Abir had all but forgotten that he was lost, so enamored was he with the city protectors. Wow! They had stopped a fight in a few moments! Abir was already fantasizing how he could do something like that one day. He had never seen anything like this before. If only his mother had taken him to the market sooner. That would have been wonderful to see this before. He couldn’t wait until he saw Davitah and told her all about this! She would be so impressed. Well, as impressed as a toddler could be. Abir was sure that his story would be very interesting to her. He could act it all out so that she could understand.

He only recalled that his mother was missing when he heard her voice behind him then in front of him before he could even turn around. She was blocking his view of the city protectors, which made Abir sad. He wanted to see what was happening now. It was only his mother’s suddenly strict tone that made him look at her. He could tell she was disappointed. How could he have upset her like this? Instantly chastised, Abir looked down in shame. He had been so very bad. A good boy wouldn’t have wandered away from his mother like that. Briefly, he wondered if she was going to punish him. Abir had never been punished before, but this would be a worthy reason, he was sure.

“I’m sorry, Mama,” he said dolefully, looking up at her with big eyes. He would not cry, though. He was a big boy and they did not cry. Even when they made their mothers worried. “I was just looking at something in a shop, then you were gone. I tried to find you, but I couldn’t. I’m so sorry, Mama.” Excuses were just excuses, they were not worthy. That was what his father had taught him. He couldn’t get by in life by giving excuses. He needed to own his actions. Even at seven years old, Abir had learned that lesson. He never gave his father any excuses, but couldn’t help try every once in awhile with his mother. Especially now, when there was something so exciting in front of him.

Just when Abir thought that he was going to be dragged off, his mother stood up and brought him in the direction of the city protectors. Oh wow, the boy thought. He was actually going to be able to meet them! How wonderful! They were so inspiring.

“Thank you!” he piped in a boyish voice. “I can’t believe what you did! You made them stop fighting just by using your words! How did you do that?” There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but didn’t even know where to start.

“Mama, you should have seen them! They stopped a fight!” Abir forgot his momentary sadness at disappointing her so, overwhelmed by his excitement at seeing something new. He wished that she could have been there to see it too! Though of course, she probably wouldn’t have seen it quite the same way…

His mother couldn’t really be mad at him, he thought, seeing the edges of a smile on her face. That made him feel better because he really hated it when she was upset. And he would feel even worse if he was the cause of it! Abir wanted to be the best son he could be for his mother. She deserved it. She was so perfect and wonderful and Abir loved her very much. So, he didn’t argue when she told him to let the man do his work instead of answer one of Abir’s many questions. He wanted to know so much more, but would let it go for now. Even though he was young, he recognized the passage of time and knew that there would be another chance yet for him to see these men again. They lived in his city, after all. Maybe one day Abir could even become one of them! Now that thought was exhilarating.

“Wow,” he said softly, hearing his mother’s explanation for what the man was. Now he had a name for it. A City Protector. It sounded so glamorous. Keeping the city safe! Maybe even all of Judea. Abir didn’t have much of a concept about what violence was, having never really witnessed it, but he knew a little bit from the scriptures. “You mean like they would protect us if we were ever forced to leave our lands? We wouldn’t have to wander the desert for 40 years? Because we would have protectors to stop bad things from happening?”

He was mixing up his bible stories a bit, but hoped his mother would understand what he meant. Already, it was an exciting prospect to be learning about these people that he didn’t even know existed. Solemnly, he nodded, listening to his mother explain about respect and kindness. He believed her that it was the best, even if sometimes his father said otherwise. Abir never told his mother than sometimes Simeon told him something different about power. The boy never told either parent about their different philosophies. He thought that perhaps they were just trying to teach him everything. And Abir wanted to learn everything.

“Yes, Eema,” he sold solemnly, nodding at his mother. “I hope they will always be kind. Just as I will.” Abir had no idea all the thoughts swirling in his mother’s head about these protectors, but he knew that he admired them. Maybe he even wanted to be one. Using words as power over people seemed amazing to him. He didn’t know about all the bad things both words and actions could do. That even people such as the city protectors could do them.

His mother seemed to be directing him in the way of another city protector and Abir wasn’t going to argue, taking the coin and heading off in the direction of the baker. The closer he got, he noticed there seemed to be some tension in the air, especially about the boy who was probably no older than he was. Though the boy looked different than him, Abir thought. He looked more ragged. Hungrier. Less well kempt. Suddenly, Abir was very grateful that his mother had thought to feed this boy as well.

“Excuse me sirs,” Abir said as he approached. For a moment, those same negative looks were turned in his direction, though they lessened significantly upon seeing the coin that Abir held up. “My mother has sent me to purchase her and this boy some bread.” He gestured to where his mother was standing so that they could see who he was talking about. And indicate that he was not alone.

Abir pointed to a bread that he knew his mother often bought, requesting two loaves. When the baker handed them out, Abir gave him the coin. “Thank you kind sirs,” he said, loping his free arm around the other boy, gently leading him away from the stand. It seemed right to get him away. Those two men didn’t seem so happy.

“Here,” he said, handing the boy a loaf, when they were just far enough away. “Would you care to join us?” Abir didn’t know what his mother would think of that, but surely she wouldn’t turn the boy away.

However, the boy took the bread, and shook his head. “Thank you,” he whispered, barely loud enough for Abir to hear, before walking away. Abir wanted to call out, but as soon as the boy was at the edge of the stands, he started running and Abir knew it wasn’t worth it.

When he returned to his mother, he held the loaf up to her to add to her basket, still looking at the spot where the boy had gone. “He seemed so hungry, Eema. Don’t his parents feed him?”

Abir wondered what it was like to be that other boy. A boy who was willing to steal in order to eat. Who would take a free loaf of bread without hardly more than a thank you. He must be desperate—a word Abir could hardly understand. He nodded as his mother explained how lucky they were to have everything they needed in order to live a good life. The boy was really grateful that they all were healthy and didn’t have to beg on the streets like that other boy. Nobody should have to live like that, he thought. It just wasn’t fair.

Yes, his mother was right—they should give everything extra that they had to others. That would help, surely. This trip to the marketplace had opened his eyes in more ways than he could have imagined. He was not expecting this when he came with his mother today. First, a fight, stopped by men with their words. Second, an interaction with a boy that could have been Abir in another life. He had never known before just how lucky they were.

“Yes, Eema,” he murmured, showing her that he understood and agreed. He wanted her to know that he would do his best to do what she said in all ways in his life. That was what Yahweh wanted for him. And Abir now wanted it more than anything. Maybe one way that he could be good enough to be one of these city protectors. He could make a difference here and make sure everyone was safe and fed. That nobody lived on the streets.

As if his mother could hear his thoughts, she bent down and told him that the protectors made kindness happen through their actions. His eyes lit up when she said that boy would remember his kindness someday in the future. Though, it really had been his mother’s idea. She had given him the money and the suggestion that he should buy the bread and give it to the boy. His mother was truly the best, he thought. Abir was not so sure that he would have thought to do that by himself. Maybe…but maybe not. What he did know, however, was that he was going to try his hardest to do this in the future. Hopefully Eema would allow him to come out with her again and perhaps he could help more people. Abir wanted to be the most helpful he could be—even if that was with others and not his own family.

“Has that ever happened to you, Eema?” he asked, finding it difficult to imagine that she had ever been struggling for anything. But perhaps that was why she was so kind. She had been helped in the past and maybe that was why she was so helpful now.

“I hope that I can be just like you someday, Eema,” he told her, grinning. “I want to help others too. Maybe I could even become a city protector!” He wanted to share his thought, though barely formed with his mother. All Abir wanted was for her to be proud of him. He would do whatever it took.