Second marriage proposal

I frequent a juice shop around the corner from my house.  It's small and mostly the only thing they are usually serving, or have in stock, is sugar cane.  The stalks are run through a machine which basically just compresses the sugar cane hence squeezing all the sweet liquid out.  The stalk shoots out the back end of the machine flat, dry, and lifeless.

Out of the two or three guys that work there one, Ahmed, stands out.  Perhaps for no other reason other than he has experience outside of Egypt and his demeanor is slightly more calm and relaxed than others.  He is also married and has three kids.  I've met two of them.

One of his sons, Ibrahim, is in middle school studying English and German and his daughter is in her last year of college.  His son tried speaking to me in English and I relented and spoke a little to him in it and his daughter was very nice and happy.

Today I went to drink some sugarcane after the sunset prayer and started asking Ahmed about some customs surrounding marriage in Egypt.  For instance, marriages parties seem to end up at some point driving the streets in gangs of about three to four cars, swerving across the road like a serpent sliding, the lead car wrapped in a white bow-tie, all of them honking their horns.  The purpose: make noise, drive recklessly and fast, and let everyone know you just got married.  It's a happy celebration, but lacking some elements of common-sense and intelligence.  It was also banned by law before the revolution, but now with a lack of police presence on the streets (not a total lack mind you) it seems to have made a resurgence.

It's also from their custom that if someone wants to marry he needs to have an apartment already provided, and it's highly preferred if already furnished.  Something nearly impossible for the large majority of Egypt's youth.  I would say there is probably a direct correlation between the amount of verbal harassment that goes on and the number of unmarried youth.  In any case though, I was asking Ahmed about how one goes about proposing to an Egyptian girl.  Does he go to the girl directly?  Does he go through the dad?  I realized in the middle of all the questions that my words could probably be really easily taken to mean I was asking about his daughter.  Awkward, slightly, considering that wasn't my intention.

His responses were very balanced though, the most important thing being that one fears God in the relationship of marriage (i.e. - will treat his wife well) and is pious in general.  One could have all the money in the world but if his character and manners don't reflect piety and God-fearing-ness who is going to want to marry their daughter to him?  It is also very important that their be connection between the bride and groom so that the she wants to marry him and he wants to marry her.  That's the basic gist of it all.

In the end though, Ahmed said happily, "You want to get married?  It's done!  We'll marry you to our daughter."  He was totally serious.  It's endearing and very sweet when someone trusts you enough to invite you into their family and marry you to their daughter.  I didn't agree in the moment though, Mom : )