thecommunityconnections.com 845-371-2222 | January 8, ‘25 22 “Are you trying to tell me that we are now in Kurdistan?” Rachamim asked fearfully. “Yes, but why are you so frightened? You’re a Jew. They’ll see that immediately and they won’t harm you. After all, you are also a member of a pursued nation,” Muhammad added bitingly. Rachamim remained silent as Muhammad peered out the window. The driver was arguing with the waiter about his bill. It looked as though they had come to an agreement. The driver stood up and went around the table before warmly hugging the men he had dined with. From the way they took leave of each other, Muhammad could tell that they were close friends. The driver jumped into the truck and started the motor without even bothering to make sure that the passengers were in the back. For the next twenty minutes they drove along a paved road before turning off onto a dirt path. The driver raced down the dirt road while the truck rocked violently back and Recap: Rachamim and his family begin their escape. In a region populated by Kurds, the drivers take a break and disappear. CHAPTER 7 forth. After that, the truck groaned noisily as it climbed a mountain, leaving behind a cloud of dust. Rachamim could only imagine what would happen if it started raining and the dirt turned into mud. Once again, they drove the entire night. Before dawn, the driver stopped the truck on a mountaintop and walked around to the back of the truck. He opened the back door and, speaking Persian, said, “You can get out and stretch a bit. I have to catch a few hours of sleep.” Muhammad was the first to accept this offer. Jumping out, he stretched his arms and breathed in the fresh mountain air. He appreciatively studied the scene that spread out below them. They were atop a huge mountain, and the green expanse below them was dotted with colorful Kurdish tents. The greenery was a result of the hard work and diligence of the peasants living here, who took advantage of every sliver of land for either grazing their sheep or agriculture. Muhammad could see the young shepherds guarding their herds of wooly sheep. The peaks surrounding them were so high, they appeared
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