Short story written by: Alifarhan

[علي فرحان]

Prisoner No. 1

Aren’t you Sir the owner of this coffee?
Of course yes. But why you come here at late afternoon? The curfew time is about to start, then it is winter and winter days usually are short.
He lights a cigarette then hummed with himself in slowly dim sound; they were here and will come at once, they will see me again wearing the same yellow dress.
Are you Sir waiting for someone? The coffee-shop owner asked.
No of course I came late, and then I see no passers or visitors at this wrecked place.
Do you Sir mean something? Yes, but I am about to…
Do you mean that swiftly run away woman? She is the neighbor of that old man who forgot to pay three shillings the debt of yesterday.
I came closer to him throwing in his ears badly recurrent news, the man suddenly stops to eat the sharp diner of potato mixed with free lemon.
They will steal your house, and then you had had nothing to pay for them. They used to associate a slinky woman for the case of deceiving people.
Then they would kill your small boy if you didn't pay them the ransom.
Did you mean Sir those who usually come at the super time wearing the trousers of police?
They had knocked my door one day when I am returning late.
But, they asked me only about my name or whether I am single or married and further more one of them gave me small cigarette of his iron packet.
Did anyone of them try to enter your bedroom? No, no, but I heard some noises of footfalls inside the outside balcony from the right railing stairs about three minutes or more.
Of course they will return next day, I muttered.
The man rambles two paces forward then asked me;
Are you sure that they are not affiliated figures or members of any composition of military or internal forces?
I think yes, however, they wear their special clothes, but in camouflage of false resorted. They had often to do that in different parts of the city.
Minute of confusion and tremble nervous type of fearing covered the street as well as me when the old man asked me to pick a quick glance to the pictures that he delivered out of his pocket, because I had seen some of them watching the venue carefully with stabbed- constant sights to me and to this older man.
Roaming scaled of the bestrewed papers are there over and inside the table, I lift my hand to make such secret gesture to alarm him never to pick a glance for their side, then to gather that roughly reality important papers for another side even if he could put them under the barrel of gasoline or in the chimney stack.
I had known and immediately know the contents of that papers and it is disastrous if were fallen in their hands.
The time is crucial, and then I must leave immediately at least to be in safe perhaps that they thrust to breaking into the place then took me or took us together.
My car is in the second entering of the next street about ten yards was stopped. They couldn't see it because of the large tree and the ruins of an old wall which cover the way from the last year ago when an explosive bump hits the place, destroyed and smashed doors and windows.
I said to him good by then jumped through the back door to my car switched it and hasty escaping to the third street toward the outskirts for my village which is about to 50 kilometers from the last point of the city.
I switched the radio to hear the last local news of FM local broadcast, but I had heard nothing because of the olden machine voice of my car.
When I had reaching two kilometers after the last check-point I enjoy the relief and preparing one cigarette to smoke with pleasure since the outlooks of roadsides was clear and I could only hear the sound of tires friction with the sold roughly stoned way and the car-engine.
One fasted car passed me when I just reached the last village before mine and in the place nearer to the big valley which we cooperate three years ago to build an archway over it for the purpose to get rid of heavy rains falling of winter.
Hardly could remember the time and the occasion where I saw the off- going men who riding the swift car, but when I had refreshing my soul by a can of Pepsi I remembered the driver; he is that one who do butcher shopping in the last twice years and he is of course a man of strength and wisdom never asked about the dim silly things wherever the sight of grumble people hurt him by their speech of disloyalty to whom is their nearer relatives and it is familiar common habit that relative always blame and complain to their cousins.
Suddenly an ominous thought gather up on my mind when I was too closer and the outlook of the village hurried in its views and its appearance, the muddy big house of the grind-miller and the neighbor adjacent to him and the flock of cattle that returning back at evening to their owners, all this yet I didn't switch the light on, but the big movement of armed vehicles confused me although I had felt that's just military operation which they do it frequently everywhere they need or decide.
But the matter is different when I saw them wearing their complete dressings with all equipments and appear at occasionally of readiness.
I could not return back to the city because the curfew time was in, then the auxiliary gasoline amount is not enough and the prize which I bought for my little daughter all these individualities stand against me not to think or had thinking to escape whatsoever the matter is.
When the last moment is remaining and the armies are only at a half kilometer not more I put the only weapon that I kept for the emergency moment under the rock beside the road then I followed my way forward to pass between the army forces.
They were about three hundred or more with tanks and armed vehicles handling with guns to point for each direction and wearing the spotted dresses of US shock troops.
It is doubtless they were quickened to do their job, and then they will ask anyone moves there and of course they had come in aftermath of the last accident when someone had planted an explosive bump at the side of the road and killed one of them.
The matter they call each of us they had known or unknown the terrorist and who betrays his nation is the friendly one.
Two minute after, they capture me undergoing the reason of suspicion only, as well as so many of my relatives and neighbors.
But could I hear or couldn’t hear in that crucial moment of breath stopping at that gloomy misfortune; the crying of children, the weeping of old women about their sons as well as the barking of dogs, neighing of horses, and the glimmering of the cloudy sky.
What is the nonsense to talk about then or what is the meaning of that worthless life?
Many ideas and questions had jumped inside my mind as well as their multiple questions which they had thrown in disarraying manner.
In spite of our eyes were tighten, but I had distinguished the voice of that traitor an Arabian translator- who sold his himself consciously without compulsion as a slave to serve them.
Then they took us for an underground prison at the airport of Mosul, no one could talk or ask even simple question or could expect his fate or what the time conceals of ordeals and catastrophic sense and tortures.
They put each one of us in specific place made as a hole to be fit for each person size.
At the next morning they gather us one after one for inquiry.
When my role had come, they throwing upon my head hundreds of questions even they ask me how to eat or how to waste the time.
But, one of them shouted terrorist, terrorist, I claim the answer but this time in English.
Calling him not to say that; we are not terrorists, we are nations have the right to live and have the self-determination and although you are occupied our country, but you have not the right to arrest people without reasons. My voice was fainted at last because someone of them hits me on the back of my head and began to lose the consciousness.
You know English then you are educated man and know that we came to release you.
I know that answering their questions eye against eye likewise in what they need to be repeated, but it is nonsense to claim proud when your destiny is under the mercy of your enemy.
Even I could answer and explain but I stand in speechless and only to repeat what they need by yes or no.
At last one of them gives me a cup of tea, and began to ask me again.
What do you need to know; freedom is not gained by force or you could say that you had had doing progress for such nation if you treat them by force, I reply for him.
Sorry, sorry. But you must work with us or help us.
I can't do that at all…. Him, Him it is a good idea for you, but for me is not.
We shall teach you a widespread knowledge in our better university and for instance Champman University and you could choose for example the security- information department or anything else.
Of course I refused although they induce me by money or rights in rem assistants.
In the next day they brought me again and in the same manner they tried.
A week after they had satisfaction that they couldn't oblige or compel me to work with them.
The matter I was totally satisfied they do not respect the learner or who had a great deal of experiences and knowledge of language or else more.
They hat the language when you do not obey them; the matter of language is alike to drink a cup of water and foolishly to maintain the supporting of relations unless you work with them even you hadn't any tongue.
Month after I got their pardon to be released and returning home.
But most of my relatives stayed there hadn't the device of communication or visiting.
What could I do for their respecting or could ask about them or trying to escape them from that dim situation.
The government will not respond to your appeal even you could write or ask the higher figures of consultations, and moreover they phone them not to release anyone or otherwise they put him in their dim prisons if the other side transmit any prisoner for their behalf of consideration and the wrecked one prefers to stay in the prisons of the enemy against to be transmitted for that of governmental detention.
Yes that's the matter we had suffered more and more and even that orphan boy who had lost his sisters and mother was stayed there even his two cows no one had to milk them or herd them for pastures.
He was under the death sentenced or for a long period of arresting, they call him the digger of graves and sometimes they call him the doggie as a sarcastic name.
But, although he is a weak child, he is stubborn and never puts his head down.
I didn't see him since the period of detention, whether is he still alive or dead? I don't know.

I am only just a writer
Write here or there
Hate the politics everywhere
But didn't you hear what said Charles de Gaulle.
I am not who claims the war outbreak
But at last the war roasts me.
فقط أردت أن أوضح قول شارل ديغول هذا (( لم أكن من دعاتها علم الله ولكني اليوم بحرها صالي))