23 thecommunityconnections.com 845-371-2222 | January 8, ‘25 would, and as I told you before, I’m going to take advantage of this break and catch up on my sleep.” “Where’s the Turkish border?” Muhammad asked. The driver turned up his nose. “The Turkish border is very far from here.” “What do you mean?” Muhammad demanded. “Aren’t you supposed to be taking us to Turkey?” “Well, yes,” the driver conceded. “What you call the Turkish border is actually quite close. That is not the real Turkish border. The Turks had the audacity to make their border within the region that rightfully belongs to the Kurds.” “I’m sorry,” Muhammad muttered in embarrassment. “I wasn’t planning on making a political statement. That problem has nothing to do with me.” “You don’t have to apologize,” the driver sighed. “You’re not the first to make such a mistake. I realize that it’s not your fault. The Turks and Iranians have had control over our land for so long that the world has almost completely forgotten that this land belongs to us.” There was a tense silence after the guide finished to be kissing the heavens. Rachamim, Naomi and the two children also left the back of the truck. They, too, were amazed at the magnificent beauty surrounding them. Shaking his head in wonder, Rachamim murmured, “How wondrous are your ways, Hashem.” “Isn’t it beautiful?” the driver asked. He was smiling at their astonishment. He was used to the view, but each time he smuggled people across the border, he enjoyed watching their amazement. “I grew up in this region,” the driver added, “and most of my childhood was spent in these mountains. We would drink in the sparkling clear air. And in the evenings…” He closed his eyes in nostalgia. “In the evening, we would gather together, all of us shepherds, under one of the apple trees and sing softly deep into the night. Those nights were so wonderful that today I still miss them.” He suddenly stopped himself. “I’m sorry to have burdened you with my memories. You’re from the city, and of course you’ve never experienced such things, so you’d never be able to comprehend what I’m talking about.” “Not at all,” Rachamim said sincerely. He enjoyed listening to the driver’s words. This was the first time he had ever heard firsthand about such a different lifestyle. “We’re going to have to wait here until it gets dark,” the driver said, abruptly changing the topic. “It would be too dangerous to cross the border in daylight. We got here faster than I thought we
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