Jehenem
by Haim Kadman
I’m in
Jehenem, in hell. I love the sound of that Arabic
word, it’s a plagiarism in fact of Ghehynom
in my mother’s tongue. You know Ben-Hynom’s
valley on the east side of old Jerusalem’s
wall, where the priests used to throw once a year
two scapegoats down the gorge – to atone for
our entire nation sins.
Well it’s
a huge parking lot with a cement floor, not a car
in sight and not a soul around – but me.
I played that
game of walking straight on with shut eyes. I was
doing fine till I bumped into the electric fence
and was thrown back with such a force, that sent
me flying like a missile across that damn parking
lot.
I landed near
it’s gate, next to the sentry’s small
hut. I stood up right away, nothing happened
– as nothing could have happened I’m
dead you know. I peeped inside the hut and saw a
huge demon sitting there without a chair, on his
huge hinds and his massive tail. He looked like a
kangaroo with a human face – ugly as hell!
‘Yes,
haven’t you read the rules?’ He asked
watching me a bit surprised.
‘The
rules?’
‘Take a
step back.’
I took a step
back and saw a board with three rules:
1. Back off.
2. Don’t
bother the sentry.
3. Return to
your eternal freedom.
If that’s
freedom I’m a vase of flowers. I thought
disappointed.
‘I’d
like to cross the gate for a short while.’ I
said to the demon.
‘What for?’
‘To have
a look around.’
‘Is that
what bothers you, the highways, the junctions,
the trucks, cars and accidents outside –
haven’t you had enough of it?’
‘I’m
bored to death here, I want to feel again the
embrace of human society, I want to satisfy my
senses once again…’
‘Society,
jealousy, disputes, endless quarrels is that what
you miss, and I thought you were wise; and
besides it’s impossible we shall have to
dress your soul with flesh and bones, nerves,
blood vessels, skin and the lot – it’s
an impossible job.’
‘What if
I sneak out and break the rules?’
‘You’ll
be expelled of paradise!’ He warned me.
‘Paradise…?
I thought I was in hell.’
‘Hell is
outside.’ Said the demon with a chuckle.
Haim
Kadman 2007 © All rights reserved.
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