The Desert: Part 5

A place for Short Stories, fiction or non. Please be sure to credit all sources if they are not your own.
Post Reply
watcher
MVP Member
Posts: 229
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2007 3:40 pm

The Desert: Part 5

Post by watcher »

Sandstorms had been kicking up in the desert since last night, and Scott wondered for the millionth time why he had come to this remote part of the world. There was a strange, surreal beauty about the desert, you had to admit, but for him it was so desolate that he felt completely alone and depraved. His mind longed for water, an oasis, a palm tree, anything to relieve the dryness and emptyness of his soul. He could understand how they happened to film the scenes for Tatooine in this particular part of the world. It certainly fit. It was odd, how he had wanted to understand the Middle East, his family in some part, who lived near here, and even the war that was being fought in Iraq right now. He had wanted to fly into Iraq immediately, but he couldn't go to an Arab country on his Visa immediately and to fly into Iraq. He was told it was too dangerous unless he was a businessman or on a diplomatic mission.
Scott had visited with his family for some days before he came out to the desert. His brother and family were doing well. His brother worked as a professor, and his sister-in-law was from this Mediterranean culture. Their home had a courtyard, and they ate plenty of food such as olives, tomatoes, sauces, rice, potatoes, and chicken. His sister-in-law was an excellent cook and wonderful hostess, and he had enjoyed his time there very much. His time at the beach was nice too, especially as this wasn't the tourist season, and everyone was happy to spend time explaining things to him. He loved walking in the marketplace, where they sold rugs, clothing, food, and every kind of household object and you could barter for them all. In fact, you had to barter, or they wouldn't give you a good deal. Fortunately, his sister-in-law was an accomplished bargain hunter also, and she was able to come with him.
As he was walking through the various gates into the old part of the city, it was very easy to become lost. He had become separated at one point from his sister-in-law and wandered about for some time before a man motioned for him to follow him and after the uncertainty of whether he would be kidnapped overcame him, he was able to find his family again. The man had been a distant relation who recognized him, but couldn't speak English. Sitting down afterwards eating his favorite sandwiches with chicken, olives, sauces, and french fries on a long roll, Scott began to unwind, and realize how rich with culture this country was. It had been close to here that ancient cultures had lived. He wondered again about Iraq, which was considered possibly the site of the Garden of Eden by some, and certainly had many ancient traditions, and also historical references that tied it in with the land of the Bible. He wished he spoke Arabic, but his vocabulary was limited to "Aslaima", and "Baslama", the words for "hello" and "good-bye" in Arabic. You could also not travel to Israel after going to an Arab country, as he had been patiently told by his family. Scott looked at his travel guide, and decided that perhaps a visit to the sea would do. Yes, perhaps it was time to move on to an island culture, such as Crete or Malta. Yet, there was always more to do and see than he could cram into the time. He couldn't wander forever. No, it was almost time to search for home, to find home again. But Scott was beginning to wonder again as he had recently, where exactly his home was...he needed to find that place in his heart once more...


(Author's notes...this is about an actual place, but for some personal reasons, I didn't mention the country, because part of my family does actually live there. That is actually because of political reasons that it is better I don't mention names and countries to protect them. Thanks for understanding, hope you enjoy! :thumb: )
Post Reply