Ali told me about the CIES International Dinner event during one of our tutoring sessions, mentioning that he wanted to go but that it's difficult for him to get to and from CIES. So I offered to escort him to the dinner. When Matt and I picked Ali up from his apartment, he had the biggest smile on his face. We ended up being some of the first to arrive, so we had plenty of time to talk before the ambient volume picked up. When it came time to fill our plates, Ali was wary of letting me help, due to his dietary restrictions. Luckily, one of his friends (who is also Muslim) came to his rescue. He sat with his friend during dinner, but came back to sit with Matt and I while the CIES graduates were announced and diplomas given out.
Afterward, Matt told Ali that I had teared up at just about every acceptance speech. Ali said, "That is because she is a woman," and we all laughed. Walking back to the car, Ali told Matt that he should "make it a romantic evening, because everything is so beautiful after the rain." I was reminded of a short documentary film I had seen in which a blind man described his love for the rain, saying that its sounds gave the world depth, and in this way allowed him to see again.
No comments:
Post a Comment