Talk talk talk

There have been a lot of deaths in the family the last month. Some of them unexpectedly, others of old age.

This is Mohamed’s vast family, I’m talking about. About 80% of the people living here are family.

They don’t always have the same surname. That’s because when the French administration exacted everybody to be registered, any name was accepted. The French were ruling here somewhere in the first part of the 19th century.

Mohamed’s Bedouin grandfather (or was it his great-grandfather) came from the East of the country, settling in the next village (Ebzimo). His father moved to our village (Kafr Amme) where there was literally nothing, but the ruins of a Roman village and a lot of snakes.

“Kafr” is not Arabic. It is an old Roman word meaning “garden/field”.

Today locals still refer to Ebzimo as “our village” and to Kafr Amme as “where nobody lives” although many are living here. More and more each day.

When someone of the family or of a befriended family dies, it is absolutely necessary to go and visit the next of kin. This visit may last from a few hours to a week. Last month one of the hundreds of cousins died. This meant him spending all of his free time in the tent that was set up outside of the house to receive all the visitors.

Some come from far to pay their respects. That’s why every night a big meal is prepared and lots of tea and coffee is served.

It is a perfect occasion for all to meet, to talk about old times and to strengthen family ties and friendships.

When they all meet, conflicts are remembered again. Often a big meeting is set up to try to resolve the situation. Often they talk and talk and talk, but the conflict remains.

Tea time

It’s very busy these days. As winter is over, the house has to be changed from winter to summer mode. This includes a good cleaning and an excellent occasion to do some chores that were left “for later”.

At the same time, the garden needs a lot of attention. The apple trees, prune tree and almond tree are blossoming. The bees and butterflies are very busy.

The tortoises are showing themselves one by one. I mostly here them, because them going up and down the rocky path is a particular sound. It is unmistakably them moving around. The birds are mating and nesting. And the snake has come out.

This is a huge black snake that is living in the field on the other side of our neighbour’s. Last week the “haye, haye” (snake, snake) calls have started. People see them and tell about it, but nobody kills it. It seems to be very quick a snake of that size. Mohamed, being worried about baby Zakaria being in the garden often, promised to go and chase it with a gun. The meat to lure it has been put aside in the refrigerator.

There is just one hick up. Mohamed is suffering from kidney stones and is in pain since a few days. He has to get rid of them asap.

Just for information. This snake is very shy. It “runs” and hides when people come near. It probably mainly feeds on the neighbour’s chickens’ eggs. He has got many.

This chicken cage also contains our quail that we set free last year. Mohamed has visited our neighbour to tell him that it is ours and that we chose to set it free. Right after that he suffered a kidney stone attack.

Mohamed being ill means lots of people visiting. It means lots of making and serving tea and coffee. And who else is there to do that but me. Although I must say that when M’s sisters are visiting they take over the job and when his daughter and daughter in laws are visiting the dishes are done also. They take care of Zakaria while they are in the house. Suddenly, I find myself out of a job on these occasions.