2018-10-01_Reader_s_Digest_AUNZ

October• 2018 | 13

READER’S DIGEST

We left our car there

and walked towards

the tent where heavily

armed men checked ou

names against a list and

then ushered us inside.

I had been inside one

or two Kuwaiti palaces

before, and this tent

was a modest replica:

no water fountain and

no curtains, but heavily

carpeted. he tent soon

illed with people.

Once seated, an

elderly Bedouin served

us mint tea and dates.

he tea cleared the cobwebs of

fatigue and I soon began to relax

on the carpet.

he tent laps parted and two

groups of men entered from diferent

directions. here was a lurry of nose

rubbing and handshaking before they

settled down for their peace parley

on either side of a low table. An imam

read the Fatiha, the opening sura

(chapter) of the Qur’an, and then the

talks began.

Alyan sat with the Kuwaiti

delegation but I was too far away to

hear the frenzied discussions that

went back and forth. At one stage, the

two opposing clans looked like they

had reached an impasse, but whatever

had caused it was soon settled, and

the talks resumed.

Two hours later, their conlict

was resolved and an accord for

onciliation attained.

he assembly heaved

elf up like a tidal

ave amid hugging and

andshaking.

It was now time to

lebrate the agreement.

massive feast was laid

before us: plumes of rice

towering over dunes

of two roasted sheep,

sprinkled with pine

nuts and a concoction

of spices.

Everyone dug in using

their hands with the

samneh baladyeh (r ich

homemade fat) dripping down their

arms. You don’t use knives or forks

here: the trick is to grab a little istful

of rice and meat in your palm and

lick it into your mouth. For the Arab

guests, it was no big deal. For me,

it was no joy: I ended up with more

food on the loor than in my belly.

he banquet lasted almost as long

as the parley, and the stars were

beginning to fade as the exodus from

the tent began. It had been tacitly

understood that the business at hand

needed to be settled before dawn.

We returned to Kuwait City in time

to pick up an early morning copy of

the Kuwait Times fresh of the press.

Do you have a tale to tell? We’ll pay

cash for any original and unpublished

story we print. See page 8 for details

on how to contribute.

Once seated, an

elderly Bedouin

served us mint

tea and dates and

I began to relax

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PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES