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[1]Haydar yawned as he approached the breakfast table and greeted his mother Abidah “Close your mouth when you do that Haydar.” She instructed the teen age son of [2]Anmar, her late husband. “You and your friend-[3]Bishar were up very late talking last night. What does he speak of that is so interesting that you would sacrifice the sleep you appreciate so much?”

“He relates to me the adventures of his cousin that was in the Republican guard.” Replied Haydar with eyes sparkling as if he was relating how he had listened to Marco Polo or Alexander the great describe their latest conquest.

“Where are his parents from Haydar? He speaks like a fellahin ( farmer) that just arrived from Yanbu Al Bahr.”

“He has no parents. He is alone except for his Uncle-the shepherd and his cousin.” Replied Haydar

“The Americans killed them in a bombing of his village. The soldiers of Hussein were camped just outside the town and when the Americans dropped their fire sticks from the sky, they were burned to death. Bishar escaped the killing as he was with his Uncle, a shepherd in the hills. He watched the massacre in horror from his campfire.”

“No Mother-he has any relatives or family. He is here looking for his cousin in hopes of joining him in the army of Osama, the leader of Al Queda.” Replied Amr casually as though he had just explained that his friend was looking forward to joining the local Boy Scout troop.

“You are telling me that that Young man-Bishar is an insurgent? Do you know what they do to insurgents in this area?” His mother had stopped in the middle of making Haydar’s griddle cakes.

“He is not an insurgent Mother. He has never been in combat. Bishar has not yet had the training. I know he will make a good soldier as he is very brave.”

“He is what? Perhaps 15 years old? He is a baby, not a soldier. Your father was a soldier and then an honorable professor.”

“He is fourteen Mother same age as I and a person’s age makes no difference if you are worthy of belonging to the army of Osama. He told me so.”

“I don’t think this Bishar is a good person for you to befriend so quickly. He will turn your head and you will regret that you did not listen to your Mother. Do not ask him here again. Do you understand?”

Haydar picked up his text books from the table and was out the door. He turned the corner onto the street where his school was located and saw Bishar talking to a group of his school friends. As Haydar approached Bishar smiled and said to the others;

“Here is Haydar. We have talked for many hours about the army of Osama. He will someday soon join us in the cause I am confident. Haydar, tell your friends here what we discussed only last night about the adventures of soldiers fighting for Osama that are our same age.”

Haydar was broadsided. He was not a good conversationalist .He did not have the strong charisma that Bishar possessed and he was somewhat shy.

“Yes, we have talked for many hours on the subject. Bishar has many friends that are in the Army and knows the ways of a soldier. Even now, he travels on his own throughout the country looking for his cousin who was in the Republican guard.”

“Really? Your cousin was in the Republican guard?” Asked Omar, Amr’s friend as he looked again at Bishar with widened eyes this time.

“Was he captured by the Americans or British?” Asked Omar not taking his eyes off Bishar.

“Yes he was captured and detained for awhile but there were no reprisals or actions taken against him. It was when he was in the detainment camp that he was recruited into the army of Osama “

Bishar explained how his cousin met some men that were also in the camp that said they made the connection through a contractor that supplied food to the prisoners in the camp. Three of the men that were later released ahead of his cousin went directly to Afghanistan. It was there that they gave Bishar’s cousin’s name Awwab Qasem to their commander. . He in turn made arrangements to have Awwab take some preliminary training in Syria. That is where he is presently so far as Bishar knew.

The school horn sounded and the group broke up. Before going inside the school, all the boys bowed on the large mat inside the entrance to the classrooms. to say their second morning prayer.

“I will see you by the marketplace when you have completed your studies Haydar.” Said Bishar as he waived over his shoulder leaving the school yard.

“D-J you have a lot of lose ends to get out of the way before we move back to the states in two months. Your father is counting on you to help with this transfer to Washington and to help set up our new home in Alexandria.

Dennis Wesley Jacobs,”D-J” as his mother and American friends called him had a full plate for a teenager. It was especially a full plate when you are a son of a Brigadier General serving in Saudi Arabia who has his family living on base with him. D-J hardly knew what it was to be and American teenager he had been in the Middle East with his Dad so long. He was six when his father made Brigadier and moved the family to Saudi to be with him. D J hardly remembered the kids in his school in Virginia where they moved from. He was educated on several military bases during the enlistment of his father and spoke several dialects of Arabic and proficient Urdu. It was necessary. It was part of the social life in elementary and junior high school in this part of the world. D-J had kept his American culture alive with his American and NATO friends playing soccer and baseball and his scouting. He would receive the much revered Eagle Scout award before he left Jabail. His father was most proud of his accomplishments in scouting and kept a photograph of D-J in his uniform on his desk at the command post headquarters. Outside of the several visits back to the U S for his grandfathers birthday, his older sister’s graduation from Southern California university and other family occasions, D-J‘s life was very cosmopolitan. He never felt disconnected from any of his family or relatives.

“Mom, I have soccer practice after school and then I have to attend the pre award ceremony at the scout center. I’ll be home by seven and after my homework, I can help box the stuff in the garage-OK? I’ll call you on my cell when Jim’s Dad picks us up and we are on the way home, I promise.”

D-J then picked up his sports bag with his gear in it and was out the door onto the base school bus.

As D-J exited the bus his pal [4] Abdul-Matin . greeted him “Masa alkhar” (Good morning) he responded “Masa alnur” Abdul, what’s hangin man?

“Not a lot D-J but I want to talk to you after you drop off your gear and I finish my morning prayer-OK? I’ll meet you outside first period chem. Class.

D-J put his gear in his locker and walked over to the Chemistry building and, seeing that Abdul was not there yet he lay down on the grass under a large fig palm. When Abdul came across the lawn and sat down with D-J he was not his smiling self. D-J sensed there was something heavy on Abdul’s mind.

“We have talked many times about college and what you want to do D-J and you know I want to be a chemical engineer with a nuclear major. But we will never accomplish these things living on military bases with our parents. I know you are going back to the states and will most likely be appointed to West Point and I am proud of you. But I know that I must also come either to the United States for my continued education or Great Britain. My parents have made funding for this available but I will have to seek employment in order to live. Will you assist me in this endeavor when and if I am able to come to the United States?

“Hey man, you can have my room while I am at the Point if I make it. If not, we can be roomies together at whatever University we can get into—OK?” Said D-J

D-J made this promise and offer full well knowing that Abdul’s parents would feel good about their son having an American family to live with. Abdul’s father was a Saudi liaison between the Sheik and US Forces. The two boy’s parents knew each other well and socialized quite often.

The class bell rang for the second time and the two got up and started walking at an increased pace to the lab.

“I’ll tell him you were showing me how to chart the chemical comp of nitrogen before we came in and we forgot the time. You do know how to chart the composition of Nitro don’t you—just in case he asks? Asked D-J smiling as they went thru the lab door.

[1] Haydar-Arabic name for Lion

2] Anmar - Leopard

[3] Bishar Arabic name for “Joy”

[4] Abdul-Matin---- Servant of the firm,strong