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    There Is A Field - Marlowe PDF

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    Hannah Jahal

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    There is a Fleld draft October 9, 2010 1 ‘There is a Field PLEASE CONTACT donkeysaddle@gmail.com BEFORE USING OR DISTRIBUTING THIS SCRIPT copyright Jen Marlowe by Jen Marlowe, from emails between Aseel and Nardeen Asleh, emails by Aseel to his Seeds of Peace friends, transcripts from interviews with the Asleh family. The Or Commission scenes are taken directly from the transcript of the Commission, but the characters have been blended into a composite. Some names have been changed or also blended into composite characters Cast size: between 6-9 actors Note on casting: NARDEEN and ASEEL should not be doubled. The other characters can be doubled, using between 4-7 actors, CHARACTERS (in order of appearance) NARDEEN: Medical student. In her early 20°s. Aseel’s older sister. HASSAN: Aseel’s father, eatly to mid 40°s VILLAGE COUNCIL: Older, male ASEEL: Teenage boy, around the age of 16-17 JAMILA: Aseel’s mother, early to mid 40’s JEWISH ISRAELI #1: Female, early 20°s SIWAR: Aseel’s younger sister. 15 years old BARAA: Ascel’s younger brother. 10 years old MUSTAFA: Nardeen’s cousin. Male, early 20's POOL EMPLOYEE: male or female, adult JERRY: American camp counselor, mate, 30s REEM: Teenage girl, around 15 JEWISH GIRL: early 20°s JEWISH ISRAELI SEEDS OF PEACE PARTICIPANT: Female, between 18-20yrs SHOPPER #1; Female, adult SHOPPER #2: Male, adult POLICE OFFICER: Male or fomale, adult YAEL: Female, late 20°s or early 30's JUDGE OR: Older male, authority figure HAI: Israeli police officer, male, 20’s HATAN: Israeli police officer, male, 20°s SET: The stage is mostly bare, with a few stools and cubes and raised platforms, roughly suggesting the settings, which can be quickly adapted. There is a Field draft October 9, 2010 2 Lights dim to black and the song “Changes” by Tupac blares. The music cuts abruptly. NARDEEN, They bring you in an ambulance. They immediately put you in my room. They need to prepare you, to wrap you in white cloth. We're waiting and waiting. They take you to the living room in that box and they put you there. There are maybe three hundred people in the house. There is so much noise. ‘They practically stand over us. Fuck! What is everybody doing here? Leave us alone! Everyone is crying and screaming and I don't know what, and I don’t get the chance, (lights up on ASEEL) ASEEL Yo sister, Thanks for the cologne. Now my chances of finding a soul mate are 20% percent higher, IfI shave, they will be up 13% percent, and if Bill Gates loses his job, my chances will fall down to exactly... 0.0000004%. When will I reach 100%? If your roommate's still single in four ot five years, tell her to gimme a call, we'll work something out. Say hi to everyone, Love, Kick ass Aseel aka Slider NARDEEN Hi there brother! Leean’t believe you bought your new computer and sent me your old one! That Goo Goo Dolls song you attached to the desktop has amazing lyrics, it touched me so deeply. So, is Siwar still being a pain in the ass? Well, hell, that’s the way a teenager is supposed to be, right? I'm coming home to Arabeh on Wednesday. Choose a movie cause I promised Bara that we'll go as his 9" birthday present, Love ya, miss ya, Nardeen ASEEL Having fun with the PC, ey? Well it’s better than having fun dissecting bodies isn’t it? At least you go to med school. I'm still fighting over here with logs and zeceleration, and Thave to keep up with Albert’s and Isaac’s crap only because an apple fell from a tree. ‘NARDEEN Tam kind enough to let you know that the facial nerve has five famous branches: temporal, zygomatic, buccal, marginal mandibular, cervial...did you know that? Exams are just around the comer. I don't know why but I’m not feeling it. 1 should be tearing out my hair from stress, However, I like my hair, I need it in place. I think when I'm done studying this stuff I'll know what's wrong with your face and maybe I'll be kind enough to offer you some help fixing it! There isa Field draft October 9, 2010 3 ASEEL shiiit you talk too damn much Eh... just kidding sister, you can e-mail me anytime you want about anything you want, even about the hypodermicos systemous in the upper comer of the nose—did you get there yet? About my face,..if you make fun of it anymore, I'll kick your little nose backwards so bad you're gonna look like a soccer ball ,,.callin’ me ugly and that my face needs some construction, .go fetch! OK, I need to go and read history...wwe’ll talk in a few years at my wedding, That's in case | find someone stupid enough, NARDEEN You should be held with your back to the wall and shot!!! Why haven’t you e-mailed me these last 2 days?! Give me one good reason and I'll spare your life! ‘Mom calls me every once in a while, but all she talks about is my trip to Prague. Dad nover calls me himself. Siwar is living on a planet called “Fuck you all!” and Bara too... is something wrong? Did I do anything to piss you all off? You're the only person in the universe that I’m telling about this...so if any of this gets out to mom, you'll be dead! Khaled called me and we talked four or five hours...he said that he's been talking to me “too much” the last few weeks, and he’s afraid that he'll become a Nardeen-a-holic.... I know, I know, you must be going “yak” right now, Let’s be serious. I need your advice—do you think that something will come out of it? Mayday! Mayday! Big bad sister calling out for help from little brother! Over! ASEEL Why didn’t e-mail? Physics shit that’s why. I hate these exams so much, About that guy, 1 dunno, this isn’t kindergarten any more. People aren’t nice just because they're nice, specially when it’s a girls-boys thing. If he’s good enough he'll give you a sign, Don’t go nuts like you're in some movie. Confused? Go read some book that is gonna tell you a head isn’t called a head but Stemokolekouslous. So girl, have fun in Prague. T heard the bodies there are alive and kicking-—not like in this country where they only let you touch dead people... By the way ,I'm thinkin of changin my life style, Less computers, less stayin’ up at night, running when I have free time. Now I simply waste time on the PC. NARDEEN, Have I got you right? You wanna change the way you live...do something other than spending your time in front of the PC? Yo! Aliens! What did you do with my brother? (IAMILA calls) JAMILA, Nardeen! NARDEEN Hi Mom. There 1s a Field draft October 9, 2010 4 JAMILA Aseel is in a demonstration here in Arabeh. We're at the demonstration; I'm trying to reach him, He's not listening to me. Why don’t you try to call him, try to talk fo him, He'd listen to you. (NARDEEN dials cell phone) ASFEL (voicemail recording) Hello? NARDEEN Aseel! You idiot! Mom is worried sick about you! Get your ass back home! ASEEL (voicemail recording) can’t heat you so good, why don’t you leave a message? (BEEP!) NARDEEN ‘Voicemail, (ro phone) Fuck you. (dials cell phone) Dad? HASSAN There’s nothing there, a few policemen, some guys. It’s quiet, nothing's going on, NARDEEN Mom. The usual typical, freaking out mom. Of course you wouldn't listen to her. ‘The Second Intifada had started because of Palestinians being killed in Jerusalem, People were demonstrating in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza and more and more Palestinians were getting shot and killed. [turn on the radio....they’re reporting about roads being blocked inside Israel because of demonstrations. GAMILA calls) JAMILA Well? Did you call him? NARDEEN tried, but his phone was shut off. JAMILA Leave him a message! NARDEEN ‘Mom, when his mobile is off, he won't get the message! ‘There is a Field draft October 9, 2010 5 JAMILA It wouldn’t beep or something? NARDEEN The phone only beeps when it’s on! JAMILA Send him a text message! NARDEEN Mom! He wouldn't get it anyway! JAMILA Will you just do it? NARDEEN (frustrated) OK! (hangs up, writes message) “Go back home. Mom is worried.” ‘We were in Haifa until I was 12. There were Jews and Arabs all together, I had Jewish friends. But somewhere in my mind, there was the story of our family’s life, In our house, there was this big map of Palestine before ‘48 with all the names of the destroyed villages. There were always stories of Palestine. Our life did not start when we were born. Our parents tried so hard when we were young,...it was difficult, JAMILA Your education is a tool to get your rights. When we were kids, we couldn’t even buy books, study, go anywhere... which pushed us to compensate for it with you. NARDEEN But Mom, we have a pretty good life now, don’t we? We have a house. You and Dad have jobs. Why are we complaining? JAMILA Look, they did not give us these things. We had to work ten times harder than any Jewish Israeli would, If i want something, then I have to be strong, and struggle to achieve my goal. This is applicable on all levels: the individual, collective, and political. We can't separate ourselves from Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, We belong to the same nation. We are lucky to have stayed in our village when they destroyed the other villages. The refugees in the West Bank and Gaza....they don’t have running water, they don't have electricity, they don’t go to good schools like you do. Merge in the society, try to make the best out of it so you'll build your own life, but don’t forget where you ‘came from, Don’t forget your history, ‘There is a Field draft October 9, 2010 6 HASSAN You are a citizen of Palestine, We are the roots in this land, We are the trees, the stones, the soil. You are a Palestinian Arab inside Isracl. We did not choose this identity. The Israeli government gave it to us. NARDEEN We are here, a lot of Jews know we are here, but they try to minimize our place in their consciousness. When I fully get into somcone’s consciousness, they are always surprised, JEWISH ISRABLI #1 Where are you from? NARDEEN From Arabeh, JEWISH ISRAELI #1 Where? NARDEEN Arabeh, it’s an Arab village close to Karmiel, JEWISH ISRAELI #1 Obhh, you're Arab. NARDEEN Yeah, JEWISH ISRAELI #1 Then you must be Christian, NARDEEN Why? JEWISH ISRAELI #1 Idon't know. You don’t look Arab. NARDEEN How the fuck does an Arab took? JEWISH ISRAELI #1 No, what I mean is...you talk such good Hebrew, and you dress like any other Jewish girl--you don’t have a scarf--and you look very liberal and very strong and very... NARDEEN So? An Arab Muslim git! in this country can’t be those things? JEWISH ISRAELI #1 Oh, you're an exception ‘There isa Field draft October 9, 2010 7 NARDEEN ‘We might be ten minutes drive from Karmiel, but someone from Karmiel is not interested in us. They feel good with their ignorance, they don’t do anything to fight it. They don’t realize how many of our young people go to university, get doctorates. They just dismiss us! And then, when they meet me, they say: Oh, you're an exception. When I was a teenager, every time someone told me I’m an exception, I thought to mysctf, Ohh. ..’m special, I'm the only Arab who can talk perfect Hebrew and English, I'm the only Arab ‘who's liberal and open-minded. It gave me a good feeling to be an exception. (cell phone) SIWAR It’s Siwar. Aseel’s being taken to the hospital, NARDEEN What? SIWAR He was shot in the shoulder. But Dad told me that he’s fine now. NARDEEN Where did they take him? What hospital? SIWAR I don’t know. ‘NARDEEN call all the hospitals in the North. Did the hospital in Tiberias accept a patient with your name? Or Haifa? I call everyone I can think of, finally my cousin Mustafa answers... MUSTAFA He was taken to Nahariya hospital. NARDEEN Tlcave work and immediately go to the bus station, [ have nothing with me, no clothes, nothing. (on phone) Dad? HASSAN Don’t come home, it’s nothing serious. He's hit, but we're sure he’s going to be okay. ‘The roads are blocked, don’t even bother trying to come, you'll be stuck. JAMILA, Come home. ‘There is a Field draft October 9, 2010 NARDEEN From the Central Bus Station in Jerusalem, I take a bus to Tel Aviv. From there I take a train going to Nahariya. I’m planning the moment I'll walk into your hospital room, slap you on the back of the head and say, “Stupid! You cost me two days of work! How on earth could you could go to that place, get shot, and make all of us worried sick about you! Don’t you ever do that again!” And you'll be like... ASEEL (sheepish) Sorry! NARDEEN (with affection) Puck you! ‘You had your tonsils out in the hospital. You were three. You had really large tonsils. ‘You couldn't swallow and you were snoring at night. You got to cat ice cream all the time, and Mom brought you a series of Playmobiles. Plastic horses, white and black, Also an ambulance. Mommy, I want my tonsils taken out too! Mom brought us plates with figures from Sesame Street. Me and you fought over who would get the plate with Cookie Monster. JAMILA Idon’t care who gets which plate, just work it out! NARDEEN You got the plate in the end, After two minutes, you didn’t want it any more. You just wanted to win the battle, We fought over lego parts, ASEEL I want two windows in my house! NARDEEN But I want one in my house too! ASEEL The lego is mine! I get two windows in my house! NARDEEN ‘You built space ships. I would build just a stupid house; four brick walls, no door, no windows. And you would build a space ship and a palace, and, ugh! (frustrated at what ASEEL is creating from the legos) Sophisticated things. 1 gave up playing with stupid lego parts. (cell phone) MUSTAFA, ‘Nardcen, it’s your cousin Mustafa. Don't go to Nahariya. Your parents left the hospital, Police were there and they didn’t let them stay with Asccl. Get off the train. There Is a Field draft October 9, 2010 NARDEEN ‘Where should I get off? MUSTAFA Idon't know, Get off. NARDEEN I get offfin Haifa and decide to take a bus to Karmiel. Remember when you were in Haifa with two of your classmates? We were supposed to meet and take the last bus to Arabeh, I kept calling you... ASEEL In five minutes we'll be there! Five minutes! NARDEEN Oh my God, give me a break! You and your classmates were running into the bus station, trying to make the bus. (to ASEEL) Too late! Took off! We took a different bus to Karmiel, Dad had to come and get us. I got stressed, and you said: ASEEL Uh, women, I can’t understand you. Why are you so stressed about things? NARDEEN ‘You'd always tell me... ASEEL. Get a life! NARDEEN Thave a life! ASEEL ‘You don’t have of a life! What kind of life do you have? NARDEEN Always, always, always. Because I was a student, and I didn’t have time for anything. Will you download that song we just heard? ASEEL Sis, this song has been on my computer for two years! NARDEEN But I just heard it for the first time! ‘There is a Field draft October 9, 2010 10 ASEEL, Sis, Where are you living, that you hear a song two years after it’s released? Get a life. (cell phone) HASSAN Nardeen, Don't go to Karmiel. ‘The roads are blocked and no one can come pick you up. NARDEEN I get off the bus in Kiryat Bialik, Dad is...crying. I hear Mom behind him, screaming. (to HASSAN) What’s going on? How is Aseel? HASSAN Look, he was injured pretty bad, but he'll be okay. NARDEEN Then I realize. It just hits me. Look, I just want to ask you something, Ifyou really love me, don’t let them take him before I see him. HASSAN Where would they take him? I told you, he’s seriously injured but he’il be okay. NARDEEN Say whatever you like. | just ask you~the only thing that’s important for me—don't let them take him before I see him, (hangs up cell phone) 1 just need to see you before they take you, “Your children are not your children, they are the sons and the daughters of life.” from The Prophet, Gibran Khalil Gibran. It’s easy to love your son. It’s easy fo love your daughter. But the highest level of love towards your children is to love them as Gibran Khalil described it. To love them as the sons of life, To love them enough to fet them live their life. Our father loves us this way. Our father had been a political prisoner, He told us the good things he got out of prison, HASSAN I would wake up at six in the morning and work, do some sports....discipline!_ Prison taught me discipline! Why do you spend your whole day in front of TV watching cartoons? When I was in prison, I read thousands of books, NARDEEN ‘He never told us about what he experienced in prison until we were older. He didn’t want to plant hate inside us. 10 There is a Field draft October 9, 2010 ul HASSAN The interrogation. There was torture, Punching. Beating with sticks. Tying my arms to the chair, with the interrogator sitting on the table, and pushing with his foot in the intimate places. The electric hat--very painful shock, NARDEEN He knew that if he told us all that, there’s no way we could accept the Israeli community. We'd find it very, very difficult to merge with them and bring out the best. HASSAN In my childhood, you could not leave your village without permission from the military administration, Agricultural subsidies were given to help the Jewish farms and to destroy the Arab farms. In order to work in their fields, you had to change your name to a Jewish name. I was called Yefet. Land was taken by foree from the Arabs. So, in °76, we had Yom il Atd. Land Day. We lost six and one hundred wounded, Be proud as Arabs and Palestinians and be proud as human beings. Freedom of one side never needs to be on aecount of freedom of another side. God doesn’t give right to one people only. Be strong, All the time that our struggle is continuing, we have hope. NARDEEN 1 thought I could change something. It might take years and years and effort after effort but in the end, some smalt change would come. I went to demonstrations on Land Day, I ‘organized petitions and donations. demonstrated after Goldshtcin massacred the people who were praying in Hebron, I demonstrated after Ami Poppa lined up the seven workers and shot them. Nothing was done. It added to my frustration, but it also gave me a bit more energy to fight. I stepped out of feeling special into feeling angry, No! I’m not an exception! call Mustafa to pick me up. MUSTAFA T’m near Misgav. I'll be there in half an hour, NARDEEN ‘There was a pool in Misgay, fifteen minutes away from us. We used to go and swim, 1 didn’t have good relationships with people in my group, but you did. You joked with them, and you played around with them. I just got in the water, swam, got out, and that's it, You liked the kids there, You thought they were funny, they thought you were funny, you got along... felt like a stranger there. ‘The people in charge arranged transportation for all the kids, but... POOL EMPLOYEE Transportation from Arabeh is not possible. n ‘There is a Field draft October 9, 2010 12 JAMILA But there is a bus that passes through Arabeh, POOL EMPLOYEE Arabeh is not on the list of Misgav. I’m sorry. NARDEEN ‘The rides were for the Jewish kids. Mom made a big fuss. JAMILA Pll take them out of the course and I"ll make sure the checks bounce! NARDEEN In the end, each time I wanted to use the transportation, they made me call the office, every Sunday and Wednesday, and remind them to pick us up. I hated to make that call, every Sunday and Wednesday. I didn’t continue swimming. I stopped. MUSTAFA (arrives) He's injured very seriously... NARDEEN Mustafa, give me a break, he’s dead. MUSTAFA No, the situation is difficult, but... NARDEEN, Mustafa, spare me, MUSTAFA, He's not dead, he’s seriously injured. NARDEEN ‘You can continue to say whatever you want, we'll be home in fifteen minutes and then. we'll find out who's telling the truth. We get home. I get out of the car. I don’t even look back to tell Mustafa ‘I told you so.” fall into Dad’s arms. I can barely hear his voice... there’s something in his eyes. ..his eyes are looking through me, JAMILA Nardeen, your best friend died! They killed your best friend! NARDEEN 1 find Siwar inside the house. I remember when you and Siwar were very young, Siwar had this big, curly hair. She was maybe two years old, you were around five. I don’t 19 ‘There is a Field draft October 9, 2010 B now what she did to piss you off, but you had this battery-operated ear, and you put it in her hair, and you drove it back and forth ‘til it stuck in her hair. SIWAR Aseel's classmate showed up at the house late in the morning. I was surprised fo see him, he hadn’t visited us for a long time, I woke Aseel up. Later on, another friend came and picked them up. I didn’t know where they were going. I didn’t bother to wonder. Aseel ‘never participated in a demonstration before. I don’t know what made him go today, NARDEEN, Baraa is in your room, on your bed, He's just sitting, and erying, very quietly. 1 remember you were furious about Baraa half the time, because Baraa was always trying to fight over your place at the computer. BARAA We were playing Mortal Combat together yesterday to see who will break the record When he left the house today, I asked him to get me something for the computer, Why did he leave without saying anything? Who will help me with my homework? Who will help me with computer? NARDEEN ‘There's bitter coffee in the living room, It’s silent most of the time except for the women crying and Mom saying over and over again... JAMILA Ascel was Nardeen’s friend. Nardeen’s friend is dead, They were best friends. ‘Nardeen’s best friend is dead, NARDEEN My head hurts so much. Somebody gives me something to kill my headache, I don't remember who, I don’t know what kind of pills. I take the pills and try to sleep. There are so many people at my house, aunts and uncles. We slcep in the living room, putting ‘mattresses on the floor. Dad sleeps outside on the porch. If he sleeps at all. HASSAN 1 didn’t pull him out of the demonstration, I didn’t take him home, I was a few meters away from him and I couldn’t do anything. NARDEEN ‘Oh my God, what if Dad falls apart?” Who’s going to protect me then? Iwake up really carly in the morning. There are sounds of birds. At first I have this strange fecling of nothing being the same. ‘Then I remember that my brother is dead. I hear the birds. (shouting to the birds) Shut the fuck up! (does the following as she narrates it) I go to your closet. I take one of your Seeds of Peace t-shirts and I change into it. I want to be close to you, a ‘There Is a Field draft October 9, 2010 14 ‘You were accepted to Seeds of Peace, an Arab-Israeli coexistence camp in America, You were sclected as part of the Israeli delegation. ASEEL T'm going to the US! NARDEEN Good for you! 1 didn’t really know what the project was about, I wasn’t involved with the process of you applying. I hoped that you'd find friends. The first time we drove you toa preparation mecting, there were a lot of kids jumping ail over each other. We brought you in and nobody jumped all over you. (fo JAMILA) Will he get along? Will he be okay? L was worried you'd feel shut out. ASEEL Hi Nardeen, Camp is great, the bunks, the counselors, the kids, the food, Today it rained so we didn’t do much but we're having fun otherwise. So how is Dad? Mom? You, are you OK? Did you clean the house yet or are you waiting, for me? I love all you Middle Eastern Arabeh dudes and I miss you all. Tell Mom not to worry if I don’t call and that they're taking care of us over here, By the way Lfound out I'm great at baseball, The best around, except for the Americans, Well, Americans, you know, baseball is in their blood! REEM Dear Seeds friends, Yes, it’s just me. My name is Reem and I'm 17. Do you know me? Do you really know me? I feel so confused. As an Arab, Palestinian girl living in Israel, I find it difficult to have two different sides to me. On the one hand, I am part of Israeli society and carry an Israeli passport, but on the other hand, Ihave a very strong connection to the Palestinians. I'm caught between worlds. Am I strange? Is it possible for these different worlds to live together? ASEEL ‘When God first created this planet, He didn’t create it with borders, He never used checkpoints between countries, and I don't remember Him giving us passports or ID's, This planet was a free place, but time came along and things changed... You are between worlds, as you said, but I don't agree that you are "caught". That looks like you don't want to be there, like these two worlds are leading you. Like you put your life in other people's hands. No one chose to be Chinese, Israeli or Palestinian, we are just born like that. You will always be who you are, Tean never take the word Israeli off my passport, or the word Arab, which I feel proud of every time I hear it. We can't change what we are, but we can change the way that we live. , We can move from a position of a viewer of this game to a player. We don't have to be caught; we can lead these two worlds, and still keep everything we had. The Arabic 14 There Is. Field draft October 9, 2010 15 Fairuz records will always be there wherever we are. As well as the Hebrew Shalom Haver. Rumi wrote: “Out beyond ideas of wrong-doing and right-doing, there is a field, I'll meet you there. When the sou! lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about, Ideas, language, even the phrase ‘each other’ doesn’t make any sense,” NARDEEN All these questions keep running through my mind... how were you killed? Who did that to you? Did anybody see what happened? Dad sends his nephews to the hospital to get all the papers signed so they can release your body. There was another martyr also killed from the village. Things need to be planned so that both martyrs will be buried in the same funeral, VILLAGE COUNCIL We're wondering, is it okay with you for Ascel to be buried in the other family’s cemetery? Two martyrs being buried right beside each other, HASSAN, Twant him to be buried in the same grave that my father was buried in, VILLAGE COUNCIL But we can bury both of the martyrs together... JAMILA No, No, no, no, no, no. NARDEEN Lunderstand it’s national, Asee! is a martyr of the whole Palestinian nation, but still, he is our son, he is our brother. HASSAN No. NARDEEN ‘They bring you inside in that box and I just give you a single kiss, and that’s it, they want to take you. They start putting your coffin on their shoulders and they’re taking you to the funeral, (NARDEEN runs to HASSAN) want to come with you, (NARDEEN grabs HASSAN’s hand and begins to walk with him) VILLAGE COUNCIL Where are you going? You know you can’t go there. Women aren’t supposed to, 15 There is a Field draft October 9, 2010 16 NARDEEN ‘They think I'm trying to run after the coffin and get hysterical and try to pull out my hair, (to COUNCIL) I'm okay, leave me alone. Go take care of my mother. I keep thinking about the pillow they put under your head, from mom and dad’s bedroom. The pillow is sticking out. Dad, come on, hurry up, they’re getting away! The two funerals meet in one big square and they put the two coffins there, one beside the other. Speeches are made by the head of the local council. Political, national stuff. I understand that it's required under these circumstances. Thousands of people are there because this is something that shook the country. Twelve Palestinian citizens of Israel were killed. Two of those martyrs were killed in Arabeh. Dad and I stand beside you. 1 put my hands on your face. Your face is cold. There's blood on your nose and clotted between both your eyelids. Your eyes are swollen. You aren’t shaved. Flies are coming all the time and I’m trying to keep them away from your face. Hove you. You know I love you. As if me and you are talking. When they take you to the cemetery, there's a big hole in the ground. They read from the Qu’ran, and take you out of the box. I have a silver necklace with the Palestinian map. Dad, he should have this with him, VILLAGE COUNCIL In Islam men are not supposed to wear gold. NARDEEN It's not gold, it’s silver! HASSAN Let her give him the necklace. NARDEEN ‘They put you in the hole, bring a bag, and pour something over you. What is that? HASSAN ‘Your grandfather's ashes. NARDEEN This was the grave where Grandfather was buried. They took his bones and ashes out. They cover you with parts of porcelain and then they put Grandfather on top. The next day, Dad brings me to the spot where you were killed, HASSAN Aseel was sitting under an olive tree. I recognized him from his green Seeds of Peace shirt. The police ran at full speed in his direction. Aseel fled towards the olive grove. 1 16 There is a Field draft October 9, 2010 7 saw three policemen reach him...they hit his back with their rifle butts, He stumbled, took a few steps and collapsed. I couldn’t see his body, because the olive trees were in the way. I heard shots. Your mother called out, “Aseel! Aseel!” The policemen came out from the olive trees and shouted at the demonstrators, “You ean come and get him now.” NARDEEN People are scanning the area where you were shot, collecting bullets and the containers of gas bombs and everything. Your blood is still on the ground, I collect all the stones with. your blood on them. They're already talking about an official investigation, Dad is already doing something about that. Mom is just falling apart. Screaming, crying out loud, Unconscious at times. She needs to take a bath. I practically drag her into the bathroom, take her clothes off. Lcan see bruises on her thighs, from hitting herself. JAMILA, ‘They love Asccl. So many people love Ascel. See, Nardeen, how many people came here. People love him. See how many people came for him, NARDEEN Okay, Mom, yes, they love us, they love him. People are here for us, You just need to be cleaned up, you just need to be taken care of. JAMILA, (muttering t0 self) hope he didn’t know that they shot him. Did he know he was shot’? NARDEEN Ted Koeppel talks to me from Nightline, He wants me to go to Jerusalem, Some ‘organization calls the house, saying there’s going to be a meeting of European ambassadors in Tel Aviv and they want our family to present our case, They talk to me, because I speak good English. No, I can’t leave my house five days after my brother was killed. Dad goes instead. There arc lawyers fom Adalah, the legal committee for Arabs, trying to collect evidence and testimony. All the energy in the family is immediately pulled into the direction of fighting, ‘There are big fights in the house. Siwar wants to transfer to your high school right away. SIWAR

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