The Pistachio Seller
by Bassiouney, R.
This story begins with adolescent love as Wafaa, a young Egyptian girl, says with a sense of fun and humor: “It was Saturday. I remember. And while he was standing on a step ladder in the hall, changing a light bulb in the faint light coming through the window, I decided to love him.” Raised in a strict Islamic culture, young Wafaa struggles to come to grips with her own beliefs and the confusing conflicts of a young coming of age body. She meets her cousin Ashraf when he visits from England and develops a healthy respect and growing admiration for her world-travelled and educated older cousin.