That's- ל ראוד חולשמ
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T h a t ' s A l l F o l k s 2010 - Page no. 23 |
She did not sense Mahmoud following her. When she opened the door to her apartment, and was about to shut it behind her, Mahmoud's shoe jammed the door, preventing it from closing. Nili, frightened, tried to forcefully shut the door on Mahmoud's foot, but with a powerful shove he swung the door backwards, along with Nili, and entered the apartment after her. Nili fearfully backed towards the kitchen, where she feverishly looked around and found a malevolent-looking bread knife. Mahmoud laughed at her when she stood facing him, holding the knife at eye-level, shaking with terror. "Why do you need to use a knife, my dear? I only wanted to have a pleasant conversation with you, and here you are facing me, ready to murder me. Here, do you want to stab me? Come on!" Mahmoud pushed his chest out at her. Nili retreated to the threshold of the tiny kitchen, her back to the kitchen porch, not lowering her guard for an instant. Mahmoud waited, like a fisherman who has caught a big fish, and was waiting to reel it ashore. With a wide and pleasant smile, his thick mustache twitched, and his eyes were bright. "Here, you see? You are not a murderer! You are nice! Lay the knife down, I won't hurt you". After a period that seemed like eternity, Nili lowered the hand that held the knife in front of her face but continued to hold it, her knuckles white from her grip on the knife. Mahmoud heavily sat down on one of the chairs in the narrow kitchen. "Be kind, make me a cup of coffee". "I do not have any coffee, only tea". "Tea will be fine, thank you." Nili knew that he was a Palestinian security officer and had heard more than a few horror stories floating around the Israeli street of the abuse of the Palestinian security people and rulers. Acts of murder, rape, kidnapping for ransom, brutal robberies and pure vaporization were commonplace on the Israeli street since the establishment of the United State of Palestine. Nili also knew that she could expect no aid from the Palestinian authorities and knew that she was walking a very thin rope with this person, whose current fa?ade might be pleasant, but could certainly switch in an instant to brutal. Nili did not have many illusions that her integrity as a woman, as well as her life, were in danger. Mahmoud walked around her bedroom, inspecting the few family photographs that were framed on her dresser, scanning a book that she was recently reading and peeking in the book shelves. Then he turned and looked long and hard at the picture of the sunflower that hung on the wall, as though he was visiting a museum. "You work as a singer at the Peace Pub," he established. In the kitchen, Nili shivered. It was not pleasant hearing someone who knows you and your activities well and whose intentions were almost certainly sinister. "You sing very beautifully, I like the way you sing. I would be pleased if you would sing for me sometime, like that, alone. A kind of private performance". "I do not give private performances," Nili blurted from the kitchen while she was making the tea. "Tell me, this Mike, the pub owner, what does he do except sit by the bar all day long? Is he involved in other activities?" "I don't know". "Is the relationship between the two of you romantic?" Mahmoud asked. "No, we are good friends. He is almost like a father to me." "And where are your parents?" "They died, even before the occupation". "This is not an occupation, my dear, this is a liberation. It depends from what angle you look". Nili silently handed him a cup of tea. He sat in the armchair in her bedroom, while she stood in the doorway, still holding the knife in her hand, although not threateningly. It appeared as though Mahmoud was ignoring it. Relaxed and smiling, he thanked her and lifted his arm to drink the tea. While sipping it, he did not take his eyes away from her for a second, while she seemed to cringe. "Truth be told, I like you. I won't harm you, only help you. I want to be your friend, your boyfriend, your love" he said, looking into her eyes with a penetrating and piercing look while she quickly averted her gaze. "I don't think that is possible, we are different and strangers". Mahmoud smiled, sipping the rest of the tea from the cup in small sips. "I beg you not to come here any more and try to force your will on me. If you have any honor as an Arab and a Muslim, promise me that". "My dear Nili," Mahmoud said and at the sound of her name on Mahmoud's lips, Nili felt a chill rising from the small of her back, "My family lives in Nablus, and I am far from home, here in Tel-Aviv, chasing your Israeli friends. I want to get to know you, and for you to get to know me, and that we be together and have a good time". They heard a knock at Nili's door, and suddenly Nili was happier than she had ever been. Richard was waiting at the door and was surprised at the sight of Mahmoud walking towards the exit. Nili went to Richard, grasped his hand, and briskly pulled him inside, hugging him, forcing him to slightly bend and turn his head for a peck on the cheek. Mahmoud was already standing at the entrance, holding his hat in his hand. For several seconds, Richard's gaze met Mahmoud's gaze, and neither of them made haste to lower their gaze. Mahmoud thereafter left without a word, and the door closed. Behind the door, Nili collapsed into Richard's surprised arms and broke down in tears of relief. That's all folks |
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