A Magnetic Card

I took a day off from my new work, woke up early, Ra2ed offers me a ride to Beit Eil, super. Fairouz was as usual the voice of morning, i don't remember the song on the way to Beit Eil, it was good as all songs of Fairouz.

It was a warm and sunny day, i had my book and music with me because i know it's gonna be a long day standing in a long line waiting for my turn to be approved.

The line unusually short my number was 10, i stood there for an hour approximately before my turn to have my record checked and announced a harmless citizen. i went through the" regular" security check then sat in the waiting hall, few minutes later the soldier who will check my application called me, i passed him the application, stamped a number on it and let me in to the second stage of security check, the room inside was nice, comfy chairs, warm room, Abdel Haleem hafez singing on the background of the instructions screen.

the nine before me entered a small room one by one according to the number sticked on their application, my turn; i walked in, the room is small, has two cameras one for us to be photographed and the second one for the soldiers behind the glass wall to watch us, one of the soldiers behind the glass receives my application, pull out my record from the data base they have, exchange few words with other soldiers next to him then asking me to put my hand on a small sensors plate right under the photographing camera, "put your hand" remove your hand" five times for each hand. next: i was asked to put my fingers on another plate also under the camera to scan my finger prints, again five times of putting and removing, last step was pausing for the camera.

The soldier asked me to wait outside, i waited for 10 minutes and entered another small room after being called to get in, another photo taken, few seconds later and i walked out with the magnetic card which states that i am not a potential security threat to the great state of Israel! I thought i would be happy walking out with it, but i found myself hiding it from eyes of those who were still waiting outside, and trying to walk out faster than usual, i felt sick when i realized that i compromised my principles and went all the way to get an Israeli security approval, a big black ball was growing inside my belly and makes breathing harder by every step i take holding the magnetic card in my hand.

A phone call

I don't remember exactly where i was heading, but i remember that i was walking in Rukab street, opposite direction to Al-Manara (Lions' Square) heading back home, i crossed the street, usually i don't watch people around me, most the times i am watching people inside me, listening to conversations i make up.

A rifle hanged around a Palestinian militant chest swings loose with its front pointed in my direction, the militant was speaking on the phone, i am pretty sure he didn't notice that civilians where walking around him and and any mistaken move of him would be interpreted as a pullet settling in one of the bodies around him, I visualized this passing by him. I saw the bullet settling in my stomach and him going on with his phone conversation.