"Peace" of the Lupine

Once upon a time, there was a revolution!

..That was decades ago; when adventure was a must, it tasted like rain on dry lips.

And his game was wild and dangerous, and perhaps he built his dream on soft sand. He defied his parents' advice, and heard the fire that ignited in his chest, like a swift blaze consuming with its redness all injustice and darkness. And he wanted to illuminate the plundered lands, with madness and raging, boundless fires, and salt had not yet reached his tears, or approached his innocent wounds.

Once upon a time, there was a revolution! It awakened the heedless, so they recognized themselves. And everyone believed it, and did not notice that it was slipping towards the margins of darkness, dimness, corruption, loss, and abandonment.. with the presence of brilliant individual experiences that resonated with their suns in the horizons. And our friend was a fedayeen among those who believed in complete liberation, so he gave all he had, and burned his ships, to continue fighting the occupiers, without let-up or retreat, and in all arenas and battles.

They said about him, because of his purity and honesty: He seems to be the ascetic who was present at the moment they wrote the book sent down from heaven! And that he is one of those who are born in darkness and die in light. And our friend knew that contemplation is a crossroads, while regret is a dead end.. and that his homeland is all the smiling faces of the earth.

So what happened?

The leaders shook hands with their enemies, and embraced them, and it became clear that this was not "peace" as much as it was a strategic alignment with the opposing front, which cut off the heads of our cities, and burned our fields, so peace became funeral par excellence.

Our friend felt betrayed! And he returned to the homeland, among those who returned, partially, to some of the homeland, exhausted, fragmented, besieged.. And he found himself in the depths of confusion.. So he joined, like others, the security forces, with the rank of major, thinking that this, perhaps, would constitute a new arena for political engagement with the enemy, even in the weakest available forms. But what happened, later, made him leave the apparatus, rather, they dismissed him from his position, and pushed him out of the institution, on the pretext that he was not pleased with anything nor fasting in Rajab! So what does it mean for his escort to become higher in rank than him? For his relative is the deputy commander of the apparatus! And why protest against some of the luxury enjoyed by senior officers, such as buildings, cars, petty cash, and privileges? And is talking to officers of the other party a national crime? Did we not conclude a peace agreement with them, and coordination with them is necessary? As for those incidents carried out by extremists from the enemies.. they do not warrant all this anger! These are things that happen between disputants.. Is there no one among us who blew up, sabotaged, and objected? And there is no need for those bombastic speeches that incite, doubt, and accuse! Where is realism? And where is the sense of responsibility? And where is the necessary discipline? He belongs to the decades of outdated nationalist speeches, and lacks a sense of modernity, which requires a new network and language, which are indispensable.. for us to survive.

And so; the fedayeen found himself out of context, and his registration was cancelled, so his salary was cut off, and he ended up on the sidewalk! Which prompted him to work here and there, as a hired hand in the shops of the ambitious people.. So he preferred to be independent, and need pushed him, so he bought a small cart, and put a bucket of lupine on it, and began to call out: (Lupine.. lupine..) in the streets.

He would stand near gatherings, celebrations, and stadiums, selling his lupine, and returning home exhausted.. And he would hide from those looking at him, as the road had led him to this tragic fate. And he decided to remain silent, for there was no point in "barking", in their opinion, for the caravan moves on.

And it happened that the conference was held, and I was a participating member in it, so I wore my best clothes, and tied the kuffiyeh around my neck, and headed to the attendees. And at the gate, or before it, that is, in the square leading to the hall, I heard the call (Lupine..) so it stopped me? I did not recognize him, at first, for his thick beard had turned white, and he wore a cap, and half of his face was hidden behind glasses.. But I was certain that it was him in flesh and blood, and his call (Lupine.. lupine..) was trembling, its letters breaking and blurring! So I froze in my place, and could not believe that this fierce, daring, pure fedayeen was standing behind the cart, calling out to collect a few pennies, especially since he was standing at the entrance to the square leading to the conference hall of the faction he belonged to, and that the "fedayeen" who would pass in front of him would not recognize him, and would disdain to stop to buy lupine, and many of them would arrive in luxurious vehicles.

But he knows! And he knows them one by one.. and they pass by, surrounded by escorts and cameras. And after an hour; the echo of the conference speeches mingled with the calls of the vendor.. so the square was filled with "Lupine lupine.. peace peace..".. so he overturned the cart with everything in it, and roared with a cracked, rough voice.. and no one would understand what was happening?

The security men and conference guards panicked, and rushed towards him, scolding him, and pushing him, rudely, and almost beat him..

And once upon a time, there was.