down on both the temple and the neighboring village and couldn't help but remember that a terrorist attack had been carried out by members of an outlawed Egyptian Islamic group right next to Basma and Na'ama's village on Nov. 17, 1997.

It is no secret that the individuals we encounter, be they good or bad, affect the way we experience a place.

It is also true that the venues in which we choose to read a book affect the way we encounter an author's words.

Hundreds of feet above the valley, I opened "The Brothers Karamazov" once again and soon read another of Dostoevsky's wonderful lines: "Above all, love little children, for they are sinless, like little angels, and they are there to arouse our tenderness, to purify our hearts, and in a sense to guide us."

Taking a break from the text, I let my gaze fall onto the village below.

I smiled.

I was thankful that on this day I had encountered not those who were violent and hateful but two curious children who took an interest in a stranger. Basma and Na'ama probably weren't angels, but I suspect that in some small way, even though time and distance now separate us, they will continue to guide me in the years ahead.

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