At Salem's House (5)

Salem came to fetch me. His village was several kilometres away. We went through all of Tarabin, which didn’t take too long, and stopped in a warehouse-cum-provisions store. I managed to find and buy a bottle of water entirely in Arabic. He bought what we needed for our meal, and then some. He asked if I had any cash on hand. How much did he need? Sixty pounds. Quite a sum in Egypt. But I reckoned we would settle up for any differences later on. I didn’t want to offend my host in any way.

We travelled down the main road, past a Korean restaurant (no kidding!) and over the beach until we got to his village. It was the home of his clan, presided over by the respective sheikh, I assumed. The range of houses was fascinating. Some were quite beautiful, and it was apparent that a lot of effort had been put into them. Others were more modest, but certainly very liveable. And then there were the concrete shacks, roofed with corrugated metal. Salem lived in a house like this. I didn’t have the heart to ask about the sixty pounds.

Salem tied up the camel and invited me in. I duly removed my shoes, as is customary in Muslim homes. He introduced me to his children. There were five of them. I wondered if he realized that the sheer quantity of his offspring had a direct impact on his economic condition. Probably not. Humble people are often very fatalistic about life. As God sends them, He will surely provide the means to sustain them.

The oldest daughter, wearing a hijab, was blind. There was another daughter who apparently was in charge of the household chores and duties. The two youngest boys were twins, around seven or eight. One had orange in his hair. I think it was from malnutrition. Flies were buzzing about.

The domestic daughter brought out tea, which we drank, and she proceeded to prepare the meal. The children were adorable. I talked to them a little through their father and with my broken Arabic. Salem and I spoke of Israel, Sinai and Egypt. He had previously been to Tel Aviv, when Sinai was under Israeli administration. He struck me as somewhat ambivalent of the Egyptian regime, and not really caring about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His more immediate needs were of much greater concern, I would think.

The meal was brought out. It was rice with bits of chicken – very tasty. Salem encouraged me to eat my fill, which I did. He did his best to make me feel welcome in his home, and I felt honored. Afterwards we drank more sweet tea, and he suggested dozing off for a while. It was a good idea. The domestic daughter brought in blankets to cover our heads so the multitude of buzzing flies wouldn’t bother us. It worked beautifully.

I didn’t sleep, but I was able to relax and let the entire experience gel in my mind. After an hour or so, Salem arose, and I followed suit. I noticed that the glassless window was shuttered my cardboard that bore the letters “MRE”. I asked if there was an American base around. There was UN contingent monitoring the peace between Egypt and Israel in the Sinai. The US Army supplies food aid to local populations as military-issued Meals Ready to Eat. Salem and his family must have been recipients of food aid.

We turned on the black and white TV. The news came on. It was all about President Mubarak. He went to Syria, and was well received. He travelled to one of the Gulf States, and lectured the monarch there. He was trying to broker a deal of sorts between the warring Palestinian factions (with no success – although that wasn’t mentioned). Interestingly, in reports on our country, there was no insinuation that Israel as a state had no right to exist, like in the media of several other Middle Eastern countries. It was just behaving unacceptably. If peace could be like this, with all sides accepting this existence and presence of the others, and everyone could travel freely and safely, it would have a direct impact on the lives of people like Salem and his family. A rising tide lifts all boats, as they say, and general prosperity in Sinai, driven by tourism and other investments, would bring benefits to almost everyone. There is such a thing as a peace dividend.

Finally, towards the end of the afternoon, the middle son got me on the camel and led me back to Tarabin. This time, we took the coastal route almost the entire way. I love the sea. What a calming effect water has. I can just be by water and feel at peace.

Peace. There is tangible peace between people. And there is inner peace, that only you can bring yourself. It is independent of time, place and circumstance. It requires the realization that you are worthy and that everything that happens to you serves a greater purpose – to educate, strengthen and wisen you. Take events in proportion and perspective. Be at one with the universe. Love humankind regardless. Peace is yours for the asking.