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You know when you just fancy something? We were wending our way home this evening, on the arabeya (local 'bus to the uninitiated) when Freda said that we should get off and have a falafel sandwich for tea. Of course I didn't take any tempting!
We jumped off the 'bus at the corner of our street and Rameses St and walked up to the railway crossing, hoping to be able to see the lights from the falafel stall along the street. (Karen, if you read this, he's moved across the road onto the corner.) WE were hoping, because it is Friday, the Muslim holy day and we're never sure which days they are open or closed. When we first started to buy our falafel here we were told that of the two partners, Ibrahim and Osman, one was Christian and the other Muslim. This being the case we would expect one to work on Friday while the other worked on Sunday, so that each one could have his "day of rest". But, of course, this being Egypt it doesn't work like that! They were both on duty tonight.
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So here we are on a Friday night and they are both here!
On approaching, Ibrahim saw us first and immediately offered me a cigarette. Not wanting to offend, I felt it to be my duty to accept. Then he was pleased to show us that he was frying potatoes "Chipsy, Mr Edward, chipsy". He knows that I cannot resist his chips. So we got two sandwiches, Freda's was stuffed with falafel, aubergine, baladi salad and chips, mine was the same but without the rabbit food. Being high-class customers, we were given metal plates with pieces of printed paper on them. Freda sat on the step, near to the gas burner, to eat hers and to keep warm at the same time. It was a bit pricey for a falafel take-away at 5LE, but maybe he had charged us VAT as we had plates and sat down to eat it? (I think not.)
Osman and Ibrahim can hardly keep up with demand at mealtimes, they often have serious queues, which shows just how good their falafel really is. They work behind the new 9000 capacity Coptic Church which is just up our street, in the back lane.
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