There is a market about a block and a half from where I live. By market I mean that there are are probably fifty little shops scattered up and down either side of the street. You can buy anything from fruits to soap and shoes to picnic baskets. I don't often walk to this particular market on my own, but on the Saturday before a major holiday, I needed some cheap chunky jewelry for my traditional dress.

I walked down at around ten in the morning, and I found the little shop owned by the kind [old] little man who had previously helped me with my cheap chunky jewelry needs. After explaining what I needed, we both squatted down by the mats laid out on the floor and started sifting through the rings and bracelets.

All of a sudden without warning (or knocking anything over), the man jumped up and started running towards the street. Alarmed, I stood up and looked to the spot where he was running. Then I realized that it wasn't just him. A small crowd of men had gathered in the middle of the street, and there were at least forty more coming from all over the market. A small cart and taxi had crossed paths; I'm still not sure if they had crashed or just gotten too close, but both drivers were out of their vehicles and very, very angry. At this point the men started yelling (not just the two drivers...ALL of the men were yelling). The two drivers were shoving each other and getting a punch in here and there. One of the drivers pulled out a knife and started swinging it around.

I wasn't really sure how I was supposed to respond to this - should I go home? Should I leave the shop? Should I even watch what seemed to be a private dispute? As I looked around the market I saw that everyone had stopped what they were doing and were watching. Women, children, young boys. It wasn't a private dispute at all. It was very much a community situation.

At the time I was too intrigued to think about being frightened. Watching the men interact with one another and comfort one another amazed me. In the West we shy away from things that “aren’t our responsibility.” We wouldn’t dare jump in the middle of a fight with weapons. We tend to “mind our own business.” What I experienced that day in the market was the exact opposite. As a community those men rallied together and each one did their part to diffuse the situation. Some examined the car, some put their arms around the drivers and talked quietly and calmly to them. Some stood by for moral support. Everyone was involved. Aside from the initial confusion and tension, it turned out to be a beautiful picture. One of true brotherly love, compassion, and selflessness. One that I was thankful to be a part of.