No hugs from me

Walking down the street, downtown Jerusalem.

One of the city's professional beggars (short, baseball cap, missing some teeth, always with a smile on his face - if you're local, you'd know him) approaches me: "Tsedakah, tsedakah" ("Charity, charity", the beggar call).

I shake my head "No".

"Hug?" he asks, with arms stretched out in cheerful optimism, grinning toothlessly and widely...

... and without even waiting for a response (it would have been negative), he keeps on walking, cheerfully reprising his refrain.

I burst out laughing at his optimism and joyousness.

(Sorry, no hugs from me.)