Harun

If you're excited about Sebilj, which is world-famous as an important landmark in Sarajevo, it won't take one minute of your time to walk up from there to Harun's coffee shop. You would have to cross the almost-always-busy traffic and tram rail to reach a fast-selling 'pekara' (bakery) and continue walking 6 metres to your left. I'm the type that would never pass a bakery without getting anything, so personally I would stop there first- as it was then the coffee shop didn't serve anything not drinkable. My love for bread has been especially and directly trained by my loving Umi, helped by the daily demands of my younger brother who then ate nothing but bread.

The three of us walked into the coffee shop, and a fine handsome young man greeted us with unceasing smiles. He is brown-eyed, dark-haired, with a complexion only unnoticeably more tanned than the average Bosnians. Sanadin gave him a warm brotherly hug and for a while they spoke in the language I was yet to learn. Harun was quick not to let us feel unattended hence unimportant; he left from behind the counter to make sure that we were given the warmest welcome. I immediately noticed two things- he might not be a pure Bosnian; and his english was superb.

A few things about Harun marvelled me. First, he made us feel like we were old friends- at first sight. His greetings, his manners, his hospitability, and his interest in our details and journey were genuine and exceptional. We were like his royal guests, even his counter was not of bigger priority. During our stay, it must've been around half a dozen times that I heard him reiterating about how Islam regards it important to serve or at least help fellow travellers. We asked about his background and it turned out that he's a mixed Palestinian-Bosnian; fluent in Arabic, Bosnian, and English (how I wished to be born a polyglot). Meanwhile I looked around the medium-sized, four-tabled premise- it was fitted with a well kept toilet and a stairway to an underground room was hiding itself on the other side. I was all the more shocked- almost in an insulting manner- when told that the very coffee shop I was sitting in was only in its third day of operation.

The three of us sat down at a glass table, at about the knee's level, and began ordering our drinks. I can't remember what the others had, but I wanted to try an original Bosnian čaj (tea). We were then served- and joined- by the likeable shop owner himself, Harun, still unfinished in his making-us-warmed business.