Apartheid 100
My Bucket List of the Holy Land
"Resistance is Not Terrorism"-
Leila Khaled
It was morning. Akira woke up from his nightmare of his boss tormenting him. After three years of, he and Soran finally started tidying their apartment.
Soran (seeing Akira prepare to toss their garbage from the balcony): Akira, are you sure this a good idea?
Akira shushed him as if he wanted this to be a surprise. He threw the garbage bags onto the Israeli police.
Israeli Police (in Hebrew): [What was that?]
Akira gave the police the raspberry. Just in time, Soran dragged him inside.
Soran: What are you trying to do? Get us both caught?
They returned to cleaning up their apartment.
Akira: Thanks for standing up for me that day at the office. Can't remember the last time we've had a clean apartment.
Akira went to the fridge to get a beer. He and Soran saw the news on Al-Jazeera where the IOF were killing innocent people in Gaza.
Just when Akira was about to help himself to another beer, he discovered they were out.
Soran: You really need to cut back.
Akira: But I love beer!
Soran: In our culture, alcohol is strictly forbidden.
Akira: Is that what this is about? You don't drink because you're Muslim?
Soran (quoting the Quran): "O You Who Believe! Do not perform prayer when you are intoxicated until you know what you say."
Akira: Alright then. At least you're not the one with the addiction.
There were Palestinians that lived in the same building. They were scared, wondering if the IOF would come accusing them of being in league with the Hamas. Two of the neighbors spotted Akira and Soran climbing down the pipe.
Soran: Ah, salaam.
Neighbor: Oh god! You gave us a heartattack!
Akira: Sorry! The police are monitoring the stairwell.
Neighbor: In that case, come join us.
Akira: Actually, we have some errands to run. The name's Akira Tendo. This is my friend, Soran Ibrahim. Nice to meet you!
Neighbor: Ben M'hidi.
Akira: Want you some noodles?
Ben M'hidi: goat meat would be nice.
Ben M'hidi's wife: And please get us some toilet paper!
Akira (giving thumbs up) Okay!
They went to the store at the Christian Quarter where Akira could get more beer.
Akira (seeing no one is around): Was there a robbery?
Soran: The settlers have rioted the convenience store.
Akira: Why would they do this?
Soran: "Never Again".
Akira: Huh?
Soran: The Holocaust became the Zionists' obsession. They don't recognize our Nakba.
Akira: What's "Nakba"?
Soran: "The Day of The Catastrophe" Back in '48, two hundred of my people were massacred in Tantura by the Alexandroni Brigade. That's why I'm so desperate to fight the Zionist government.
Akira: You know, when we first met, I didn't think you were the kind of monster the Israelis say you are.
Soran: I know.
They went inside the store with no one around except a girl getting herself some water.
Akira: Hard to go out with the cops everywhere, huh. I was just coming here to the Christian Quarter with my friend to get some beer so we could get hammered…
The girl walked off. Soran could see she wasn't an alcoholic.
Akira: 'Scuse me, now that we met, is it okay we exchange contacts? (Girl pulls out her phone) Is that a "yes"?
Girl: Not that it's my business or anything, why go through all the trouble getting something nonessential?
Soran: She's got a point.
Girl: I can't see myself teaming up with someone who cannot analyze the risk. I prefer not to become involved. So I'm afraid I'm going to have to pass on giving you my contact.
Akira (spotting a Merkava) Watch out!
This came to him as a surprise. The girl dragged Akira down by his jacket. They were lucky the shelling didn't hit them. The girl took off on her bicycle.
Akira: "Analyze", huh. Like what I saw on "The Battle of Algiers". (Spotting the police) Oh damn!
Akira and found a scooter and hitched a ride while Soran continued relying on the truck.
Akira: Sweet ride!
But then, they came across two motorcycles. Soran was running out of gas on his truck, so he went along with it. When they returned, Soran and Akira discovered their neighbors were gone.
That evening, they wrote a list in their journal. Akira's was 100 things he wanted to do now that he was free. Soran's was 100 things to do to end the Israeli Apartheid. Akira crossed out things he had done.