Ashraf

Meet Ashraf.

Ashraf moved from his home in Pakistan to Greece during the early nineties to escape the rising national unrest. He worked for the last three decades in his new home of Athens with the hope of one day collecting his pension and retiring. But, after the collapse of the Greek economy between 2007 and 2008 he, like many others, found himself out of a job. It was something all too familiar in Ashraf’s eyes. “Greed and power, everybody [in the government] just wanted what was best for themselves. That’s what I’d left in Pakistan.” he said, “and I’d die before I go back there.” The pension the Greek government is offering him now is not livable and amounted to what he considered an insult. After further research Ashraf found if he moved to Germany and provided proof of years worked and wages earned, they would give him a substantially larger pension that would be sufficient for him to survive. The last obstacle standing in his way is the cost of moving to Germany. “It’s a great offer,” he said “but I simply don’t have the money.”

While we sat on the curb and talked he attempted to warn a tourist taking photos with her iPad that “this area is dangerous.” She ignored him. “There is a lot of crime in this area. I saw, just the other day, a thief take a woman’s purse,” he leaned in and told me. “I tried to grab him but he was somehow too heavy. She screamed but he was gone.” I asked if he’d thought the rise in crime was a result of the economic despair the country was experiencing. “Absolutely!” he exclaimed. “I mean what else are you going to do? But me, I’m safe. They don’t come after me because I have nothing.” Ashraf now laughing at this peculiar reality.  “They see tourist and think money. They see bills instead of coins and send someone ahead to wait for you. But you give people jobs and pension, most of this goes away.” We sat in silence for a moment watching the street. “Sounds to me like you’re a protector of these streets.” He chuckled responding “I’m sorry I have nothing else to offer you.” “This conversation and your story was enough, thank you,” I said. Of course this is when I asked for his photo. I made sure to get his email address to send him the photo when edited. Holding my phone he looked at me and said “I made one mistake.” “What’s that?” I asked. Waving my phone in his hand he said with a smile on his face “I didn’t run!” We shared a hearty laugh and I was on my way. Thank you for sharing your story and your humor with me today, Ashraf.