Matt Rees - A grave in Gaza

“The prisoners aren’t locked in at the moment,” the officer informed Cree. “It’s time for midday prayers, so they’ve congregated in cell number one. This fellow leading the prayers, you see, is a big sheikh on the outside. This is the most exclusive mosque in Gaza City.”

Cree peered into the cell through a metal grille cut along the corridor at head height. “Reckon it is,” he said.

“Odwan is at the end of the corridor.” The officer beckoned. “He’s in solitary confinement.”

“Even more exclusive,” Cree whispered to Omar Yussef.

The officer unlocked a solid iron door. Omar Yussef stepped into a small, unlit room with a stainless steel sink, some empty buckets and mops. It stank of dirty washcloths. At the other side of the room, a grille was cut in another metal door. Omar Yussef looked through it.

“That’s the murderer Odwan,” the officer said.

Bassam Odwan stood with his head lowered and his open palms held before him. He knelt and prostrated himself on a cheap mat, touching his forehead to the gaudy synthetic weave. Omar Yussef hadn’t prayed in years. He watched Odwan go down.

The prisoner had his back to the door as he prayed. Holes in his thin, dirty white T-shirt exposed his bulky back. His shoulders sloped from a thick neck and the muscles of his upper back undulated as he brought his hands up to cover his face in prayer. His was a broad, rounded, peasant muscularity. Odwan made his final prostration and rolled his prayer mat.

“His prayers are over,” Omar Yussef said.

The guard unlocked the door. Odwan didn’t turn. The officer called to him in a voice that had lost the tour-guide liveliness. “Hey, Odwan. You have visitors.”

Odwan placed the rolled prayer mat on its end in the corner of the room. He turned. From the front, his body looked thicker still. His chest was wide and heavy and his belly was deep and strong against the T-shirt. He wore baggy army pants and his feet were dirty and shoeless. His black beard was thick and his lips were big and red and wet. His hair was black and layered to a straight fringe halfway down his forehead. The edge of the hair rose over a dark brown welt at the center of his brow, abraded by years of being lowered to the prayer mat. The weal looked like a massive wart. Omar Yussef estimated Odwan was a little less than thirty years old.

Odwan took in Omar Yussef quickly and mildly. His eyes twitched with suspicion when Cree ducked through the door and he regarded Sami with even greater distrust. Sami smiled and leaned against the wall. The officer shut the door behind them.

Omar Yussef approached Odwan and shook his hand. The man’s grip was light, but it swallowed Omar Yussef’s fingers. It was a worker’s hand, strengthened and made large and clumsy by generations of simple toil. With a sudden relief that surprised him, Omar Yussef noted that Odwan hadn’t endured the Husseini Manicure. He introduced himself and Cree.

“As with your family and in your home,” Odwan said. He looked around the cell and smiled at the absurdity of the traditional greeting. His smile was disarming and simple, reminding Omar Yussef of the innocent grin of the mentally handicapped, but the eyes were tough and astute.

The cell was empty but for a thin sleeping mat against the wall and a bucket for slops. Odwan had his prayer mat and a plastic bottle of water, its label worn away by reuse. A single window, too high to see through, was bolted shut and the air in the cell was oppressively hot. Sweat stood out on Odwan’s face and soon Omar Yussef felt his own perspiration in the armpits of his shirt. Cree and Omar Yussef sat on the sleeping mat. Odwan crossed his legs in the center of the cell and kept his eyes on Sami, who squatted by the door.

“Who’s he?” Odwan asked. His voice was hoarse. Omar Yussef thought of the tortures that Eyad Masharawi had undergone and wondered if Odwan had sandpapered his vocal chords screaming in pain.

“He’s Sami Jaffari, a deportee from Bethlehem. He’s helping us in our investigation.”

“What investigation, uncle?”

“At first, we thought we were investigating the case of one of our schoolteachers who was jailed by Colonel al-Fara.”

Odwan dropped his thick lips open and frowned, hard.

“But since last night our investigation has changed course. The Saladin Brigades kidnapped our colleague, a Swede who runs the UNRWA schools in Gaza and the West Bank. In return for his release, they want you to be freed.”

“If Allah wills it.”

“Bassam, we need to find our friend.”

“Was there a leaflet?”

Omar Yussef nodded. “The Saladin Brigades distributed a leaflet saying they carried out the kidnapping.”

Odwan looked at Omar Yussef’s bruised head and Cree’s swollen nose. “I’m sorry if they hurt you. Did they, uncle?”

“It’s okay. How can we get to our friend?”

“You’d have to see Abu Jamal.”

Omar Yussef shrugged.

“He’s the head of the Saladin Brigades in Rafah,” Odwan said.

“How can we reach him?”

“I don’t think he’d see you, unless you could convince him that you might do a deal for me.”

“What sort of deal?”

“What do you think? To get me out of here.”

“But General Husseini won’t release you.”

Now it was Odwan’s turn to shrug.

Omar Yussef checked his frustration. He needed to cover some basics of the case with Odwan. “What happened when Lieutenant Salah tried to arrest you?”

“Are you looking for your friend or investigating me?”

“Perhaps we can find out what really went on, and then we can convince General Husseini that you’re innocent.”

“I am innocent.” Odwan raised his voice and coughed hoarsely.

“We can help you prove it.”

“Do you think proof is part of the equation? They didn’t need proof to put me in this hole. Or to hang me by my wrists in front of an air-conditioning unit all day yesterday.”

“Bassam, the only way for us to free our friend is to prove that you didn’t kill Salah. If the United Nations knows you’re innocent, General Husseini will have to accept that. Particularly if we can present him with the real guilty person.”

Odwan closed his eyes and squeezed his big hands together. “Brother Abu-?”

“Abu Ramiz.”

“Abu Ramiz, I believe life and death are in the hands of Allah. If I have to die, no one can save me from death.”

“Justice, too, is in the hands of Allah.”

“Not in Gaza.” Odwan laughed loudly and slapped Omar Yussef’s knee.

He’s simple, but not stupid, Omar Yussef thought. He decided to anger Odwan into telling his story. “Why did you kill Lieutenant Salah?”

“I didn’t kill him, I told you.”

“If you were innocent, you’d tell us what happened. What’re you hiding?”

“You think I’m trying to protect someone?”

“What reason do you have to remain silent? If you believe you’re due to die, then may Allah be merciful upon you. But I want to save my friend.”

Odwan didn’t move. Omar Yussef tried to keep the desperation from his face. He tried a line which sounded hopeless even as he said it. “Who knows, if my friend is saved with the help of a Muslim, perhaps he will submit to Islam?”

“Convert?” Odwan laughed, as best he could without coughing again. “Do you think he’ll apply for a Palestinian passport, too?”

Omar Yussef was angry with himself. He had gauged Odwan wrongly; the man wasn’t as simple as he had thought. His frustration got the better of him and he held out his arm to Cree. “Help me up. This bastard isn’t going to do anything for us. Let’s go.”

Odwan put his big hand on Omar Yussef’s shoulder. “Wait, uncle, wait. Calm down, please. Take a drink.” He held out the bottle of cloudy water.