Yara, who was fifteen, and her cousin Adam, who was thirteen, were spending the summer with their grandmother. One morning she gave Yara some coins and said, "Please buy saffron for me in the old market." Neither cousin wanted to be the first to ask the way, so they split up to find the right stall faster.
That was a mistake. The old market was a maze of narrow alleys full of spice sacks, copper pots, leather bags and sellers calling out their prices. Within ten minutes both cousins were lost. Different shopkeepers tried to help them, but their directions were more cheerful than clear.
By pure luck, Yara and Adam both ended up at a tiny tea stall run by a girl their own age. Her name was Sara. She gave them hot, sweet tea, drew them a map on a napkin and refused to take any money. They got home late, with the saffron and a good story. Grandmother laughed until she cried. "I went to school with Sara's grandmother!" she said.