Chapter VI. The cow, a reports writer

– Praise be to God, this year’s harvest is abundant, and I have some money, so I must invest

-What are you going to do?

-I will buy a cow, milk it in the morning, and Walid will take care of it after school, so that it may help us in the hardships of life.

-Is what you have enough money to pay for it?

– I don’t think so, my dear, but the remainder of the price can be paid in installments.

The Kurdish Mountain tribes consider the rite of drinking mate, a South American plant, to be virtually sacrosanct. The Alawite sect was the first to introduce it, and they gained fame for it. After that, it soon spread throughout all of Syria and even beyond its borders.

A type of leafy herb, placed at the bottom of a pottery or glass cup, then lukewarm water is poured over it, then a spoonful of sugar is added over the water, and you drink it with a metal straw specially made to allow the mate infusion to pass through it without the leaves, and as soon as you finish drinking the infusion, you add lukewarm water again, without replacing the leaves, and keep repeating this process, until the leaves float to the surface of the water, announcing the loosening of their cohesion knots, and the expiration of their validity, to replace them with new leaves, and so on.

If you’re in a rush, you could drink ten or twenty cups of it at once. Due to the fixation with fitness, some people have started to substitute honey for the sugar, while others just drink it straight without any added sweetener.

The mother told her neighbor about her plans to invest at one of the mate morning sessions, and the friend supported her. Walid is now fourteen years old, his strength and body have improved, and he is now capable of helping to provide for his family financially. Of course, this is better for him and the mother than his work in some profession that he may be the victim of harm, bullying, or exploitation. Since there is some money available, why not buy a cow for him? It is a profitable investment that will never fail because as long as you feed it, it will give you milk and it will never let you down.

Walid run to the cow after school every day and, unpredictably, he would appear very content. This new member of the family made him joyful. He released it from the chains and accompanied it to the fields, acting as if it was a distinguished visitor being led on a tour between the plains and the mountains.

It transformed into a spoiled cow in every way. He took care of it every day in a different field so he could exhibit it and let it see the specifics of the area, the mountains, and its breathtaking beauty. This pampering resulted in an abundance of milk, which satisfied the mother and brought in some extra cash.

With time, Walid mastered the difficult mountain roads, and by using the undiscovered paths through the dense forests of trees, he was able to travel farther and faster. He also discovered paths through the forested areas that no one had previously known about; when he entered the forest, he transformed into a ghost and no one could tell where he was going due to his familiarity with the local wildlife.

He spoke to the cow for two years about his goals, his desires, and of course his father.

His tongue was full of venom that had been repressed in his heart from a young age, and he cursed out the leader, his party, his sect, and his entourage. He even spoke with her his plans for a coup, how he would free Syria from their rule, and how he would inspire a populist uprising against the ruler.

Sometimes the cow would act strangely, tug at the rope, or shake its head, which he took to be a protest to what he was saying. As a reaction, he swiftly adjusted the plan in proportion to the difficulty of the struggle.

it was the recipient of his trust-based disclosure of his covert military strategy to storm Sednaya jail and free his father, who might still be alive. He had drawn out this strategy one night just before going to sleep.

The walls have ears, the cow can hear but cannot talk, but no one ever told him anything about the trees.

On a quiet spring night, the cow began to moo like never before

-what is the matter with it? The mother said surprised

– I don’t know, let me go to it, maybe it misses me

Walid said jokingly, and with a laugh that always removed the worries of life from her heart, he left the door towards the corral, which is no more than 50 meters away, its location is quite strategic, behind the corral is a heap of rocks, immediately behind it, a mountain slope, then a deep valley and forests as far as the eye can see.

He wiped his hand on its head: What’s wrong with you, my dear? what scares you

A short while later, cars moving at high speeds came to a stop in front of their door. A number of men emerged from them, and they immediately stormed the yard.

He recognized them right away; there is no doubt that they are members of the Air Force Intelligence, so who else in Syria would be interested in their affairs?! Who else use this gangster approach to arrest and kidnapping?

The mother went out terrified, and the neighbors stood curiously watching what was happening. One of the officers pushed her away and stormed the house, and another shouted at her, “Where is your damned son?”

Walid remained in his place, stunned by what he saw, and by the horror of an idea that flashed in his head.

He looked at the cow, directly into her eyes, with looks of astonishment: Damn you, how did you do it? How did they know what happened between us?!

The voice of one of the officers calling and pointing with his hand towards the corral, there he is, load him…

No sooner had he finished saying “take him” than the boy gave his legs a wind, jumped towards the stoning of the rocks, and then disappeared from view.

He sprinted towards the abyssal valley, his heart pumping furiously, slipped several times on the cliff, got up, and resumed his way, repeating only one sentence.

-damn you cow, damn you traitor, a reports writer.