The Endless Golden Dunes

Chapter 16: Much Needed Growth

ADAM

Another morning. Adam exited his tent and  breathed the lushuss air of the oasis. Sometimes, when he tried hard enough, he could smell the wind that carried a scent straight from Jerusalem. He looked around the entire oasis. If he was being honest, the entire place was nothing like he had initially imagined. When someone were to say the word oasis, the first thing that came into Adam’s mind would be a small lake with two or three date trees around it. This oasis was nothing as such. It had – as Walid had said – twenty-thousand date trees and was quite possibly the size of a large city. It was quite extraordinary.
  
He felt the green ground in between his fingers. The grass tickled him. After that, he decided to feel the fertile sand. Another good feeling. They never went old. There was something strange about these things as well. When one was able to feel the life in the oasis, they would forget that they are in the middle of a desert. Adam thought that that was a miracle in itself.
  
But those thoughts of blissful strangeness did not stop him from worrying. It was quite peculiar how just one person could be the source of half his worries. Elijah isolated himself from everyone, even from Adam himself. Adam had asked him about it.
  
‘What do you know?’ Elijah asked with a hysterical chuckle. ‘Muslims … Islam. All too confusing, isn’t it? Oh how people blindly follow it! Yes, yes. That’s it! Isn’t it? Blind followers. Not me, though. No, no. I know what my religion stands for. I know. I have my reasons for being a Christian. And remember! We do not come to this war for them. We come for us. For Jerusalem! You understand, don’t you, Adam?’
  
Adam nodded. Not because he agreed, it was because he felt he had no choice.
  
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Umar sparring and he automatically smiled. The man had become less gaunt and more controlling of his temper. It was honestly a wonder how much change he went through in just three months. Overall, Adam thought he had quite a bit of growth of soul.
  
‘May the Creator bless him further.’ Adam found himself thinking.
  
He went towards him.

***

Umar was beaten in sparring. For a moment, Adam saw Umar’s jaw clench and eyebrows lower to his nose. Adam prepared for some kind of shout. Then, mercifully, Umar controlled himself and he simply laughed.
  
‘Ah! You had me.’ He said, still wrangling with his rage.
  
For a moment, the other soldier was also scared of any outburst. Umar raised his palm.
  
‘No need to be afraid; I won’t bash you for besting me. Just … I think I might need a bit of time, please. Still having difficulties here.’
  
The soldier nodded and went away, sighing in relief.
  
‘Assalamualaikum, Umar! Peace be upon you!’ Adam greeted.
  
Umar turned to him and smiled upon his arrival.
  
‘Walaikumsalam, Adam! Peace be upon you as well!’
  
They held each other’s forearms and hugged for but a second before pulling away from each other.
  
‘You have become better at controlling that rage of yours.’ Adam commented.
  
‘I suppose I have.’ Umar looked proudly at the sky, his eyes sparkling.
  
‘I should wonder where you got all that rage.’
  
Any glistenten that was once in Umar suddenly disappeared, and again, it looked as if he was controlling his rage.
  
‘It’s a … rather sensitive topic,’ Umar honestly replied. ‘I don’t want to leave you curious, but at the same time, I am trying to be more honest with people I stay with. Therefore, that is all I would say of the matter.’
  
Adam nodded.
  
‘I understand,’ he replied. ‘But may I be allowed a hint?’
  
‘That I cannot do as well.’
  
‘That is fair enough. And have you seen Elijah?’
  
‘Elijah?’
  
‘Er – Ilyas. Sorry. The thing is, many people in Jerusalem call him Elijah. I just couldn’t shake off the fact that he is called Ilyas by Muslims, and that is his real name.’ Adam quickly made up a lie, biting his tongue in regret.
  
‘Huh. Why did you pick up the habit? Don’t you call him Ilyas?’
  
‘Sometimes, I just say such as a – er – nickname of sorts.’
  
Adam thought his tongue might bleed. He was getting better at lying, though the feeling that he had cheated someone from the truth hadn’t been nulled.
  
‘Strange.’
  
‘What can be said? Jerusalem just does things differently.’
  
‘I suppose I cannot object to that.’
  
‘Truly!’
  
‘And as for the fact where Ilyas might be, I am not quite sure. Have you checked all over the oasis to see if he is sparring somewhere?’
  
‘I have not.’
  
‘It’s your best guess, though I recommend leaving him alone; he’s a bit … queer.’
  
‘And you are not?’
  
‘I mean it in a way that he is secluding himself. Of course, I may sound hypocritical, but it is true. He was not like this before, was he?’
  
‘I cannot remember.’
  
‘He acts as if we are the enemies.’
  
At that moment, Adam’s heart dropped like a stone and again, he had to bite on his tongue. Umar sighed.
  
‘Well, I suppose that all we can do is hope he turns normal.’
  
‘Ameen.’
  
Saying such, Adam turned his heel and walked away, wishing peace upon Umar again.
  
As he walked, he made a mental note to himself to talk with Elijah.