"Why are you here?" said Victor.

"English?  Yes.  And ze babers?" said Amina.

Ze what?  I said English not German?"  Victor was trying to hold back his frustration, her country is going through a revolution and she wants me to help her learn English.

"No.  Ze babers." She pointed to the letter in his hand.  "Ze babers."

"This?" said Victor.

"Yes."

"This is a letter.  It's written on paper.  Something which you're people invented 5,000 years ago. You know.  Papyrus?  I'm not a papyrologist so I can't help you."

"No.  Pa-pyrus.  Um.  Yes, but the letters.  I want learn the letters." 

"Do you mean the letters of the alphabet? A-B-C-D yada yada yada?"

"Eh?  Letters.  Post."

Victor began reading the letter.  "Dear Sharif."  Do you know a man named Sharif?

"La.  Um.  No."

He flipped the pages until he found the signature at the end.  "Well its signed by a woman named Rose.  Do you know a woman named Rose?"

"No."

"Then why are you interested in these letters?  They're not yours.  They're someone else's private life.  You can't go reading through other people's mail like this."

Amina started to cry.  It made her feel horrible.  She took the letter and ran out of this house.

She had to get someone who knew English and Arabic.  She needed a translator who could keep their mouth shut about her desire to learn English from the local professor.