Never Too Late: Chapter 3
| April 29, 2020“Now I’m less of a fool. I suspect foul play. Maybe you’re working with Achmed, luring me out into the open to kill me and take my carpets.”
It took Ali, Shimon’s boss, a long time to gather every single carpet in his inventory. When he finally did, he carefully loaded them onto the back of two mules and covered them with a cheap blanket.
“If bandits see how much merchandise I’m travelling with, we’re both dead.” Ali explained.
“You have no idea…” Shimon muttered to himself. Ali truly had no clue that the carpets in his possessions were worth a fortune of money. It was a pity he was going to have to steal them from him without paying a single coin.
“Why do you look so nervous, Shimon? Achmed said he would pay us upon arrival, right? The only reason why he didn’t want to bring me the payment first is because he didn’t want to travel with so much money. He’ll give us everything when we arrive at his house. I just can’t wait to see the bags of coins waiting for me!”
“Yes, it’s very exciting.” Shimon forced himself to smile. “You worked hard your whole life and now you’re finally reaping the fruits of your labor.”
“Yes, yes… Come, let us begin traveling. We have a long way to go and the mules won’t travel fast with all that weight on their backs.”
***
Shimon and Ali traveled slowly, prodding and coaxing the tired mules to continue. Soon the sun was setting in the sky above them and they still had not reached Achmed (aka Farik’s) home.
“Set up our tent underneath this cluster of trees, Shimon,” Ali commanded. “Quickly, before it’s totally dark.”
Shimon did as he was told.
A thunderclap exploded in the distance and droplets of warm rain began falling from the darkening sky. Shimon and Ali tied the mules to the trees and began unpacking the carpets and piling them inside the small tent.
After bringing in the merchandise to protect it from the rain, there was no room to move for the two men. They had to lie down with their legs folded on top of the mass of carpets.
“Comfortable, Shimon?” Ali laughed. “At least on the return journey we’ll have enough room to sleep in the tent if we need to. The carpets will be out of my hands.”
“That’s for certain,” Shimon grunted. “We should sleep, master.” Shimon closed his eyes. “We still have some traveling ahead of us.”
“You’re right, you’re right… I’m just excited.” Ali looked thoughtful. “My grandfather had a very hard life. He worked so hard, day after day, only to make just a few measly coins. All my life I thought I had inherited his curse. I believed I would never accomplish anything great. But now, thanks to the wonderful, wealthy and generous Achmed, I will make the first big business deal of my entire life!”
Shimon kept his eyes closed and only grunted in response.
“Praise Allah! Grandfather will at least be able to die a happy man! Our fortune has changed!”
Shimon’s conscience began stirring. Farik’s words echoed in his mind: “Come alone!” He wasn’t supposed to be traveling with Ali. Farik had already given him the weapon to finish his master off. His mission was to steal all the carpets without paying anything and bring them to Farik. Instead, he was sharing a tent with the man who supposed to be disposed of long ago and listening to his heart-wrenching life story.
“I need some fresh air.” Shimon rolled over the carpets and darted from the tent. He stood in the pouring rain, letting it wash the grime from his cheeks and completely soak his clothing.
You’re a thief, Shimon! A bad Jew! Don’t let his pathetic sob story change your mind. You’ve never done a good deed in your entire life! You set fire to your own city! Stole money from poor Jews! Betrayed your own parents and brought nothing but grief upon their heads! Don’t start feeling righteous now! Fariik’s going to split the profits from the carpets with you! Do what you must and be done with it. Ali must go…
Shimon stood in the storm for many long minutes, contemplating his next move. Finally, he took a deep breath and ducked back inside the dry tent.
“What is this, Shimon?”
Ali was holding the dagger Farik had given Shimon.
“Oh… Uh, it must have fallen from my pocket when we were unloading the carpets.”
“I know that.” Ali’s eyes narrowed. “But why do you have it?”
“Protection.”
“You haven’t carried a weapon since you started working for me. Suddenly you feel you need protection?”
“Master, please relax. What, it does not make sense that I would want to protect you when we’re traveling with so many valuables?”
“This is more like a small sword, Shimon. A weapon for killing, not protection…”
“If we were attacked, wouldn’t I need to kill?”
“Would you be able to kill a man in cold blood?” Ali’s fist tightened across the handle of the dagger. “Can you do such a thing?”
“If I needed to, master.”
“I thought Jews were compassionate people.”
“I am a very bad Jew.”
Ali and Shimon stared at each other across the piles of carpets as the rain intensified and pounded onto the roof of the tent. A flash of lightening streaked across the sky, lighting up the dark tent.
“Who is Achmed?” Ali asked suddenly.
“You know who he is already.”
“Who is he?”
“He’s a rich businessman who smiles a lot. Can I please have my dagger back?”
“Yes, he certainly does smile a lot, doesn’t he? You know, I always thought it was odd that he didn’t want to bring the money for all these carpets. It bothered me that he wanted me to travel to him all alone with all of my merchandise.”
“So why did you agree to do it?”
“Because I’m a bit naïve and a fool, that’s why.”
“And now?”
“Now I’m less of a fool. I suspect foul play. Maybe you’re working with Achmed, luring me out into the open to kill me and take my carpets.”
“Your dreaming, master. I live only to serve you.”
“Do I have your promise?”
“Yes.” Shimon took a deep breath. “Now give me my dagger back. You’re too old to know how to use it effectively, but I’m not. I need a means to protect us. If I wanted to kill you, I could have done so many times already while we were traveling. So, give it to me now or I’m leaving and you’re on your own. The decision is yours.”
TO BE CONTINUED…
(Originally featured in Mishpacha Jr., Issue 808)
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