How a Haymarket fishmonger I met years ago reminded me there's still true grace in the world
Several years after I finished college, I landed a job in Government Center, just a block from Haymarket. And so, on Fridays after work, I started doing my produce shopping there again. Over time, the demographics of the vendors changed. Sellers with Italian backgrounds began to share the space with Vietnamese women, Central Americans, and Arabic-speaking men. What had been an ethnic monopoly was becoming a melting pot.
There were also a few fishmongers. I got friendly with one named Ray. He was old school, but a really sweet guy. He'd tell me what was fresh and what to stay away from.
Ray was having medical problems, and maybe 15 years ago, after some tough winters had taken their toll, Florida beckoned. Ray heeded its call, sold his fish stand, and bid Boston adieu.
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Ray sold to a short, dark-haired, bearded Middle Eastern guy with a great smile. He had a couple of helpers, so he was happy to spend a little time chatting with customers like me. Sometimes, we'd even talk politics, candidly sharing views on sensitive subjects.
After I retired from my Government Center job seven years ago, my schedule rarely brought me near Haymarket on a Friday or Saturday. So, when I ventured there after the protest march, I was curious to see what I'd find. The fruits and veggies looked good, and I wound up with several plastic bagsful.
I moved on to the fish stands. There, behind the long metal trays displaying the day's catch, was the fishmonger I'd done business with years ago. As I approached his stand, his eyes widened. 'Hello, my old friend,' he said enthusiastically. 'How have you been?'
Smiling, we both acknowledged how good it was to see each other again after these many years. He told me his leg was aching a lot, that he'd been thinking his days running the stand were numbered, and that he might return home. 'Neither of us is getting any younger,' I said.
After we reintroduced ourselves — his name was Mahmoud — I asked, 'Please remind me, where's home?'
'Egypt,' he said. I nodded. I wanted to shake his hand. He offered to bump fists instead, mindful of what he'd been handling all day.
I asked him what to get. 'The haddock is good,' he said, 'Also, the salmon.' I asked for several pieces of each.
We chatted a bit more, then I was ready to head for home. 'Mahmoud, what do I owe you?'
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He smiled and shook his head. 'No, no, no, you can't pay me. Please.'
I insisted, but so did he. Touched by his unexpected generosity, I smiled, mustered one of the few Arabic words I know, 'shukran,' and waved goodbye.
It had gotten dark and was bitter cold. The 'coup' was still a threat. But as I trudged home, my bags felt lighter, as did my spirits. Mahmoud's kindness had reminded me how we might encounter — at any moment — a gesture of true grace when we least expect it, and perhaps most need it.
And yes, the fish was delicious.
Michael Felsen is a writer in Jamaica Plain. Send comments to magazine@globe.com. TELL YOUR STORY. Email your 650-word unpublished essay on a relationship to connections@globe.com. Please note: We do not respond to submissions we won't pursue.
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