the pen theory

There was one morning that I didn't sign up to go on the excursion so I had the entire morning free. I walked around the local market with my teacher. It was mainly a spice market so the colors and smells of the place were awesome. I love markets I feel like they really show the culture of the country because they are selling what their producing.
We walking along the market and this old beggar woman does this sign with her hand like she's writing. It was odd and we couldn't figure out what she was doing.

Then, a little later, this cute little boy in a bright yellow shirt comes running up to us. He keeps saying something that we don't understand and we think he's just asking for money so we kind of blow him off, but he was determined. I was eating a chocolate bar (that was melting everywhere) I offered that to him, he didn't want it. Finally I tried to really listen to him and realized he was saying pen, black pen. I'm sure to have a black pen in my purse somewhere. I found a cheap pen that hardly works and hold it up to him. His eyes light up and he gets all excited. I had him the pen and he runs off and keeps turning around to wave at me. He was holding up his pen and showing to people, it was so cute. We passed the begger woman again and my teacher gave her a pen, which she put in her pocket and was really happy about as well. I don't know why the pen, there are pens in egypt its not like its a penless country but regardless that little boy was so precious waving at me holding his pen in the air. Why? Why the pen??