We met Samy and Ahmed at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. They were cousins, I think, and Arab. Samy ran a merchandise stall on the steps in front of the gate, as did many other people. His wares were mostly electronic gizmos, of one sort or another.
Samy bought us tea and told us to be careful of our bags. "Wear them in front," he said. "There are many thieves here." He said he didn't care if people were Jewish, Christian, or Muslim, as long as they were friendly. Ahmed said nothing, just smiled, but I couldn't tell what he might be thinking. Still he was kind and I think he liked us.
When we asked Samy to tell us how to get to the Wailing Wall, he insisted that Ahmed go with us. "It's not safe for you to go by yourselves," said Samy. "Ahmed will take care of you." Ahmed didn't seem to mind, and went ahead, leading us through a labyrinth of shops and alleys, eventually getting to a checkpoint in a tunnel. He spoke to the guard, who checked his ID card and our passports, and waved us through after looking into our bags.
"Don't leave me," Ahmed said when we all began to disperse in the courtyard of the wall, some of us to see the wall up close, some to wander about taking in the scenery. I stopped and looked at him. "Don't leave me," he said again. "They let me in because I said I was your guide. I will get in trouble if they find me here alone."
By "they" I assumed he meant the Israeli guards. We had had to pass through a checkpoint to get to the wall. It was the Sabbath, and the sun was going down. People were gathering at the wall, men on one side of a long partition, women on the other.
So I stood with him in the courtyard as the afternoon waned, and listened to him talk. He took my hand and said, "Don't be afraid." Then he put my finger in what I can only describe as a hole, or a deep dent, on his head. He told me it was from a bullet that hit him in the 1967 war, when he was about 8 months old.
I can remember little about that conversation now, except that one moment, and the golden color of the sun on the Wailing Wall while we stood in a lengthening shade.
4 comments:
(Since I don't see a guestbook:) Condolences on the Egyptian tragedy. I hope that no family or friends were in harm's way.
to my knowledge, no friends or relatives of mine were affected by the Sharm el-Sheik bombing.
thank you for your thoughts, porter.
I send my condolences as well. I have no idea why some radicals think that killing innocent people makes a political point ...
Your story was beautiful. You offered us a view of what life was like over there, of how people interact on an everyday basis. We see only the bombings on television, but I always wonder what it is like to live over there.
You should right a longer memoir of your trip. I think many people could learn from it ...
thank you Pepper. i don't understand the mentality that drives these bombers either. i don't know anyone that really does.
and thank you for your comment on the story. the fact that what we see about the middle east on television almost always revolves around violence was part of the reason for the trip that i took there last september, with other friends who were tired of seeing.hearing only one side of a very complicated story.
and your suggestion for a longer memoir is certainly under consideration. :) thanks for the encouragement!
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