"Don't worry, I'll be right back..."

Famous last words. Jenn was feeling a little under the weather and I was doing the best I could do to nurse her back to health. I was giving her plenty of fluids and letting her watch as much of the "Gilmore Girls" as she wanted. I told her I was running down to the neighborhood market, called a ha-nut, for some Sprite to calm stomach. "Don't worry, I'll be right back," I said.

Upon arrival to the ha-nut, I told my friend that works there that my wife was sick. I wanted some Sprite to make her better. He asked what was wrong, and in the best Arabic I could, I told him her stomach hurt. He quickly ran off and came back with a piece of paper with some Arabic scribbled on it. I can sound out the letters and say words, but my vocabulary is still limited. He told me to go down the street to a place next to the mosque and ask for this, pointing at the paper. As I was leaving, he shouted for me to come back after I got what I needed.

I found many things next to the mosque. A fruit vendor, a bakery, and an other small store that sold spices. Not knowing what I was looking for, I went to the fruit vendor first. This man recognized me and as is custom here, asks, "Everything good? Hows your family (wife)?" I told him she was a little sick, and I was looking for this, pointing to the paper. With a shocked look he tells me that they don't have that here, but takes me by the hand past the bakery and to the spice vendor. I give this man the paper, and he tells me he can't read. So I sound out the word, and he asks me how much. I ask for a small portion and go back to the ha-nut to show my friend my new purchase. He begins talking light speed Arabic and I understand nothing of what he is saying. He then asks, "Wife have baby?" "No," I respond. "Make hot water, then make tea with this. Make her drink all of it. Do it now," he explains. "Why did you ask about a baby" I ask. My friend explains that this tea is bad for babies. Great I thought. What's in this stuff?

With this new knowledge and "tea" in hand I ran back to the apartment. I get back and give Jenn some Sprite, and then start making the tea. I made enough for both of us thinking that if this "tea" is deadly, at least we go together. After finishing the "tea" Jenn goes to lay down and sleep it off. With in hours, the sickness had passed and the "tea" worked!!