A Memory That Has Affected Me

     Throughout my lifetime, I have traveled to many different countries, and created a numerous amount of memories. However, the area that I have seem to have the most memories is located at The Americana in Glendale, California. This "hangout" spot is located less then ten minutes away from my home, and Talar and I seem to find ourselves there almost everyday. One time, Mariam, Ani, Talar, and I had to complete a history project, which required a powerpoint presentation. We decided that the ideal and most convenient location was Americana. The four of us were sitting on the balcony of Barnes and Nobles, diligently working on this project, when suddenly a man in his mid-eighties walked up to his. He said, "Hello ladies. You know, not many people have been able to do this, but you girls seem smart enough so here you go." He then laid down three strips of paper in front of us, and walked away. The strips, which we figured out were parts of a puzzle, were to be put a certain way so that a man was sitting on a horse, but the horse was also sitting on the man. Although we were scared of a stranger talking to us at first, we attempted to do this puzzle, but could not figure it out. About ten minutes later, the man walked back to us and showed us the secret. Realizing that the man had a heavy Middle Eastern accent, I said 'hello' in Arabic. He answered back in Arabic, but said he was from Iran, and spoke Farsi. He proceeded by telling us how he learned his trick, which was that he used to work in the Magic Castle in Beverly Hills as a bartender, and after the shows were over, the magicians would teach the story of how he and his wife met. The immense love he had for her was evident, and all four of us felt the pain he felt when informed us she had passed away. We kept all the materials he used to show us the tricks, and later took a picture with him. After leaving Barnes and Nobles, and after only completing the title page of our history project, we decided to watch a movie. On our way there, we realized we did not know the man's name. We started yelling to the balcony, and when the man tried telling us, and we did not understand, he wrote his name on a napkin, and flew it to us. Issa created one of the most captivating experiences I have ever had at Americana. He taught us to be humble, and that the title of 'stranger' can diminish with a unique sense of hello.