"Kajal"
I can’t stop looking at this Bedouin’s eyes while he helps us walk around the rocks of Little Petra.
“Are you wearing makeup?” I ask him.
“It is not makeup,” he replies. “It is Kajal, the Bedouin’s makeup. We use it to protect our eyes from the wind, the sand, and the sun.”
“I see. Is it natural?”
“Of course it is. It is handmade from olive oil and other ingredients. The next time you come here, let me know. I’ll tell my mother to make some for you.”
I feel a little bit embarrassed. We don’t know each other. But I’m getting used to the Bedouin’s ways.
“Oh, that would be great, thank you,” I reply. “How much would it cost me?”
“Oh, no. I don’t want money. When we do something, we do it from the heart. This is our culture.”
+© Anna Raisa Favale