conversation in the desert

MOHAMED
When I first met him, at his tent by the desert of Dahab, Sinai, what impressed me the most was his Bedouin definition of nationality: the territory wasn´t related to actual boundaries like ours but to the act of moving. As we advanced in a three day talk through his roots and mine I promenaded the entire spectrum of his items displayed in the tent. All kind of stuff, from ritual knives for goat sacrifice to drinking recipients made of fur for desert crossings. From oil lamps with engravings to flying kilims. And then I found that cross. A tiny Christian cross made of turquoise coming from the ancient faraonic mines of Sinai. It attracted me I still don´t know why. Maybe just for its simple beauty and its sky blue oniric color. At first it seemed to me strange such an object in a Bedouins tent, until I realized that is what a Bedouin tent is about: a collection of things synthetizing the Silk Road, and specially in such a place where Judaism, Christianity and Islam melt so deeply. He said whatever about the cross, took it, and as in trance started talking to himself, saying something like “as I am not a Christian, this cross means nothing to me, so I can turn it into any other object if I wish…” and all of a sudden grabbing a tool started to mutilate the cross in one of his arms! I protested as he insisted in his right to do that. I suggested that if in return I pissed in a Mosque or his mother´s tomb we could start a war! He wouldn´t listen, so I, that am the most agnostic of them all, offended, left the tent to the nearby seashore in a dignity attitude. After a few hours I was about to leave to go on with my trip so I went back to the tent to say good bye forever. Mohamed took my arm, and in an intimate whisper softly said he had been thinking, and came to the conclusion I was right. He opened his hand with the cross, intact, and offered it to me as a gift and peace pipe. I hung it to my shirt for the rest of the trip, and we still keep in touch...