Walk and talk

There is this one staff who has been greeting me familiarly.

It started spring last when I was walking through the dean's building with a friend. Somebody called out "Ya anisah (miss)" and we both turned to see an average built man in his early 40's, thin oval moustached face with thinning front hair in a two-size-too-big jacket smiling at me. He asked me if my business was settled.

I smiled back politely despite an awkward beginning and dumbly affirmed. I thanked him, we both wished each other a good day and I walked along to wherever it was we were going.

My friend asked me who he was and I told her "I don't know. Maybe he mistook me for someone else."

I had no idea what it was about, but since he greeted me so kindly I decided to acknowledge him as well. (I despise it when Egyptians call us out with "Ya Malizia". You don't see us calling them out "Ya Masriyy".) Plus I don't know how to ask who he was in Arabic without sounding rude.

On second thought, I do know. But it would be weird to ask him now, because since then, we will greet each other whenever we passed by when I commute through the dean's building. Even when I was walking with other people, he would only greet me.

I thought he looked like a patient in my 5th year OSCE and the patient I clerked in Surgery general class, but I doubt an administrative staff of the hospital was also a "chronic patient".

The most recent was today's afternoon. I saw him from afar but since I was not going to pass him, I decided to ignore. Two meters after I took the corner, suddenly he called out "Miss, miss."

I turned around, scanning. Grinned at him. "Assalamualaikum izzay hadhritak 3amil eeh, ma3assalamah." 

I didn't stop walking though, but I didn't rush. I came across him that morning and I didn't stop walking either. It's an Egyptian thing to walk and talk, haha.