Note: I started writing this while in Fallujah, but only finished recently.
"Bad people have parties too." So said General Mark Kimmett, one of the senior US military brass when he was trying to explain why his troops had bombed a wedding party, definitely killing old men, women and children, and probably killing a few resistance fighters. I couldn't get the saying out of my mind as I watched the gorilla sing and dance, imploring me to be his valentine.
When everything is going to shit, you find an escape. Everybody I've met in Fallujah so far has had some escape. I saw some kids in theirs yesterday. One seven year old was pretending to be a fighter, complete with a working cap gun that made me flinch every time it went off. Another six year old pretended to be a dead fighter, and lay lifeless on the ground, a rolled up cardboard rocket launcher laid carefully by his side. Yet another declared he was a dead civilian. His friends piled cartons on top of him, making the scene resemble that of last week or the week before or any other week in which people were being pulled out from under the rubble of an F16 strike under the unblinking eyes of the children.
Even the resistance fighters have their escapes. As I lay in the front room awaiting my fate, some of the men came back from the frontline, mulling over the previous hours' happenings. A few minutes in, Sulemaan [name obviously changed] shushed the others, and insisted that they talk about or do something else. "How about we go to the park?" Omar asked sarcastically, "or maybe go to the cinema."
"Just go get the monkey" Sulemaan ordered, a grimace on his face from the park zinger.
Omar came back with this black toy gorilla, its eyes peeking through these oversized sunglasses. He put it down, turned it on and slapped it on the head. The gorilla started to sing, and instantly cut through the tension in the room.. Everybody relaxed, and someone brought out more of that infernal orange tang-like shit for all of us to drink. I've figured out that it's better to drink it fast, so I did.
One of the men saw my disbelief, and so got me my camera from wherever it was hidden.. "Here. Take a picture." I did as Omar made the gorilla dance.
I went back and sat in the corner giggling uncontrollably at the toy and at the absolutely surreal scene of almost ten fully-grown men gathered around a singing monkey making it sing and dance. They asked me why I was laughing, and I said it was so I wouldn't cry. We all gotta have our escapes.
tarek