听听听听听The sign on the gate read:
鈥楪ROUPS ONLY PLEASE - SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE鈥
and that was it.
听听听听 Mohammed leaned stiffly against
one of the pillars and yawned; he had arrived fifteen minutes
earlier and was becoming bored with the wait but knew that
he had little choice. The sky was an azure blue, cloudless,
the air as clear as the desert night from whence he came;
and silence tumbled over him like a dawn mist rolling in
off the ocean. This he welcomed. It was some relief from
the steady drone of engines in the evening sky and the ceaseless
thud of bombs randomizing their targets.
听听听听听Mohammed Aziz. Beautiful boy.
Fourteen years old and the neighbourhood鈥檚 champion
soccer player. His skin was the colour of rich honey and
it glowed then with sweat as his eyes began to absorb their
surroundings with greater care. Those eyes. Not brown as
you might expect, but the darkest and deepest green 鈥
the colour of an unfathomable sea.
听听听听听鈥淵ou will have your
choice of any girl,鈥 his mother proclaimed proudly
to him every day, but he was too modest to believe it and
too busy playing football to consider such distractions.
听听听听听Twenty minutes gone by. Surely
someone must arrive soon, he thought. How good it would
be to share some company or perhaps even make up a group
to go through the gate together.
听听听听听Then, as though somehow he
had willed it, Mohammed felt the faintest whisper of breeze
catching the black curls on his forehead and a rush of wind
whistled up through the blue, settling with a whoosh somewhere
near his feet. He looked up, intrigued. They were standing
together; a woman and a young girl. The girl was asking,
鈥淭hat sign on the gate mother. What does it say?鈥
听听听听听Mohammed鈥檚 voice resonated
in the empty air, 鈥淚t says that we have to go inside
in groups,鈥 and pulling himself onto his feet he carefully
brushed away some particles of dust from his clothes.
听听听听听鈥淲ho are you?鈥
The girl asked, startled, her eyes locking on his as she
began to scrutinize his face. Her skin was as pale as moonlight
on snow.
听听听听听He smiled at her directness.
鈥淢ohammed Reza Aziz. And you?鈥
听听听听听鈥淛ennifer. And this
is my mother, Ruth.鈥 she answered, her tone beginning
to soften a little. 鈥淢ohammed. That鈥檚 a funny
name.鈥
听听听听听鈥淚t鈥檚 Arabic.
Mohammed was our Prophet.鈥 he explained, and added
humbly, 鈥淚鈥檓 proud of my name.鈥
听听听听听Jennifer stared at the boy
who could scarcely have been much older than herself and
proffered a delicate pink hand, 鈥淧leased to meet you
Mohammed Reza Aziz,鈥 she said, feeling the sincerity
of her greeting reciprocated in the gentleness of his touch.
Beside her, her mother, whose lovely face was normally settled
in a kind of vague gaze, had become distracted and tense.
She was saying, 鈥淚 need to let your father know Jennifer.
He鈥檒l be waiting for us.鈥
听听听听听Jennifer looked at her oddly,
鈥淪omeone will tell him mum.鈥 she said. 鈥淪top
worrying. Everything will be fine, you鈥檒l see.鈥
听听听听听And the three sat down together
on the grass. To wait.
听听听听听鈥淪o where is your mum
Mohammed?鈥 It came as a shock. He had not wanted to
think of his mother yet. He did not wish to confront his
concerns. 鈥淪he鈥檚 at home,鈥 was all he
said lowering his eyes, and Jennifer knew enough to leave
it there and move on. 鈥淒o you think we鈥檒l have
to remain here much longer or might they let us in, just
the three of us?鈥
听听听听听鈥淭hey have rules Jennifer,鈥
replied her mother, 鈥淲e should abide by them and be
patient. I鈥檓 sure someone else will come soon.鈥
听听听听听They did not have long to
wait.
听听听听听This time there was no great
whoosh of wind, only a sense of tension in the air before
his arrival. 鈥淪teven Jeffers,鈥 he announced
loudly, striding with purpose towards them and hesitating
only when he noticed the boy. Mohammed eyed him with interest;
the man鈥檚 face was unfamiliar and he wore a strange
grey uniform.
听听听听听鈥淲hat鈥檚 with the
sign?鈥 The question was directed at no-one in particular
and demanded no response for Steven Jeffers was already
rattling the locked gate impatiently. 鈥淗as anyone
rung the bell?鈥
听听听听听鈥淭here is no bell,鈥
replied Jennifer, 鈥淭here鈥檚 just that sign.鈥
听听听听听Steven was unprepared for
the delay but shrugged his shoulders and joined them on
the grass where Ruth was regarding him curiously. She had
a cousin in the Air Force and recognised the uniform. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e
a pilot?鈥 she asked.
听听听听听鈥淵es ma鈥檃m. I
flew my last mission this morning.鈥
听听听听听Mohammed waited patiently.
He was in no hurry. There was still plenty of time. He closed
his eyes and thought about his mother and the feel of her
arms around him as they huddled together in their small
home. He thought about the plane that seemed closer than
the others, the sputter of its engine and the sound of a
missile searing through the night sky seeking a target.
He thought about his fear and his mother鈥檚 terrified
sobs as their house imploded around them; but most of all
he thought about the man he did not know who surely could
not have understood the terrible destruction he had created.
Mohammed opened his eyes and saw tears begin to flow down
the pilot鈥檚 face.
听听听听听鈥淚鈥檓 really sorry
kid.鈥 Steven made no attempt to hide his anguish.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 meant to be you at all. I made a
mistake. It happens sometimes.鈥
听听听听听Jennifer took her mother鈥檚
hand and held on to it tightly. They looked from the face
of the boy to the face of the man and waited. Mohammed sat
motionless, soaking in the confession that he had known
must surely come.
听听听听听鈥淵ou have done a terrible
thing Steven,鈥 he said eventually, 鈥淏ut I feel
your pain and can see that you are suffering too,鈥
and then reaching out a hand in conciliation, added, 鈥淚
already forgive you.鈥
听听听听听Jennifer stared at him in
disbelief and her voice was angry when she spoke. 鈥淗e
murdered you Mohammed. How can you forgive that? I don鈥檛
understand.鈥 Mohammed simply looked into her face
and smiled.
听听听听听None of them moved. They continued
sitting there on the grass waiting for the disturbance of
air that would herald the arrival of another to their group
and Steven, with the keen eyes of a pilot, saw him first.
In the distance a speck of dust transformed itself into
a man who bore down on them with great speed. Closer and
closer until Jennifer could focus on the features of his
face. Closer. She knew the face now. Still closer. It was
right in front of her. She could see him through the windscreen
of the car.
听听听听听Then, nothing.
听听听听听She felt a hand on her shoulder
shaking her gently. 鈥淟ook Jennifer,鈥 said her
mother, 鈥淗e has come.鈥
听听听听听The man stood before them
nervously. It had been a difficult journey knowing that
they would be waiting for him at its conclusion. Ruth felt
a great sadness, for she had wished with all her heart that
he would not have had to follow them there. Beside her,
her daughter鈥檚 mind was on her father who would only
now be hearing the news of their deaths. She thought of
the years that she would never enjoy his love, or a boyfriend鈥檚
affection or her own children鈥檚 devotion, and she
turned to the man who had taken her future away from her.
He was regarding her closely, his body bent tightly around
itself as though bound with strands of invisible pain.
听听听听听鈥淲as it lack of sleep
or were you just drunk?鈥 she demanded, needing something
to blame; as if in some way it might make things easier.
听听听听听He looked at her, confused.
鈥淚t was the dog.鈥 he said with genuine remorse,
鈥淚 swerved to miss the dog.鈥
听听听听听For the first time Jennifer
felt the vulnerability of the human soul, recognising that
another鈥檚 pain could only be relinquished by her own
forgiveness. The delicate thread between life and death
that connected them was hers to sever or strengthen as she
chose, and only then did she understand Mohammed鈥檚
earlier absolution.
听听听听听鈥淲ill you go with us
through the gate?鈥 she asked the man, extending her
hand and guiding him forward to join with the rest. Her
mother placed an arm lovingly round her daughter鈥檚
waist and the three fixed their eyes on the path ahead,
leading through the now open gate. The pilot and the boy
followed; their steps in unison as they walked easily together
behind the others. As they reached the gate each one paused
momentarily to reflect on a life left behind to which there
could now be no return. Only Mohammed glanced back for one
last time, smiling in the knowledge that his mother had
never come.
听听听听Then they advanced together, hands
entwined, as the gate swung closed behind them and the azure
blue stretched out into an endless sky.
