THE HEBREW MAN , THE ARABS and THE WAR
July 9, 2024
I went abroad, to a different country. I stayed in a rented place like a dormitory. I was with the other young people sharing a space inside a room. There were many rooms, and each room was very big with many beds occupied by each tenant.
I went outside to explore the place, until I went astray, and have no idea how to go back to my dorm.
I passed by many big buildings, and saw many Arabs in their long white clothing.
I was a little afraid to approach them, mostly Arabic men.
I felt unexplainable fear when I saw them.
Until, one Arab saw me and I asked him.
I told him that I am new in that place, a student and just want to go back to my dorm. He seemed drunk, tipsy. He grabbed my arm and held me, dragging me down the road. As we walked along the road, I saw another building, and many ARABS were inside, it's like they were partying.
Later on, I saw a different man walking towards us. My intuition was telling me that he is a good man, a gentle one. He wore a long clothing too, but the white clothing has blue small dots or small blue embroidered designs and he has a small cap (kippah) on his head. He looked serious, walking solemnly down the road.
I think he was a HEBREW man. So I immediately escaped from the grasped of the drunk ARAB man, left him fast and I approached the coming Hebrew.
I greeted him and asked him for help while he walked normally, he didn't stop from walking. He was expressionless even when I approached him.
He just stopped when we arrived outside the gate of a Church. As I talked to him, asking for help, he turned to me and asked gently, "HOW DO YOU LOOK AT ME?"
Inside of me was telling, he is sad. And then he knelt down outside, near the wall, in front of the concrete gate, while the others, the ARAB men were going inside the CHURCH, standing.
He asked me this, "What is war to you?"
And I answered, "FIGHTING? KILLING?"
Then, I woke up.
by Anne Patino
July 9, 2024 5am