Stories, Thoughts and Snippets
Self Knowledge 1 Self Knowledge 2 Self Knowledge 3 Self Knowledge 4
I stayed out long enough to watch the sun disappear, and the lights turn on, they made the streets look like a luminescent maze around the dark blocks of the buildings. In some places I could see other people sitting out on their roofs, having supper, or just listening to their radios. It struck me as a very good, a very comfortable, way to spend an evening, to spend every evening, I thought it would be very nice to have a bottle of wine and a few friends to share it with. I would have to remember such places for my retirement. Though I think the peace and serenity of that evening belay what life would truly be like in such a location. As welcome as the money I spent to maintain my image as a tourist was, I would never be welcome, and could only consider myself safe within the walls of a home such as this. I would want to live where I could go for walks, but I would have to remember to consider rooftops.
I went downstairs to the living room, and turned on the television to see if there was any mention of the killing. There was. It had taken longer than I had expected for the body to be found, but apparently Mr. Ar-Zaqwi had made no engagements for the rest of the day, and was not missed. It appeared that a neighbor had found the body returning home from work a full three hours after I had left. Accusations were abounding, while some blamed rival factions most were fairly close to the mark, and the word assassination was very common. The U.S. government had already made a statement denying involvement or knowledge of the attack. There was a good deal of video of Ar-Zaqwi's supporters mourning in the streets, often with AK-47's held over their heads, there were promises of vengeance, and while I did not doubt that they would come, I also did not worry that I might be a target. No description of a suspect was provided.
I dug my copy of A Moveable Feast out of my bag, and settled into the sofa with a bowl of dates to chew on while I read. I was careful not to get the pages sticky, the book had been a gift. I checked the bolts on the door before I went to sleep. I did not think of Ar-Zaqwi as I lie in bed, I thought of my keeper and assigned friend Jibril Aman. I wondered if I could trust him, if I should perhaps find myself a hotel room to spend the next few days in. Eventually I decided that if he were going to sell me out he would have done it already, he would have done it before he would have to lose one of his properties in the process, he would have just left me standing on the street in front of Ar-Zaqwi's home. I slept, fairly well.
Self Knowledge 1 Self Knowledge 2 Self Knowledge 3 Self Knowledge 4