Fraternity

"I quickly climbed down the aqueduct, through the orange orchard to the cypress tree.
Antar on his knees, now lifting his arms up to his ears, now kissing the wet earth, an apparition that the river had spewed, face red with mud, his huge hands fumbling the sky, lips, moving incessantly.
la ilaha illallahu, la ilaha illallahu!
The thundering voice of last night, now, humbled, grateful, a whimper. He moved slowly, exhausted, yet his face radiating in the tender milky light, peace. He had found Him
I knelt besides him, my shoulder touching his shoulder, instantly shrouded into Antar' s prayer. I stayed there next to him for a long time. The sun slowly chased the mist, crossed the river, saw two men on their knees facing the caves on the side of Ahmetaga, singing.
I took Antar' s arm, pulled him to rise. The man with the body of a bull was soft now, malleable like dough. I passed my arm under Antar' s armpits, we slowly trod across the orchard.
Antar my good friend, Antar my good friend, come, we go to our mill, my brother Antar, stay with me, leave Ahmetaga, come, we go to our mill and break bread, Antar my bother. God is Great Antar, God is Great"
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