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iran
July 2009 
In the shadows of Shah Cheragh
Posted on Jun 26th, 2008
by 
Farzad
Farzad
During my third visit to Shiraz, I had to pay my respects to Shah Cheragh. In that journey, I faced something that will bother my mind for the rest of my life:
A little girl approached me trying to sell chewing gum.
"How old are you?"
"I'm ---- old..." she whispered …
“How old? Louder, dear…I can’t hear you…”
“Nine years old”
She was very cute, reminded me of my daughter. But her face and hair was filled with dust, as if she had not taken bath for many months.
“What’s your name?”
“Parvaneh” (it means butterfly)
“That’s a pretty name, why do you sell gums?”
“Please buy it…”
“How much?”
“20 cents”
I gave her a dollar
She looked at it, almost panicked: “But I have no change!” almost in tears.
“Not a problem, keep it.”, I said.
She smiled and ran away, like a butterfly, to her mother who was sitting in a corner wrapped in her chador.
I left the scene, puzzled…with tens of questions in my mind and great regret: why didn’t I talk to the mother and offer more help…in the shadows of a great place as Shah Cheragh.
A little girl approached me trying to sell chewing gum.
"How old are you?"
"I'm ---- old..." she whispered …
“How old? Louder, dear…I can’t hear you…”
“Nine years old”
She was very cute, reminded me of my daughter. But her face and hair was filled with dust, as if she had not taken bath for many months.
“What’s your name?”
“Parvaneh” (it means butterfly)
“That’s a pretty name, why do you sell gums?”
“Please buy it…”
“How much?”
“20 cents”
I gave her a dollar
She looked at it, almost panicked: “But I have no change!” almost in tears.
“Not a problem, keep it.”, I said.
She smiled and ran away, like a butterfly, to her mother who was sitting in a corner wrapped in her chador.
I left the scene, puzzled…with tens of questions in my mind and great regret: why didn’t I talk to the mother and offer more help…in the shadows of a great place as Shah Cheragh.
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