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These
thoughts were in my mind as we endured our bumpy ride over the desert
floor. Thankfully,
the distance we rode was no more than fifteen kilometers.
Soon the curling smoke of a campfire could be seen in the distance.
But
the men of the camp had seen the dust from our vehicles long before we saw
their campfire.
More than twenty men had mounted their camels and were now waiting
a short distance from the entrance of their tent settlement.
One
particular Bedouin caught my eye.
He was a robust man of middle age, with chiseled features and
dominating black eyes.
With his long black cloak flowing behind him, he was regal, as was
his magnificent mount, a strong, young female camel.
His Bedouin gaze was piercing and directed toward us with
unquestioning self-confidence.
No smile came to his lips at the sight of strange visitors,
although I found it amusing that the lips of his camel seemed permanently
carved into a smile.
In
a strutting kind of dignity, he rode around our vehicles more than once,
as though inspecting us.
I knew without asking that this man was the chief of his village.
The Bedouin are proud, and not in awe of any man, not even men of
the royal family.
He would show us all that our welcome depended upon his approval.
When
Ahmed stuck his head out of the window of the vehicle, the Chief, who said
his name was Sheik Fahd, finally stretched his face in a welcoming smile.
With a voice like thunder, he greeted us with the hope of Allah’s
blessing.
With a flourish of both hands, he pointed the way to his village.
At
this sign, the other Bedouins began to shout their welcome.
They rode cheerfully alongside our vehicles as we slowly made our
way to the camp.
When
Sheik Fahd called out that he had honored guests, the Bedouin settlement
instantly came to life.
Veiled women with their arms filled with infants, and many poorly
dressed young children emerged from the row of sloping tents.
The
moment I stepped out of our jeep, I was struck by the strong odor in the
air. My
nose twitched with the stench of close-living animals and I
told myself that each step I took was a step backward in time.
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