وما المقابلُ الذي يتحصَّل عليه؟ لا شيء سوى اللقمة التي تجيئه من بيت حبشي، والفَرْشَة التي ينام عليها آخر الليل في ركنٍ من أركان القهوة.

And what did he get in return? Nothing but the bite of food that came to him from Habashi's house, and the bedding he slept on at the end of the night in a corner of the café.

أُمُّه التي لم يعرف أن الدنيا خائنة وبلا خُلقٍ، إلا بعد أن قضت.. أمه التي كانت سِرَّه وهو سِرّها..

His mother: only after she was gone did he learn that the world is treacherous and without decency. His mother, who was his secret, as he was hers.

إذ لم يكُنْ يتجرَّأ على الجلوس أمام تربة لها أصحاب في البلدة، ستكون مُلْفتةً ويعتبرها أصحابها تطفلًا منه، فاختار تربة هذا الرجل الغريب يتذكر أحبابًا له رحلوا ويُخرج طاقة الحزن التي تؤلمه.

He would not dare sit before a grave that had owners in the village; it would draw attention and they would take it as intrusion, so he chose the grave of this stranger to remember loved ones who had gone and let out the grief that hurt him.