Dancing on Coals

Didn’t know what to think when I read that Israel stopped the attacks on Gaza, and is pulling out, despite Hamas’s continued rocket firing. Thousands dead. In between it all.

I've been following it all from the start. Senseless like child-play. I swear.

But sometimes, for a change of rhythm, we got to turn it off, for a while, walk away and breathe. Smile. Be.

… So I pick myself up and go to liza’s house. She’s my Indian-Afghan friend and she shows me a new bollywood flick – Slumdog Millionaire. Her eyes lit up like two diamonds when she said: “it won a golden globe this year!” Or when she said, “A R Rahman did the tunes for the movie. I grew up listening to this guy sing, it’s like I’m up there taking the globe with him. One for India. Bam!”

The stars of the movie are about to be interviewed on Ellen Degeneres. Aha! What? They’ll do a live bollywood dance, too? This is spoiling me. I run to the kitchen, grab some minute maid, a bowl of bhel puri, I sit on the couch, grab the remote control cuz ya know that’s mine, and I’m ready for the show!

Phone Rings.

Liza picks up. She talks.

....

Uff! Those commercials. They take forever man I’m almost finished my snacks …

I hear Liza on the phone: “… no way. Oh no…”

Liza Liza Liza! Come on it’s starting hang up hang up just come! Woooooooh! I get up and dance.

“hey narges was on the phone and she said Hizbollah might get involved more from Lebanon. Then, it’s Iran”.

Jai Ho! Aaja Aaja Jind Shamiyane ke Tale … WOOOOOOOOH AHA AHA that’s how we do! Come dance with me Liza! Jai Ho!

“look I’m serious. You need to be more serious. Don’t you have family in Lebanon. Even at the refugee camps?”

I somehow turn around, and catch a glimpse of her face. It’s serious. The diamond in her eyes, it's gone. I stop. Dancing.

“I know you don’t know them, because you’ve lived here so long, but …”

Look. I don’t want to think about it all the time okay. I just want to dance!

She looks at me. I look at her. We both look back – at the T.V. We both listen, silently, to the Indian music …

[translation to lyrics]

I’ve passed this night dancing on coals
I blew away the sleep that was in my eyes
I counted the stars until my fingers burned