People of the Book

Sitting alone in the King David Hotel, the Israeli Jew watched his coffee eddy as he twirled his spoon in the cup, obviously deep in thought. An Arab approached, waved to a waiter, and pointed to the Jew's coffee cup, signaling that he wanted one. He sat, jostling the table, bringing the Jew out of his thoughts. "Salaam," the Arab said, greeting the Jew in Arabic. "Shalom," the Jew returned the greeting in Hebrew. The two men sat silently, sipping coffee. They were slight in build, darkened by the Middle Eastern sun. One called his homeland Palestine; the other, Israel. Their families had been cautiously friendly for a millennium. But when their children neared their teens, both families frowned on continuing the friendship. Although each family considered itself People of the Book, they had limited social contact between boys and girls since the days of the Prophets, fearing the mixing of bloodlines. "They were good kids, Hajji. They only meant to be friends," the Jew said as he rose to leave. "I know, Hesh. I know," the Arab responded, wiping a tear from his face as he rose to leave. "Salaam alaikem," he added, as he placed his hand on the Jew's shoulder. "Shalom alaichem," the Jew answered, returning the salutation of peace.Mileaf, Harry is the author of 'People of the Book' with ISBN 9781413749786 and ISBN 141374978X.