Although she is not a relative to Hajiba, I consider Hesna to be a part of my host family. She has been closely connected to us since we arrived, and she has proved to be a loyal and loving friend. While Diana was sick and recovering, Hesna was on the scene a lot with her daughter Hiba (pictured in one of my first posts) to make sure she was being taken care of.
She speaks Arabic* to me while I speak English to her, and somehow we connect in ways beyond words. She's the one who taught me to say "bezzerba" (fast) and "beshwia" (slow) in Arabic, which I use ALL of the time, especially in our PSI classes! (Seriously, these are two of the most useful words for me right now, and I know them because of Hesna.)
While I am looking forward to returning home, I am bracing my heart for when the time comes to say goodbye to my dear friends, such as Hesna. I learned today that her name is derived from the Arabic name "Hasan", which means "very beautiful", and that's what she is. Hesna is a truly beautiful soul.
* Important clarification: Moroccan Arabic is called Derija. The words I share in my blog are mostly Derija.
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