DANCING ON THE EDGE OF SUFFERING

          There was an advertisement about an arrangement of a horses race; hence,   so I wore my clothes and went toward my grand father's room to take him with me, but I saw him in the same condition I left him in before, sitting on his wooden bed. His fingers were diving into the bottom of his beard, while he was staring at his green ensign and also at his stick, with its deep and  different  splits.

I came near and sat in front of him. He didn't show any

attention, because he was still staring at his ensign. I whispered smiling "Grand father, we'll be late". He answered: "I said I would not go!!"

The horses were standing beside each other behind a line,crossing the racing circuit. Different kinds of clothes were put  on the horses' backs. Some of them were red; others were yellow, green and also blue. After that, the black flag was raised. We heard the bullet boom, which disappeared and replaced by the encouraging   voices, by cheering and clapping. Shrilling and dancing. But when the horses approached from the ending line,  the voices calmed down until it completely disappeared. Instead, there was an astonishment and silence on the attendants' faces  when the blue colored horse passed the line, followed directly by the red one. But the yellow colored horse loomed in the sky.......

          DOHA - JULY 1996