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Angels from the Bay

by Nadeem Qadir
T was not discovering the beauty of the setting sun from the Cox's Bazar beach for the Infinite time, but the discovery of the sweetness and Innocence of human beings and those qualities that are not altogether extinct.
The sweetness of four, six or seven year old kids selling souvenirs and the Innocence of the friendship they offered me and my colleague, photogra pher Mufty Munir, was a reminder there are still humans on this earth
As we watched dawn descend on the tourist town after three days of hectic reporting on the Rahlngya refugee camps, we saw the kids Including one called Gafur hap pity trying to convince visitors to buy then shell made special souvenirs from the Bay of
r carefree looks and the winsome smile, caught Mufty s eye. who grabbed his camera and clicked a few snaps
The boys ted by Gafur were no fools either They posed In different fashion In their somewhat torn clothes with the constant display of their tainted teeth
The session over. Mufty thanked them, at feast that la all that he had in mind But. the children had something priceless to offer — one shell string from each of them for the man who had given them enough Importance, at least once — maybe — tn their life time They were offering a part of their day s earning of four Takas In tact.
Flabbergasted and red faced Mufty Instead Invited them for a session of great shooting the next day. hours before our flight back to Dhaka Agreed and happy, they went back to their business as usual.
Soon. I found them playing with marbles, a game I later found needed lot of attention, alm and precision
"Can I Join you guys for a game," I asked to their sur prise, and It was nearly for two house that I third Io learn the sport, which was Gafur and his Gang s only entertainment. They are still too young to fancy the nightly sports that some choose to go about when in this town.
I was given seven marbles, six of which were to be thrown near a circle at a distance of about two feet across a line marked on the sand. What I did not know that I would be disqualified It the marbles went further the circle. Yes. I lost my wry first marble game.
"Hey c'mon guys gtw me another chance." I pleaded like a child, and 1 was not turned down or fined one marble, as per the rules of the game. 1 tried and succeeded, but then I failed in the next step of the game, which Is to hit one marble selected by the opponents by the seventh one in my hand
I lost all my marbles and now had to waft for my chance which was taking a bit too long and marking this "grown-up kid a bit Impatient. So. I pleaded for another try. of course without success. Neither I had the precision, nor total attention and show all. maybe my heart was not as big as theirs
Others on the beach found the episode wry amusing, but never joined and I can tell you they missed a lot of fun and of course the real speciality of Cox s I Sizar
And there was a lesson to team too Do not hesitate to make friends with an open heart, which Is not easy to keep clean these days And. of course friends don 1 come tn millions.
When I offered the kids some money to but more mar bles they tn exchange wanted me to take some of their sou ventrs In real cut prices. Angels, aren't they? They kept the money only after I said It was a present and I would be happy If they accepted it. Mufty promised them copies of their picture
It eras after all. not alto ■ether a "newsy" trip We had been ffted with the friendship of four worldly angels and as the poets say that there Is nothing more precious in this world than a trusted friend
The angels sure are trusted friends and may God bless them.