Muhammad, My Friend

There is this guy who comes into my workplace every Friday to clean the restrooms. He sprays everything down with a chemical, and then sucks it all back up with a big, industrial strength vacuum. His name is Muhammad, and he is from Morocco. Yes, he of the Muslim faith, and no, he is not gay. He usually finishes his work and then hangs around a little while just so he can talk to me. I found him a little annoying at first, but after about a year of seeing him every Friday, I have come to enjoy our talks. We talk about the differences between our two cultures. I think that Muhammad, just like a lot of people from other countries who come to the United States seeking fortune, has this strange idea that the streets in America are paved with gold. He is realizing that while he can find some work, it is not necessarily very rewarding. Muhammad is no dummy either. He has a college degree from his country and knows a lot about how to work on electronic equipment. He can speak Arabic, French and better English than some Americans I know. He is very polite and friendly. He also has a strong sense of faith and devotion to his fiancé back in Morocco. He is trying to get a better job, because cleaning restrooms sucks ass big time! (I would reckon.) I think the problem is living in this 21st century climate. If you were the average American business manager looking at job applications and came across one for Muhammad (some weird middle eastern last name), if you didn't chuck it in the trash immediately, your reaction would probably be, "Ummmmmm, no! I don't think we need a terrorist working here!"

Muhammad is a good guy though. He is quite funny as he stumbles around our culture, half fascinated, half disgusted and the whole time using his religion to beat down the boners he gets from all the hot women in America. I think he kind of looks up to me, for some strange reason. He sees my thick (Al-gay-da) beard, and I think that in his culture, if you can grow a thick beard you are considered a manly man. I haven't come right out and told him that I'm gay, but I don't pretend to be a straight boy with him either. He asks me a lot of questions about how things are here and why people act in certain ways. He is somewhat perplexed by why a lot of the black people he has encountered here in America are so bitter, angry and mean and the black people in his own country and in Europe that he has met don't seem to have that same attitude. I tried to explain to him about how they came to live here in the first place, kidnapped as slaves. Even though this country has fought a big civil war over the matter of rights for African-Americans and other minorities, it is still a constant struggle, and he should be aware of that. (The streets in America aren't paved with gold Muhammad!) I also help him to expand his English vocabulary sometimes. Something a lot of Americans couldn't dream of doing.

I enjoy our talks together. I almost want to extend the friendship a little further and hang out with him outside of the work environment. He has indicated on several occasions that he would like to hang out some time. My problem is the issue that I have with most friendships. If I extend this part of me, is he going to be the guy that won't ever leave me alone? I'm really a very isolated guy. I prefer it that way. I avoid carrying on in society because the social ramble isn't restful. Not that I'm a complete misanthrope. There is a time to be social, and we have a few friends as a couple. Jason has a few friends. I've got a few old friendships that live far away and I talk to once every blue moon. There is no one in my life though that I could say to on a night that Bubala is working, "Hey, come over and let's watch a movie and hang out." So, to say this to Muhammad would be really weird, even though it might be fun. I think that he would jump at the chance though. Not so he could get in my pants, just because I think he needs a friend. Still, if I open that door and he comes in, I think he is the kind of guy that might never leave. Seriously folks, I need some feed back here. What would you do?