Embedded Files
No one really knows what will happen in just about everything when it comes to life on the West Bank, an occupied territory. How occupation impacts one person is completely different from another who is from the "other side." West Bank used to be all Palestinian not too long ago, but is now controlled by the Israeli army limiting what they are allowed to do and making room for Israeli settlements. To impose apartheid style policies against the Palestinians goes against international law, yet the Israelis are supported by the Americans for billions of dollars each year to continue when the US is against such policy in every other part of the world.
The real problem has more to do with land expropriation than anything else, but religion often gets used as a point in discussion or as an excuse (Islam vs. Judaism). There is constant social disorder, arguments, organized protests, hostilities, civil unrest, and outright war to contend with, which has been going on for decades with no end in sight. On top of this, each side are now deeply divided amongst themselves for how they should proceed going forward. Over half the Israelis are not in favor of pushing the Palestinians out of the West Bank. Most Palestinians are not in favor of Hamas driven terrorist activity. Yet people must make a living to survive.
What can a young single farmer of a date plantation possibly do, living in such an insane world, other than to focus solely on what are his responsibilities?
As for having a friendly chat with someone, there are those who he should hang out with off hours and others, not at all. He found that most of his socializing was business related since he was just getting established in the market place and wanting to be successful and he was rather frustrated when it came to his love life. The young man never seems to get very far with Israeli women, some of whom are extremely attractive, as they just are not that compatible with his character and not having the same interests, especially those living in town, as he is a country boy. Maybe they did not feel that comfortable dating a man who lives in a less safe area since his place borders that of the Palestinians. He was also troubled with military aggression and Palestinian retaliation, and therefore often was not in the right frame of mind to enjoy what life had to offer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAtwg1BwKek
Melinda was mine
'Til the time that I found her
Holding Jim, loving him
Then Sue came along, loved me strong
That's what I thought
Me and Sue, but that died too
Don't know that I will
But until I can find me
The girl who'll stay
And won't play games behind me
I'll be what I am
A solitary man
I've had it to here
Being where love's a small word
Part-time thing, paper ring
I know it's been done
Havin' one girl who'll loves you
Right or wrong, weak or strong
Don't know that I will
But until I can find me
The girl who'll stay
And won't play games behind me
I'll be what I am
A solitary man
He was beginning to feel lonely not having a companion as a true friend, someone who he could trust and share his life with and really care for. He had his parents, but not his generation and they were retired and happy to let him run the plantation. He had his own ideas on how to stay competitive, which caused the need for some rework of its operations. As the business was now becoming stable and secure, he was thinking that maybe the time had come for a fresh start and to get back to looking for a special someone to fill a void in his life.
What he thinks about often lately in the back of his mind is a young Palestinian lady that he finds himself to be so attracted to, and someone he really wants to meet!
What is it about her anyway, he thought? He seemed to be drawn to her like a magnet as she looks so inviting. Maybe it is because she looks at him when he looks at her, and they stay in a trance for the moment which seems to last for eternity. Maybe it is a spiritual connection if that is possible between a Muslim and a Jew. Maybe their frequency is compatible. There is something about a lady wearing a hijab and being nicely dressed regardless of work environment that he found to be appealing. A hijab to him signified purity of thought and a symbol of someone who would be honorable and trustworthy of all things when his parents said you cannot, and that she will have your best interest at heart.
She is a farmer’s daughter. This helps. She must be her father’s special little angel as her hands look so tender and so must not be working much in the field. Despite living in rather impoverished conditions, her clothes are always clean and color coordinated. She definitely has that look about her for being non offensive, non competitive, and she always seems to be calm and at peace.
As fate would have it, or some call this synchronicity, their paths cross often. The fact that they remember each other from before suggests that perhaps their eventual meeting is meant to be. He often sees her at the market in town, or in the neighboring fields bringing the milk cows home for her father in the late afternoon. It certainly could not be all physical attraction as he could only go by her soft manicured face and tender hands, whereas she could at least see that he has a rather lean frame and thick wavy dark hair.
Day One
So yet again they meet, this time on the beach of the Dead Sea, which is close to where they live, near the town of Kayla, east of Jerusalem. Palestinians come here to float in the thick salt water, but this practice is discouraged by the Israeli army since they fear the wealthy businessmen will not come to give local hotels their business if there is any possibility of confrontation from the other side. But Palestinians still come out of spite.
Based on habit, her eyes zero in on him. No one had said anything to this point for each were told throughout their childhood to stay with your own kind, which never made much sense. But enough of this nonsense, thought the young Israeli, for now she is on a beach that is only for the Israelis and so he had best caution her.
“Excuse me, I just wanted you to know that you need to be careful here as this beach is for the Israelis, and…"
“Oh for… you can go to hell!” She got up abruptly to walk off in disgust.
“Hold it, please don’t go! So sorry! I did not mean it that way, honest, let me finish! I mean absolutely no harm! You can have complete run of the beach! I am not like the others! Please let me talk to you for a minute, please! I just did not want you to get confronted by the military since they are in the area and I was concerned about your well being, that’s all!”
Well, he must have said please enough times, and he said this with a winning warm smile, and so fine then, she sat back down on the sand again, but at a little more distance.
“Thank you, much appreciated. I noticed that we have been running into one another quite often and I just wanted to finally meet you after all this time. I come in peace.”
Fortunately, despite her limited education, the Palestinian lady had picked up Hebrew as her second language to allow them to communicate quite effectively. But she had a rather serious tone in her voice still.
“You may have come in peace, but you still settled on some land that was owned by a Palestinian family that lived there for two generations, over 40 years. Where are they now? They still have no place to call home!"
“I am so sorry for that. I have absolutely nothing against your people and I wish that things could be changed and that my parents chose a different path. For the record, I was born here just like you and so feel that this is my home as much as yours. I just want to be nice to you and all other Palestinians, that’s all, and you seem to be quite nice actually, even though we have not officially met and maybe not having gotten off to the best start. I am Asher, by the way. And your name?”
Well, that seemed to settle her down as he was saying what she needed to hear. She paused for a minute, took out a cigarette from her hand bag, lit it and took a drag, much to his surprise and then offered Asher an "olive branch".
“I am Samira from Palestine. Care for a smoke?"
“No thanks, and you have the right to claim you are from Palestine if you wish, but hopefully we can eventually claim we are from the same place, living in harmony. Samira, that is a nice name. Here I go again having concerns for you as you really should not be smoking as it is not good for your health."
“So, are you some Jewish puritan or something?"
“No, not really, but I do wish to stay healthy. I just did not expect to see a lovely lady like you smoking, but it is your right to smoke if you want.”
Strange as it seemed, he was enjoying the whiff of her cigarette since it was coming from her, partly embedded in some perfume splash she must have put on. She glances at her wrist watch.
“I do not smoke much, only when I can relax for a few moments, but, sorry, I have to rush off as it looks like I have to go now and bring the cows home. Nice meeting you."
“Say, I would really like to chat more when we meet next time. I am not always the best with my words, but I mean well."
“Okay, fine. I always come down to the beach around this time every day for about an hour to give myself a break and so this past hour is the best time for me."
“I will try to do the same then as it would be nice to get to know each other a bit more since we are neighbors and everything. Funny that I never really noticed you before when younger, but I guess we were just kids caught up in our own world. Hopefully I will see you tomorrow. I will be here.”
Day Two
Asher concluded this morning what a bonehead he was as he realized he had a conflict with the timing, but he did not want to disappoint her. In the future, he would make sure this time slot was not taken if they were to meet again. So, he quickly went to the beach when the time was right to make sure he was prompt. He was relieved to find her there as planned, but he had some concerns again for her well being.
“Hi again. So nice to see you. I noticed that military officer over there is looking at you."
“Oh, him? Actually, he is used to me being here. He leaves me alone as I come by myself and only stay for a little while. He is probably curious though as to why I am talking to you as he does not want me to cause any trouble, or bother you, but could care less if you were to bother me."
“Unfortunately, I forgot I had a meeting to attend to and so need to go back right away as I have a buyer coming to look at our crop of dates about now. That is what I do for a living as I have a date plantation. I guess you knew that already, but I wanted to make sure I said hello first as we had made these arrangements and I like to think I am a person of my word. I should be able to stay for the whole hour tomorrow. So please tell me that I can see you then so we can finally have a nice chat and I will keep my calendar open."
“Okay, see you then. Bye.”
Day Three
Asher arrived a bit early and already saw Samira there having a smoke in her work clothes as normal.
“Well, hello! Kind of hot today as we are getting closer to summer."
“Hi. How did your meeting with the buyer go?"
“Quite good, thanks. He wants to sign a contract to buy 200 metric tonnes of medjool dates, which will definitely help set me up for this coming growing season.”
After some friendly chat, Samira found that Asher was a good listener and he was interested in what she had to say. This gave her an opportunity to talk to someone outside of family for what was going on in her life.
“I have been a bit of a ‘black sheep’, but I see it as more of a generation gap wanting to break away a bit from tradition and be free to make some of my own choice in life. It is normal for our family to arrange a marriage for me and my parents are already looking to line me up with this bricklayer who lives in Gaza. I met him once, just an awful character, and why would I want to live there? I don’t want to live in a city where conditions are even more insane than here with Hamas in power and living in fear of getting bombed by your people.
"However, there remains a ‘dark cloud’ hanging over our heads in this area for the aggressive behaviour of the Israeli government. Sometimes we cannot sleep at night fearing what tomorrow will bring. We constantly have agonizing thoughts as to what as civilians did we do to deserve this? We have become more defensive and hostile as a result, more easily agitated, since we are so upset over what is happening. We are being treated as second class citizens, not given equal rights, freedom, and opportunity as your people receive."
“You know, I never really thought about it much as to what kind of life you are having as a Palestinian and now you are putting things more into perspective and I am beginning to understand what you have had to put up with your whole life."
“Thanks for understanding and it is good to get my story out as I have not really had anyone I could talk to about this from your side."
“As you know we Israelis have our own issues wanting the people who live in this area to recognize Israel as a nation and the right to live here."
“Yes, and that is perfectly fine with me. Just don’t be so obsessed by it and take us out in the process as there is enough land and resources for all to share if managed properly. We both know the story and yet nothing gets done to stop this madness. I also heard some news that there is a slight chance any day now, that we could be receiving notice to get off our land since the government wants to take over our dairy farm."
“That is absolutely dreadful. I am so sorry. The good news though is that since this spot is the lowest elevation that is dry on earth we can only go up from here once we leave!”
He said this with a smile, but she was not in the mood to think much of his funny. But the conversation did turn to lighter, more friendly chatter setting aside any further serious discussion. Just before their hour was up, Asher felt more relaxed with Samira, not having to work at their conversation as much to say the right things.
“I wanted you to know that despite having your work trousers on, I think of you as a lady because you are wearing your hijab."
“Thank you. That’s nice to hear. I want to wear dresses, believe me, but did you ever try to milk a cow with a dress on? No, I guess not."
“You know as well that you will need to wear a swimming suit if you want to go out for a swim to cool off.”
Samira studies his face and Asher smirked from her little reaction.
“I bet you would like that. That will be the day when you see me in a swimsuit, especially around here. You cannot really swim in that soup of brine, no thanks. But it is quite hot when I have my work clothes on. I have an idea. Tomorrow, let’s come in the evening when it is dark, say 8 PM as it will be cooler then. Our work will be done for the day, no military presence to bother us, and the stars will be coming out in full display."
“Yeah, alright, I like that idea.”
Day Four
It is so beautiful here in the evening, rather romantic even, thought Asher,with the cool breeze gently flowing over his face and a panoramic view of the stars. He saw Samira walking across the sand towards him and she was wearing a lovely dress, with open sandals to show off since her work for the day was done. Her nails and toes were also done and on full display in the moonlight. Gone is the ruggedness of her appearance to allow her true feminism and natural beauty come forward to be on display. She definitely looked like a princess with a pure heart, and definitely not an armed guerilla. Her dress flutters gently in the sea breeze as she comes up to him.
“Hi. I had to explain to my mother why I was going to the beach in the evening wearing a dress without letting her know I was coming to see you."
“What did you say?"
“Well, actually it was quite easy and based on truth. I get tired of wearing work clothes as they are hot, I feel more comfortable and cooler in a dress and it gives me an opportunity to look the way I want to. My mother knows a bit about my free spirit and my wanting to express who I really am.”
Now she was looking just plain pretty with her outfit and much to his liking. Asher thought perhaps he should respond by dressing extra special going forward, to reciprocate and be fashionable in your own culture.
Samira was much more relaxed now without any military presence and she even wanted to hold hands and go for a little stroll, not something they would feel that comfortable with during the day. This caught him completely by surprise since they really only had one visit to this point, but he was game and stroll they did and it felt so good as they felt so compatible with one another. Wow, thought Asher, this is a big deal that goes against everything he was taught growing up. Here he is holding hands with a Palestinian lady! He felt guilty for what he was taught, but at the same time he had this loving feeling to help assure that there was nothing wrong with what he was doing. Talk about breaking down barriers. Samira confirmed that she indeed had soft feminine hands for him to hold.
They were still getting to know one another, taking an interest in what they do. Asher was all about the date plantation, but there was more to her than what he first thought.
“I am a seamstress in my spare time as I make clothes that fit from fabric."
“That helps explain to me how color coordinated you always are."
“Yes, thanks. Its nice to know that people have noticed. I do make a lot of hijabs for family and I sell some at the market in town."
“Oh yeah, I seem to recall seeing you behind a counter a few times, but as I was not into buying hijabs, I did not linger long at your booth."
“I do study others for the clothes they have on as to how well they fit and what I would do differently. I noticed for instance your shirts do not fit that well along your sides as they are quite loose. They could be taken in a bit so that they fit more snugly to your leaner frame.”
Now that explained a lot as to why she seemed to be staring at him earlier before they met. She was in her mind redoing his wardrobe! Maybe she was more interested in his clothing than she was of him. It is amazing how one’s mind can play tricks on a person if you wished for something else. Oh well! She was quite happy to be with him for now and so maybe there was more to it than that. Maybe she wanted to work on his clothes because she thought he was handsome. He went with this more positive outlook instead. He liked what he was hearing from her anyways as to what she was doing with her life, so productive and successful, and this also helped confirm his opinion that ‘you can tell a lot about a person by how they dress’.
“Yoo-hoo. Are you in a trance or daze or something? Are you listening to me?"
Samira looks deep into his eyes to draw him back to reality with her.
“Oh, so sorry. I am back. I was just overwhelmed with some thoughts that I needed to sort out in my mind. Perhaps I could get you to alter some of my shirts and I would naturally pay you well for your service. By the way, I recall seeing you carrying a lamb out in your field the other day. What was with that?"
“I was carrying him back to our home as he had hurt his leg getting caught in some rocks. He just needed attention for a couple of days, then he was alright. They are just like little children, needing to be taken care of."
“You looked like a natural mother out there."
“How could you see me all that way from your plantation?"
“I was up high in my genie lift putting bags around date clusters and I can really see out a long way when I do that. You know those machines that have a big arm with a bucket to take me high up to do tree maintenance? You probably have seen them before on my plantation. It sure beats having to climb a tree as this can be quite onerous and dangerous."
“Do you still climb trees?"
“Oh yes, we have to know how to do that for one off maintenance if the lift is not handy. I prefer not as it is a lot easier by genie as I am usually not careful enough and could hurt myself. I have broken my right arm and sprained my ankles falling from a tree. A genie lift can be dangerous too if you are trying to lift yourself up and your base is a bit uneven, or if your machine is on a slight incline. So, you actually milk a cow?”
Samira seemed disappointed in having to talk about this and showed it, but it was a part of her life, a burden she had to do on a daily basis to take away what she really was interested in.
“Well, it is not my favorite pastime, but something as assigned from family that I need to do when I have my work clothes in the late afternoon."
“I thought maybe your father did this."
“Not on your life. He is too lazy. I bet you have never milked a cow."
“No, I have never touched any teats."
That caught Samira off guard for what she was thinking.
“Really? Your whole life? Oh, I bet you have."
“Nope, not at all… not on any kind of animal.”
They had a good laugh over that one. Just think what they would have missed out on if they never took that extra step to communicate with one another.
Day Five
Asher was so looking forward to meeting up with Samira again after their last outing. He only wanted to be nice because she came across as being so nice and wholesome, down to earth. How could any Israeli not like her? She is completely at peace if not in any danger. It was the right time of the year for desert flowers and they became quite prolific thanks to an abnormal amount of rainfall they had a couple of weeks ago. He chose to pick a few along the way so he could give them to her, as he wanted his next visit to be as pleasant as the previous.
Samira usually beats him to the beach and she was waiting for his arrival. Asher approached with his arm extended showing off a rather crude, but colorful bouquet of flowers which she accepted with her pleasant smile.
“Oh, so sweet! I think you are the very first person ever who has greeted me with flowers. No one can afford flowers where I come from. How much did this cost?"
“Well actually, I got them for a really good price, from nature, along the path that leads to the beach this evening."
“I kind of figured so, but thank you. They are lovely."
“I will get you a real bouquet of flowers some day."
“Well, that would be nice, a first, but please remember that I will have difficulty bringing them home since family will want to ask me all sorts of questions, and then they will learn about you and what you did."
“Surely they would be okay with it."
”Maybe, eventually, but lets not ‘stir up the pot’’ right now as we have enough issues to deal with on a daily basis.”
Asher came with his own little handbag and a special little something in it that he pulls out.
“I also brought you a special treat. My mother cooked up a fresh batch of dates and thought you would like to try one. I don’t really care for them myself."
“What? Are you kidding me? I cannot believe that you do not like the ‘fruits of your own labor’! That is just awful!”
Asher was getting a little fuzzy feeling when Samira got closer to study what he had in his bag. How can a Palestinian lady ever be considered to be dangerous? He just studied her smooth tanned complexion and observed that her eyebrows and eyelashes had more substance to them than he had of his own. He realized he was getting to know who she was. Samira takes a date out, pops into her mouth, and gives it a chew.
“Well, its quite good, rather dry, but sweet. So, are we having a date then?"
“Yeah, I guess you could call this a date. I guess there are dates and then there are dates."
“Hey, tell you what. Why don’t I bring some of our creamy milk with me tomorrow with a bowl and spoon and we can try them together! What do you think?"
“But I would not want the milk to be warm."
“No problem. I have a thermos I can bring in my pack and this will keep the milk cool. You know in our culture, dates and yogurt or milk are traditionally the first foods consumed for Iftar (our evening meal) after the sun has set during Ramadan.”
Samira and Asher became completely relaxed with their talk, having gained more confidence in their friendship and liking for one another. They did not have to be as careful with what they say, but have the freedom to say whatever they want despite differences in culture, whether that be a statement of opinion, an observation, or just a play with words, knowing that the other maintained an open mind and interest, and that they could learn a lot from each other.
…
“By the way, how much milk have you produced this year to date?"
“Do dates ever expire? Do you come with an expiry date? I bet our fathers are beyond their expiry date."
“I never heard of a ‘date’ way, but I sure can see the Milky Way tonight!"
“So, do you have a grove of trees on your plantation that you consider to be the cream of the crop as to production?”
…
“If we honored all holidays that the Muslims and Jews have in their calendar every year, we would not be working that much."
“We spend all our time working though and that is not good for our soul. We need to take some time every day to do some fun stuff.”
…
“I just don’t get it as to where your sensitive skin comes from? That tells me who is the real foreigner in this area. I do realize the Jews need a place to call home, but few have your hair texture and sensitive skin."
“I must have picked up that gene when my ancestors lived in the Ukraine eating borscht, or drinking pale ale. I need to be really careful to keep my skin protected and I should be the one wearing a hijab as you can take more sun rays and get away with it.”
…
“Maybe we should trade places for the day to see what our work is like."
“You can forget that. I can pick dates and you might be able to sew the seams for a hijab, but I doubt very much that you can milk Bessie, the cow. That would be a complete disaster as you would not know what to do with her udder!”
…
“If dressed properly, I could look like an Israeli woman, but there is no way on earth we could ever get you to look like a Palestinian man.”
…
“Interesting that Palestinians and Israelis in some ways do not recognize each other for their right to exist. You have the right to exist and to be with me. “
…
“Asher, you are so out of date, so outdated!"
“Well, then it is your job to get me updated!”
Day Six
Samira puts some of Asher’s cooked dates in her bowl, pours some creamy milk over them, and with one spoon each, it was time to give it a good taste. What fun they were having as they are doing this together as a couple! She chose to be curious first.
“So, what do you think? Do you like it?"
“It’s not bad. The milk is quite good and it makes eating the dates much more pleasant! I never thought I would be eating my dates with ‘your’ milk!"
“I think the two go together really well. Hey, wait a minute… I know where you are going with this, you pervert! I am not a cow and cannot produce volumes of milk! Maybe if I just gave birth, you could get some from me, but nothing like this and it would taste different, even better!"
“I deny I was thinking that, really.”
It was time to continue on with their play of words which was their theme the previous day.
“I think your bottled milk should come with a ‘best before date’ on it.”
…
“You know I never thought about this before, but in the Bible in the chapter Exodus they talk about the land flowing with ‘milk and honey’. This is it! We are here and we are it, making this happen! This is what they mean! Milk from a dairy farm and I can make date honey!"
“I have no idea what you are talking about, not a clue, as I have not read the Bible.”
…
“How can you ‘pass over’ not having another date? Did you get it? Asher, talk to me. Why do you have your eyes closed?”
…
Time for a little walk so it seems as they both got up, with Samira taking off her sandals, then carrying them so she could walk in the sand while the going was good. Asher was looking to find a way to become friendly to Samira’s parents since their visits needed to remain secret for now. He felt that his own parents would be more open to their dating.
“So, what would your family do if I walked onto your dairy farm to come for a visit?"
“They would ask you to leave."
“What if I came with some of these dates as a gift?"
“Not likely would they accept as they might think you have a hidden motive."
“Really? Are you serious?”
Samira stopped as she came across a stick that somehow made its way to the beach and chose to draw a straight line in the sand with it between the two of them. Asher wondered what she was up to.
“Let’s pretend this is your land or that of the Jewish settlement over here and this is our dairy farm, or the land of the Palestinians on this side. Now then, cross the line onto my side and see what happens.”
Asher hesitates.
“Come on over now, as you wanted to know what we would do.”
So, the gullible one crosses over. She takes the remaining milk from her thermos and splatters the cool liquid all over his face, getting him thoroughly soaking wet, much to his surprise, causing him to gasp for some air.
“You now know that it is our land that is flowing with milk!”
With her joke played out and resulting giggle of glee, her natural instinct was to run off in case he chose to reciprocate with an act of his own. So, there they were, a Palestinian being chased by an Israeli across the sand on ‘her property’ with the Israeli seeking some kind of a revenge that he had not thoroughly thought out yet, but he needed to catch her first. The difference with this kind of revenge is that it was not going to be based on hostility, but rather on puppy love in the land of pretend as they were just playing a silly game, just like children of God would do.
Catching her was not going to be a problem with her dress holding her back a bit, and when she got caught, his natural instinct was to grab her around the waist, lift her up a bit while she was giggling and squawking and move her towards the water so that perhaps it would be her turn to get a little wet.
“Noooo, dooon’t! I don’t want to get wet, goof ball!"
With a laugh of his own, “Well, that is what you did with me!"
“Yeah, but you wanted to know and so I showed you.”
Asher backs off because he has an idea.
“Okay, tell you what. Now I want to show you what ‘we’ would do if you crossed the line and got to our side."
“Oh no, I don’t think so."
“Oh yes, as this is only fair. I promise you that you will not get wet."
“Promise?"
“Promise."
“I can trust you?"
“Yes, you can trust me."
“Then why do you have a mischievous look about you?"
“No, nothing too mischievous. I think you will like what happens when you ‘cross the line', promise.”
They walk back towards the line for "round two", when Samira notices she has only one sandal left after the chase as one of her sandals has gone into the water.
“Oh no! My sandal is floating away! I got to catch it before it disappears!”
Asher’s natural instinct kicked in again as he was the one without a fancy dress on and he was already wet, and so he went running after the sandal, getting his pant legs soaked, but catching the sandal once a little wave came upon him, but then losing his balance after the wave swept through to sit on the sea bottom, thus getting the rest of his body thoroughly drenched. Samira smiled from ear to ear, laughing at her hero’s plight.
“Oh I am so sorry, you poor thing. At least you will have washed off some of the milk. You may want a shower when you get home.”
Giving Samira her missing sandal, the two of them completed the journey back to their line in the sand. Asher made sure she stayed on her side where she belonged and he stood across from her on the other side, with his clothes dripping from milk and sea water. They stared at each other.
“Okay, now its your turn.”
She hesitates.
“Come on now, it is only fair that you get to see how we would react crossing the line, especially after getting completely soaked twice.”
Somewhat reluctantly crossing over, Samira is a trooper, but braces herself as to what happens next, knowing she needs to remain defenseless and accept what happens. Asher gives her the biggest bear hug that he has ever given anybody in his whole life.
“Ahhhhh, you are getting me all wet, you goof ball! You said you wouldn’t!”
Well, now that they were both wet and somewhat uncomfortable, they decided best to call it a night, but not until a good laugh was had by both while they walked off the beach area.
“Say, tomorrow could I please bring three dress shirts with me to see if you can take them in a bit, if that’s okay?"
“Sure. I will bring my tape measure and pins. The moon should be out to give us some light. Don’t forget to have a shower as you smell a bit like the sea. Until tomorrow my Israeli friend."
” Until tomorrow, my lovely Samira.”
Day Seven
Asher always liked how Samira grabbed his upper arm now when by his side to reassure him the bond of friendship they were developing for one another, rather abnormal and unique to say the least. It was becoming special, the quality time they were having together. Living in Israel during a dry season means rather perfect conditions again for an evening stroll along the beach.
“After yesterday, maybe we should draw up our own peace treaty to sign!"
“I see that your clothes are nice and fresh now."
“Here are my three shirts that I was hoping you could take in for me. I noticed you have not been smoking anymore."
“Yeah, kind of expensive anyways. I used to smoke when I came to the beach to help me release some tension I felt with family and work, having no one to talk to. But you are the reason why I stopped. Having you here to listen to my story and allow me to vent my frustration with current events has taken away the craving. I will always be grateful to you for allowing me to let go of some anxiety I was feeling.
"I heard on the news that your government just bombed and destroyed the international news media tower in Gaza, just because Hamas was using the building on other floors. You would think the journalists knew this. Maybe it was more a case that they did not want them to broadcast everything that they are doing to the Palestinians, like killing off innocent families with children."
“I heard that Qatar is giving support to the Palestinian movement and the fact that Aljazeera was located in that tower may have had something to do with it, since their head office is in the capital city, Doha. We can only carry on and not think so much about some atrocities happening around the world. We cannot let current events bring us down to be like some of our brothers who are full of hatred and wanting revenge.”
“Wow, Asher. I find you are so logical, and you can reason well and figure things out.”
Samira pulls out of her handbag her measuring tape.
“Now hold still as I need to check your chest size and arm length.”
Asher was quite sensitive to her gently touching his body.
“You are tickling me. Now it is only fair that if you get to measure my size that I can do some measurements on you. Don’t you think?"
“That’s not how it works as you are not a seamstress."
“I think every Palestinian should be forced to go on a date with an Israeli so they will learn not to hate each other so much."
“I think every Israeli should go on a date with a Palestinian. I think you will have more success though getting a Jewish man to date a Palestinian lady, versus the other way around. I could be wrong, but I think it would be hell having a Jewish lady interacting with a Palestinian man."
She pulls something out of her handbag for display.
"Oh, by the way, I have something to give you. My brother had given it to me, but I have not been wearing it much.”
“It’s a necklace showing the shape of Palestine, which is really the same as Israel, but there is no Arabic calligraphy on it to identify it as being from our people. It is rather ironic that this is sold as being a Palestinian or Israeli necklace. Proceeds from sale from our side goes to support our movement for a free state, whereas those bought from Israel do not, but I believe it was the Palestinians who made the same necklace for both to begin with, go figure. I was hoping you might be interested in wearing it to signify the special friendship we are developing for one another, despite our differences in culture."
“Wow, that is something. Sure, thank you! That is an awesome gift with a lot of meaning and I will wear it then!”
Asher was learning that she had a good heart since she was willing to share something as precious as this despite not having much of her own treasures. This proved that Samira really wanted to be friends. But he had his own necklace around his neck that moment…hmmm, he quickly put two and two together and came up with an idea. He pulled it off and replaced it with her special gift. He then let Samira let her look at his own necklace which he never took off until now. It sparkled and glistened in the moonlight and Samira had a look of awe over it.
“My mother gave me this to wear when I turned 21, being of age. It has the Tree of Life embedded in the Star of David. I know the star is a symbol that is recognized by Islam. Islam, however, does not mention anything about the Tree of Life as you have the Tree of Immortality, but I really believe in its meaning for what it stands for. It represents the interconnection of all life, calmness and wisdom, and contains 10 different stones. I would like nothing better than for you to wear it."
“Oh Asher, it is so beautiful, and I am sure very expensive! Wow, just so gorgeous. I could not possibly keep it forever as your mother gave it to you!"
“I know, perhaps not, but while we have this friendship going, I trust that you will take good care of it, knowing it came from me, and I have your necklace to wear for now that was given to you by your brother. If by chance we need to go separate ways…hopefully this never happens…we can always give back our treasures."
“I will wear your necklace, as who would not since it is so beautiful. Thank you! I think this means we are going steady."
“Is that what it means? I only just got to know you!"
Asher had the urge to give her a hug but held back not knowing whether she was allowed to accept. He knew she had a more open and liberal mind than traditionally allowed in her religion but did not want to be too pushy and cause her to resist and disappoint him. She seemed to have him figured out during this time of closeness as she sensed his slight movement towards her, then his holding back because of being a bit unsure of himself, perhaps or just plain shy. She reciprocated by taking charge at that moment to very gently continue their slow gravitation towards each other, to feel their connection and entanglement, body pressing against body as their energy fields merged during a precious warm embrace.
“By the way, we will have to switch back to daytime for our visits next month once Ramadan starts as I will be so hungry in the evening and lacking energy.”
……
“In my opinion regardless of what scriptures say, there is no such thing as the Star of David that you can actually see. Only our faith and imagination make it legit.”
…
“Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet and the Jews do not. Yet Jesus was a Jew! Despite this lack of recognition by the Jews, it seems like Christians get along better with them than they do with Muslims! It all has to do with their belief of a prophecy getting fulfilled for a ‘second coming’. Why would anyone want to act so inhumane to support a movement of aggression causing a problem and not providing a solution? Just who needs to be saved here? What a screwed-up world we live in!”
…
“Everybody thinks that God is on their side, but why would God fight with Himself? There is no room for hatred in God’s world, only love, as hatred leads to destruction.”
…
“There should have been a Jewish state created in 1948. It is too late now. The world has changed.”
…
“Very strange for us to be able to freely share ideas and opinions with one another and to brainstorm solutions when we are restricted from being so open minded with our own kind. Our people are missing the big picture for what is really happening here, too selfish in support of our own culture. Both sides definitely need to show more compassion and respect for each other.”
Day Eight
Samira was having an "off day". These things happen and it is part of her normal cycle, supposedly. Asher understood and so was completely okay with it, having dated a few ladies previously. But having an off day can be different from one woman to the next and for some it is more pronounced than for others. In the case of Samira, it is a time when she just likes to lay around, keep relatively quiet, trying to keep her headache in check. The one thing she likes to do the most is ‘cuddle’ as he found out. So Asher was her teddy bear as he sat on the sand with her curled up and wrapped around him as much as she could against his side with his arm around her. He was enjoying the closeness he was having with her. She generally just wanted to be quiet and enjoy the serenity of the sea, with waves gently flowing onto the beach, unless she had a topic to discuss.
“Asher, do you have a gun?"
“Yes, of course. Everyone does, but I sure hope I never need it. I try very hard to always use diplomacy when confronted with controversy."
“Do you have one with you now?"
“No! I am with you and besides, this beach is quite safe. There is not much happening here in the evening. Do you have gun with you?"
“Yes, in case I need it."
“Against me?"
“I don’t think so. Against whoever we come across that is dangerous, silly. You should always have one with you. My father does not let me go anywhere without it and so I keep it in my handbag. I suppose I am more vulnerable than you because of my gender."
“I do not want to take out your brethren. I am not a killer. I suppose I feel safer with the army troops present and so feel I do not always need to have one with me."
“I feel more in danger when the troops are in the area."
“Would you shoot just an Israeli or even a Palestinian?"
“In order to protect myself, if need be, yes. How’s that? Do you want to see my gun?"
“No! Someone might see you holding a gun with me!"
“Good point. So, you better always be nice to me."
“I guess I will let you win any argument then; you can have the last word. Your father would not want me to know what you have in your handbag."
“My father would not want me to be talking to you either."
” Do you know how to use it?"
“Of course, dummy. Why would I have one if I did not know how to use it?"
“Did you get training for it?"
“Yes, my father gave me training and I had some target practice."
“Was the target like a bullseye or perhaps a shadow of a face?"
“Bullseye."
“Whew! Thank God! Where is your handbag now?"
“Just between us, right here."
“Omigosh! The gun could go off!"
“No, it won’t. It has a safety lock on it."
“What if it is not set? Sounds like Russian Roulette to me."
“Okay then, I will take the handbag away and you will be completely safe as much as you can with me. The only thing I could do now is strangle you.”
Samira sits up from her comfy spot to pull her handbag onto the other side of her so that there was nothing between them anymore. Conversation over and back to quiet snuggly time.
Now they say that men are from Mars and women are from Venus. A half hour later is about the time when the male might start to have enough of cuddling and want his freedom, but the lady will have none of that as she just wants more of the same. As Asher is a gentleman, he just goes with more cuddling, but inside of him, his instincts are starting to kick in and his wanting to move continues to grow, like a bubble that is to burst when he finally will decide that enough is enough and they need to do something else, or call it an evening.
Asher does not want to upset her however, and he knows that if he just gets up and starts walking along the shoreline, she will still be clinging to him and he perhaps will have started to drag her along with him across the sand. Samira is now starting to get suspicious that her time was just about up, but is so grateful to have had him by her side for as long as she had, and she continues to take in each precious moment of their cuddle.
“We need to get going soon as time is slipping by, and I have to get up early to do some work on a grove of trees."
“Awww, why don’t we just sleep here for the night as it is such a warm evening. You could make a pillow out of the sand and I can lay my head on your shoulder."
“No, that is not a good idea, as your father will wonder where you are, and there will be lots of trouble over that, and you do need a good night sleep in your own bed. You know that."
“Fine, but pick me up and carry me to the roadway where we part ways for the evening, then."
“Do you think I am superman? That is a long way!"
“Yes, but you are strong and I know you can do it. You have muscles being a man, and my ankle hurts and I do not think I can walk that well."
“So, your ankle was fine getting here tonight, but since we have been cuddling on the beach for the past hour, now all of a sudden your ankle hurts?"
“I hurt it before, but I have been noticing it now as it is throbbing a bit."
“Are you trying to kill me off or something as I don’t know if I can carry you that far as there is a hill to take us off the shoreline!"
“That is just a small incline. I bet you can do it. Just think of me as a sack of dates that you need to carry to your truck."
“Well, if I make it to the roadway and am in motion, I might as well keep going and take you right to your farmhouse and that will finish me off completely! What would your father do if he saw me coming to his home carrying you?"
“That would not be a good idea. No, just to the roadway, definitely not a good idea to the farmhouse. My father is known around the area as a person who will shoot first, then ask questions later."
“Really? Are you serious? Omigosh! What if he came down to the beach to check up on you one evening? Would he shoot me?"
“No need to worry about that. He would not do that because he is too absorbed in his own world. I am not that close to him. He has prayers in the evening and then he visits with his brethren to plan what they can do to disrupt Israeli advances. He also cannot walk that far as he really has a limp ever since he was shot by an Israeli soldier once when he was causing a disruption."
“Wow. I am thinking that I will never be able to meet your father."
”This could be true."
“Well, okay then, I will see what I can do with you.”
Asher picks up Samira, her hero with all his muscles. Yes, he grunts and groans a little, but is able to carry her quite far and halfway to their destination, but is starting to pant quite loudly and stops moving forward to put her down gently.
“I need to stop to rest for a minute. I don’t know if I can make it to the roadway carrying you."
“Oh no!"
“What?"
“I just remembered we left my handbag on the beach. I better go back to get it right away before somebody finds it. You stay here for a minute to rest and I will go get it and meet you here."
“But your ankle is hurting and…”
Asher stopped talking because Samira was "running" back to get her handbag! He watched her go all the way to pick it up along the shore and run all the way back, until she was back to where he was again.
“So much for your ankle."
“Oh, it is fine now. You are right, it is getting late. We better get going, time to go."
The two then walked briskly up to the roadway where they are to part ways again for the night.
“Goodnight my hero, my Sir Asher."
“Goodnight miss Samira, the one who has an ankle handicap.”
Day Nine
Samira found a nice spot in the sand to build a castle to start their date, rather than going for a walk after a harder day of work. When people are tired, they just might become a little moodier and perhaps take some kidding too far since their appetite for such is a little more testy.
Asher is not as much into building castles so it seems as he has not done much of that since he was a little boy. He admires her for continuing on with some play she developed from childhood.
“You know when we were children, there must have been a day at some point when the military was not as strong in this area and we were both on the beach at the same time, but I do not recall seeing you."
“I remember seeing you when you were a boy, but I was a few years younger. You even gave me your plastic pail and shovel to play with and keep since you had a brand new set. I remember thinking how kind you were. I suppose I have kept my eye on you ever since because you were not like the others."
“I do recall doing something like that. That was you?! Omigosh, you were just a little twerp, just a baby!"
"Yeah, and look at me now, all grown up, imagine that. About time you took notice of me.”
Notice her he did, as she blossomed into a pretty lady! He sure was not into girls at that age, especially little Palestinian tots and he was just getting rid of what he no longer needed. Samira noticed that Asher started working with her in the sand during their playtime.
"What are you building?"
“Looks like a pyramid is what I am after."
“I don’t think a pyramid goes with a Palestinian castle."
“Okay, fine then. I will just build a hill."
“Hey that can be a tomb for the Palestinians once they are killed by the Israelis.”
That comment kind of irked Asher, for she had gone too far in her land of pretend, but he chose to let it go for the moment. He had lost interest in building anything and chose to observe Samira’s artistic talents with her intricate work. He was sensing she was generating some negative vibes.
“Is there something bothering you?"
“Yeah, I suppose so, as a former school friend of mine got into trouble with your troops when she participated in a protest movement in East Jerusalem last week. She was held in jail with others for three nights until things were sorted out."
“Sorry to hear that."
Asher knew that Samira was not in much mood to talk and so she let her continue to focus on her creativity until she eventually had enough. In a strange way the time they had together still felt right, thick or thin, weak or strong, as they were comfortable with one another.
“We should be going soon."
“I suppose there is not much point in keeping my creation as it will only get destroyed tomorrow by some child, wind or possibly even a little rain. I will get my handbag and we can go then. You can have the honors of destroying my castle."
“No, I don’t want to do that. You created it and so you will need to destroy."
“Well, I thought it would be natural for you to want to do that, destroying a Palestinian castle being an Israeli and everything."
“Hey, I resent that you would make such a comment like that and also the one you made earlier about me building a tomb for your people. You know I am not like that. I know you are upset about what happened to your friend, but you should not take it out on me, whether you are kidding or not."
“Are we having a ‘cat fight’ then?"
“No, because you have a gun and so you will win any argument."
“Oh Asher, you know that I will never use a gun against you regardless of any argument we are having. You did say though you needed to keep concerned about the security of your plantation, but hopefully you would give our people some space if we were causing a problem or were upset by using diplomacy. We can have a ‘cat fight’ if needed as it is healthy long term for our relationship. Sometimes we will need to argue a bit to resolve any differences of opinion or behaviour."
“Could you stand up please."
“What for?”
Asher points to where she is to go, but not before Samira stands up and uses her feet to flatten out her play centre a bit so they could be going soon. He finds their stick used a couple of days ago and chooses to redraw the line in the sand between them to show their current situation. Then he erases the line and draws a circle around the two of them. Now they are in the same circle, same ring of fire, or compatibility, with no wall or fence between them.
“Yes, I am Jewish and live in an occupied territory, but I do not see it this way at all. I cannot consider myself to be an Israeli because of what the government is doing to your people. We all should have equal rights and not have to worry about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. What about you?"
“Well, I wish that Hamas would go away as they do not care about even the Palestinian civilians. I know that the powers to be have been trying to come up with a peaceful solution to allow the Palestinians to have their own country for decades and it never happens."
“I think we should be looking at things differently. In my opinion, there should be one country for all people, regardless of religion, race, and culture and that country should not be named Israel or Palestine as we need to come up with a fresh start, with equal rights and freedom for everyone. We are really one of the same and we need to live and work together as one nation as this circle represents. I know this opinion will not be popular for a fast majority of our citizens right now. We would need a peace treaty first before we could have one country or territory for both."
“Treaties always get broken. They never last long between us."
“We need to lose our identity and start over. I still recall for instance how I got wet from you, but we should not seek revenge and to forget the past, whether it was based on fun or something more serious. It is only you and me and we need to get along. What do you think?"
“I am not there yet with you, sorry, nothing against you, but who you represent. I know I need to let go. We both do. I need to step out of the ring for now, but maybe there will be a time when we could be the same country."
“Yes, I am sure you are right. This would take a concerted effort and could take a generation or two before we came together as one. What I need you to do for now, however, is stop thinking of me as an Israeli and think of me as being Asher. We cannot label each other based on where we came from and past events so we can live in the same circle by focusing on the present moment. We will never survive otherwise. Our relationship will be doomed to failure. Please never think of me as an Israeli. Always think of me as to who I am, without label."
“So, are you scolding me then?"
“Perhaps."
“Yeah, you are right, sorry. I needed that. I need to quit labeling you as an Israeli. Sorry. It just that I was perhaps a little upset and…"
“I know… I know.”
Day Ten
It was a bit darker than normal this evening as the sky had some clouds hanging about, but the two were so into going for a stroll to feel the cooler breeze blow in off the sea. They were just a little slower with their movement since sometimes, they could not see what was in front of them, at least for Asher. Samira seemed to be able to see better at night. Once they decided they had gone far enough, they turned around to make their way back. Samira had the urge to see some of the world, but how was the question since she had no financial clout.
“The stars are giving me the urge to travel to faraway places. I have never been outside Israel or its occupied territories. I keep reminding myself that Jordan is just on the other side of this sea. You can faintly see some lights that probably is coming from Jordan."
”What lights? I don’t see any."
“Over there."
”I still don’t see anything."
“You cannot see that well in the dark, can you? That means you are not indigenous as your five senses do not seem that sharp."
”And you are?"
“More so than you.”
After a few more steps Samira stops in her tracks for a moment while Asher pays little attention and keeps moving forward as he is still looking for those Jordan lights across the sea. He did hear a "click" sound for a loaded gun which startled him. He turned around to see Samira had pulled out her gun and pointing in his direction.
With an astonished look on his face, he needed to ask, “What are you doing?"
“Shhhh, look behind you.”
Turning around and looking in the distance Asher could see three men on the shore line ahead of them. Not knowing what she was that excited about, he chose to question her, but in a quieter voice.
“Its just three guys. What’s the problem?"
“One has a gun. Come with me behind this bush, as it is not a good idea if they spot us. They are having a heated argument. They must be secret service agents.”
How can she tell, he thought? They scampered behind a bush, only to peer around its corner for what was happening ahead of them.
“Oh my God, they pushed one fellow into the water and I see he has his hands tied behind his back.”
Then came a sound they dreaded to hear...bang!
The man drops into the Dead Sea. Now how ironic is that Asher thought? With their work done, the agents push the body further out to let the sea float it along the shore line towards them and away from the crime scene. Satisfied with a job done, the agents started their journey back up the path towards a vehicle that had been parked along the side of the roadway, with no indication that they were suspicious of there being any witnesses.
“How come we did not see them before coming into this area?"
“We were walking along the shore in the other direction, dummy. I noticed car lights earlier and that the vehicle stopped by our path and then the car lights had been turned off.”
“How come you keep calling me dummy?”
“Sorry my love. Poor choice of words even though it’s a favorite of mine. When it comes to safety and being aware of current reality and what is happening around you, you are not there, too caught up in your own thoughts processing information. Having said that, I find you extremely smart. It is just that your strength causes you not to be aware of imminent danger.”
They were both relieved to hear the car start up, lights turn on and then the drive off in a cloud of dust. They could now see a ‘stiff’ floating, catching the waves to push it further along the shore. Samira was quite calm of this whole event, but Asher was quite troubled.
“Am I in a gangster movie or something? We just witnessed a murder! You seem so nonchalant about this whole event!"
“It happens quite often, but a bit abnormal by the sea. Did you not know this?"
“Well sort of behind the scenes so to speak, but I never saw it being done before! Do you think he is completely dead?"
“Oh yeah. Agents don't miss from that distance; otherwise, there would have been more shots. They were experienced killers."
“What if it is someone we know? We should retrieve the body and call the police."
"No! Are you kidding me? We are not supposed to be seeing each other to start with, my parents want to kill any Israeli they can, and we have enough of our own issues to deal with to survive. We really do not want to get into trouble with the secret service as we should not have been here. Just let the body float. It is very unlikely we will know the person and if the agents find out we were witnesses they may come after us. We may find out later who he was."
“I don't think as citizens of this country that this is the proper way to handle this situation by doing nothing!"
“We do not live in Canada, and this is not a country. You said yourself you are not an Israeli anymore. This world is insane. We need to let this go. The corpse will be better off in the sea than with us as the vultures will take care of it. The agents will notify the man’s next of kin or immediate family to announce that due to some tragedy, there was this horrible accident such as having drowned or something, and he died. Therefore, the family will be able to reach closure for his death.”
Asher is beginning to realize just how hard-nosed Samira is and that he has been living a sheltered life under the protection of his parents and the army to this point. Come to think of it, he would not normally wander down to the beach in the evening to cool off before having met Samira. He was rather enjoying his time there and especially to be with his girlfriend, but did not expect the beach could be used for something else more morbid.
Day Eleven
“Here are your shirts. They will definitely fit a lot better now. My parents are a bit suspicious as to why I am spending so much time at the beach and taking in shirts, but I am not about to tell them. This is our secret so we do not cause them any worry. I wear your necklace but hide it from view."
“Thank you! We never came up with a price yet."
“Its on me, as I may need a favor of you at some point.”
Asher realized that his love for Samira was growing so naturally even without any need to supplement it with physical attraction. There was more serious discussion needed since, let’s face it, they do not exactly live in the best neighborhood. Case in point was the incident they witnessed the previous evening!
“Thank God it is not as dark as last night! I don’t see anything floating around in the water. Back to normal?"
“The darkness probably saved us from getting into trouble, as they did not think anyone else was on the beach as there were no other vehicles around, and locals do not normally go to the beach in the dark."
Samira grabs his upper arm to be beside him thick or thin realizing they still had some tough talk ahead of them.
"I hear a lot about what other Palestinians are scheming to do to cause grief for the Israelis to get even, kind of culture confidential."
“Oh, really? Hopefully nothing to do with my plantation.”
Asher has another scan of the area to make sure there were no agents close at hand or anything floating around in the water.
“No, I have not heard anything negative and so you must have a good reputation."
“Yes, I am trying to keep good relationships going for both sides. I also hear what could be coming to harm your people, but this is rumor and may not happen. Sounds like we are similar in that we both want peace and not to get involved with any schemes or plots that will damage our relationship further."
“I know you hire some Palestinians to help out with your harvest."
“I also use some of these workers to help keep the place secure, as they certainly could use a steady job. Unfortunately, I can only trust them to a certain point since they could be influenced by their brethren to take advantage of their working for me to come up with some devious plot."
Samira stops in her tracks for she has something very important to say.
“Sometimes I wonder whether you are really that interested in me, or are you interested in keeping stable relations with the Palestinians to help secure your place? You can give me all the sweet talk you want to convince me your friendship is genuine, but I need to be able to believe you always. Sometimes I also have doubts that our relationship is sustainable as we have to ignore so much ‘background noise.’"
“Look, I consider you to be a close friend and someone I can talk to now, but I know we will only get into trouble if we share any devious plots planned to harm the other side, but we at least should give each other a heads up if our life or interests are in danger. That’s what I did for you when I found you on the beach front with our troops patrolling the area.”
Samira was starting to realize that Asher really was a good man and he is someone she might be able to trust to protect her interests.
“You know that you really are the very first person that I have gotten to know from the other side. We are so different, yet we are the same in wanting to take care and protect our own core of family and friends. When we first met, it did not seem right for us to be friends, but now it feels so natural and perfectly fine."
“Samira my Dear, I find you have a lot of common sense as you have been able to figure things out quite well. I think it is critically important to not let all of these damaging thoughts destroy our friendship and to always tell the truth so our confidence and trust in each other continues to grow. If we are able to sustain our bond, then we will be able to show the world what is possible and we will be doing our part to makes this world a better place. This is exactly what we both want. We have a common goal and we must keep our communication lines open.”
Samira draws a heart in the sand with their stick, placing inside the initials of Asher and Samira.
Day Twelve
Life has become a lot more interesting for Asher with Samira on centre stage. She is like a sparkplug with her colorful character to liven things up a bit since his life has been a bit mundane until now. Samira was daintily stepping on salt coated cobble stones along the beach as she made her way over to greet him, showing perfect balance and not something that the clumsier Asher was capable of doing. The only problem is that the stones can sometimes be a bit sharp.
“Ouch! Damn it! Ow!"
“Oh dear, be careful where you step now! Here, take my hand."
“My, aren’t you a gentleman. Thank you, Sir Asher. I see you are wearing one of those shirts I took in. Well, that definitely looks a lot better, as there is not much fat on you.”
Samira grabs his hand as customary for their evening stroll.
“I have just a little problem right now to say the least, and I am very concerned about it."
“What?"
“My brother was picked up by the military for helping a journalist produce a news story about their mistreating Palestinian civilians. According to my father, they have him in custody and are drilling him with questions. I kind of figured this was going to happen and so was not surprised. That’s why I said earlier that I maybe requesting a favor of you. Can you help him?"
“Me? How? What do you want me to do?"
“I thought maybe you would have an idea, or an inside track on his whereabouts. I know that ‘settlers’ give direction to the soldiers for what they should do and so perhaps you could check up on him and ask him to be released?"
“I cannot deny we talk to the military, but in my case, it is only to keep our place secure, not to harm your people in any way."
“At least you have that option. We do not."
Wow, she really hit home with that point, thought Asher.
“I have never asked them for a favor on a Palestinian, and also I have never talked to any commander in charge in this area, although my father used to when he was running the plantation. I suppose I can see what I can do. I could get my father to ask a contact of his to check up on your brother once you give me his details and I could probably say that we are concerned for his wellbeing since his ‘family’ was helping out with security of our place and we want him back. Yeah, that might work, and almost the truth considering you are interested in my well being. We could at least try.
"I should be able to at least get an update on his status if nothing else. He would need to come visit me if released as they would expect that to happen and we might be able to work together a bit if he is looking for an opportunity. I kind of like that idea, although I have never met him yet, but if he has any of your peaceful nature in him, that will definitely help. It all has to do with relationships. That’s what the West Bank is all about in order to survive, making deals, some under the table.
"Samira, I need to ask you an important question."
“What?"
“I just wanted to know if you will always tell the truth and that I always can trust you?"
“Of course, you can for what is serious. You are quite gullible though and soon will learn the truth with me otherwise, when we are having play time. I have no idea how you have managed to survive taking care of security for your plantation if you always believe everything being said to you."
“You are right what you said yesterday in that I want to protect my plantation and that I am really concerned about its security. I confess I do give people the benefit of the doubt and this could hurt me. I really do need to develop a trusting relationship with people who come from the other side."
“People could take advantage of your kindness for their own selfish interests and even walk all over you."
“But if people do me harm, I must not fall into the trap of seeking revenge. I am a real fan of Nelson Mandela as he chose not to retaliate to get even. I can make a difference in this area by being stable, trustworthy, and always constructive, and helping those in need. But there is a lot more to my interest in you than your ideas on security... I love you."
Samira notices that Asher’s eyes have gotten moist with feeling.
"You add spice and fun to my life. It seems like when we meet on the beach, the world has stopped and everything is as it should be right here and now. For what is there to be concerned about when we have each other?"
“I love you too, Asher. I have nothing, yet I feel that I have all when I am with you. I wanted you to know that I no longer have a gun in my handbag as I know it upsets you to have it there when we are together. I do listen to you."
“Uh, well I am starting to come around with this idea, and so maybe you should reconsider."
“If the world comes to an end tomorrow, I hope and pray that it does when I am with you."
“I just wanted you to know that despite your covering yourself up a lot, and how you handled me last evening, some of your thoughts and actions seem quite feminine to me."
“Awwww, that is probably the nicest thing you could ever say to me, honestly. That must be the Star of David right behind you, as I believe it exists, regardless of what you say.”
Asher stops in his tracks, hanging onto Samira’s hands across from him on a perfect evening.
“I wonder if a Jew were to kiss a Muslim, would there be sparks flying, or fireworks? Would our ancestors and spirits from the past be angry and give us evil omens?"
“Well, Mr. Romeo, kissing before marriage is haram (forbidden), but as mentioned before, I consider myself to be more liberal and modern in my ideas. I don’t know. I guess you will just have to try when ready to find out what happens. Don’t be shy about it though, hold me in your arms properly, and do it right without holding back!”
Day 23
Samira was already there and did not respond to his arrival, only glaring off across the sea and into the stars, perhaps looking for answers for what was troubling her, as she looked horribly upset.
“Samira? What’s the matter?"
“I hate your people! You just will not leave us alone! You are so heartless, so mean! How could you possibly even think about doing what you did?"
“Doing what?"
“We are getting evicted so your government can expropriate our land to have more space to develop a hotel and expand the beachfront… so your big, fat, filthy rich brethren can park their carcasses and soak up some sun while we Palestinians are living a life of hell! This has been our home for three generations. Three generations! And now we have nothing! My father has no choice but to uproot his family and move in with his brother in Jericho trying to make a new life, starting over. Or he just may decide to become a shahid (martyr) in order to seek revenge or defend his property until death. There is no room for me at my uncle’s and being of age, my father has told me that I have no choice but to get married to that bricklayer! It is the wish of our elders for this to happen. I am to leave tomorrow!”
Samira in her anger takes off her necklace that was given to her and throws it hard at Asher.
“I bet you knew about this and you did not tell me! I bet you knew about my brother getting arrested! Damn you Asher!! Your people are destroying our lives! I just want to be free from all this hatred and live in peace! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!”
Samira runs over and starts to pound on him with her fists like a raging beast, for she is hurting so much inside. Asher only feels remorse and empathy and just lets her bash away at his body with her punching at full force in a fury. He found out the hard way at just how feisty and wiry this gal is and how he is hurting emotionally for her and then physically since she can really pack a punch and give him a good wallop. Perhaps she is someone who can help him out a lot on the plantation and to take care of any security concerns around the place!
Fortunately, she eventually sprained her wrists and hurt her fingers enough to just wilt into his arms in a sobbing state, pressing her body, wet from sweat and tears, against his bruised and battered rib cage to jumpstart the healing process. They just held one another until the crying stopped for one could not spend the rest of their life in sorrow. One has to move on, to let fate happen, to let go, to carry on and take the next step. Asher had the patience to let her unwind, having confidence that the love they had for one another was genuine.
“I am so sorry. I don’t know what came over me. Just because my life is ending is no reason to do what I did to you."
“I think that is a pretty good reason and I forgive you. I swear that I never knew anything about this. Now look at who is getting ‘me’ wet. I love you so much. I honestly don’t know if I ever could live without you and I am not going to let you go anywhere. I want you to live with me on my plantation. I don’t want you to be with the bricklayer. I want you to marry me, please, somehow, some way. We will have family issues to deal with big time, but we need to get through this together and make it happen. We cannot let our future be run by others anymore. We need to control our own destinies, and not always do what others want. I promise that you will have equal rights for the management of the plantation and be my partner."
“But I will not become a Jew!"
“Thank you! And I will not become a Muslim! Look, we will come up with our own religion. We will become a united force against injustice. There are some similarities in our beliefs that we can build our base around, such as we believe in the Divine, and that only love matters. We both have the Star of David. You need to set yourself free and I am giving you the opportunity to be who you really are. And another thing; my father who is away told my mother today he has some good news that he wants to share with me about your brother. We have been able to help him! We have been able to help him! Now, does all this information make you feel just a little bit better?”
Samira became speechless with tears rolling down her cheeks again and just looked at him. Asher was rather emotionally drained now popping the question, not knowing the outcome, on top of being hurt physically. Without giving him a response, she caught him completely off guard and took off her hijab to allow her hair to flow freely in the sea breeze, stretching her arms out so she could absorb a full blast of a temporary wind gust.
“What are you doing?”
One more elbow to the tummy was in order for good measure, but this time for Asher it felt different as it was not based on anger, but in a strange way on love.
“What does it look like, goof ball? I can do whatever I want! You told me that!"
“You sure can be feisty at times. Your hair looks so lovely blowing in the breeze!"
“How can you tell, silly?! It’s night time!"
“I can see enough to know how beautiful you are. Now will you stop hitting me, please!”
Samira carefully places her hijab around Asher’s head with tender loving care despite the brutal beating she gave him earlier, then gave him a much-needed kiss and a warm embrace.
“If you only knew how much I love you. You are my shining star and I promise I will be faithful regardless of what my family thinks. I want to have children and hopefully you do as well."
“Yes, children will be a blessing. Hmmm… I wonder what texture of hair they will have? Maybe there will be blotches of wavy hair, then straight black in other areas!”
Samira covers his mouth with her hand long enough to stop his silly talk, for she had something very important to say as she finally came around, finally sunk in, to the fact that this rich and shy Israeli gentleman who was so full of kindness and naivety had actually proposed to her, to take her hand in marriage! Wake up! This is your next earth-shattering event on top of all that has happened today!
So, there they were, the two of them. A Palestinian lady with a mean left hook, and an Israeli who knew what he wanted the most at whatever the price, holding hands across from one another in the sand, with the moon and stars above them in full splendour and a sea breeze gently massaging their faces. She needed Asher for stability and to become all that she is, while he needed Samira for support and encouragement to keep him going in the right direction. Most importantly above all, there was the love they had for one another, like no other.
“Asher… I want to be the princess of your plantation."
“If you are my princess, then I will be your prince.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34LX-tZdcco
Some call it faith, some call it love
Some call it guidance from above
You are the reason we found ours
So thank you stars
Some people think it's far away
Some know it's with them everyday
You are the reason we found ours
So thank you stars
There are no winds that can blow it away …
You know it will always be there
To some it's the strength to be apart
To some it's a feeling in the heart
And when you're out there on your own…
You know it will always be there
There are no winds that can blow it away …
So thank you stars
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