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Book4-Unit5TextATheTelephoneAnwarF.Accawi1.WhenIwasgrowingupinMagdaluna,asmallLebanesevillageintheterraced,rockymountainseastofSidon,timedidn'tmeanmuchtoanybody,exceptmaybetothosewhoweredying.Inthosedays,therewasnorealneedforacalendarorawatchtokeeptrackofthehours,days,months,andyears.Weknewwhattodoandwhentodoit,justastheIraqigeeseknewwhentoflynorth,drivenbythehotwindthatblewinfromthedesert.Theonlytimepiecewehadneedofthenwasthesun.Itroseandset,andtheseasonsrolledbyandwesowedseedandharvestedandateandplayedandmarriedourcousinsandhadbabieswhogotwhoopingcoughandchickenpox—andthosechildrenwhosurvivedgrewupandmarriedtheircousinsandhadbabieswhogotwhoopingcoughandchickenpox.Welivedandlovedandtoiledanddiedwithouteverneedingtoknowwhatyearitwas,oreventhetimeofday.2.Itwasn'tthatwehadnosystemforkeepingtrackoftimeandoftheimportanteventsinourlives.Butourswasanaturalor,rather,adivine—calendar,becauseitwasframedbyactsofGod:earthquakesanddroughtsandfloodsandlocustsandpestilences.Simpleasourcalendarwas,itworkedjustfineforus.3.Take,forexample,thebirthdateofTetaImKhalil,theoldestwomaninMagdalunaandallthesurroundingvillages.WhenIaskedGrandma,HowoldisTetaImKhalil?4.Grandmahadtothinkforamoment;thenshesaid,I'vebeentoldthatTetawasbornshortlyafterthebigsnowthatcausedtheroofonthemayor'shousetocavein.5.Andwhenwasthat?Iasked.6.Oh,aboutthetimewehadthebigearthquakethatcrackedthewallintheeastroom.7.Well,thatwasenoughforme.Youcouldn'tbemoreaccuratethanthat,now,couldyou?8.Andthat'sthewayitwasinourlittlevillageforasfarbackasanybodycouldremember.Oneofthemostunusualofthedateswaswhenawhirlwindstruckduringwhichfishandorangesfellfromthesky.Incredibleasitmaysound,thestoryofthefishandorangeswastrue,becausemenwhowouldnotlieeventosavetheirownsoulstoldandretoldthatstoryuntilitwasincorporatedintoMagdaluna'scalendar.9.Theyearofthefish-bearingwhirlpoolwasnotthelastremarkableyear.Manyothersfollowedinwhichstrangeandwonderfulthingshappened.Therewas,forinstance,theyearofthedrought,whentheheavenswereshutformonthsandthespringfromwhichtheentirevillagegotitsdrinkingwaterslowedtoatrickle.Thespringwasaboutamilefromthevillage,inaravinethatopenedatoneendintoasmall,flatclearingcoveredwithfinegraydustandhard,marble-sizedgoatdroppings.Intheyearofthedrought,thatlittleclearingwasalwayspackedfullofnoisykidswithbigbrowneyesandstickyhands,andtheirmothers—sinewy,overworkedyoungwomenwithcracked,brownheels.Thechildrenranaroundplayingtagorhide-and-seekwhilethewomentalked,shooedflies,andawaitedtheirturnstofilluptheirjarswithdrinkingwatertobringhometotheirnappingmenandwetbabies.Thereweredayswhenwehadtowaitfromsunupuntillateafternoonjusttofillasmallclayjarwithprecious,coolwater.10.Sometimes,amidthelongwaitandtheheatandthefliesandthesmellofgoatdung,tempersflared,andtheyoungerwomen,anxiousabouttheirbabies,arguedoverwhoseturnitwastofillupherjar.Andsometimestheargumentsescalatedintofull-blown,knockdown-dragoutfights;thewomenwouldgrabeachotherbythehairandcurseandscreamandspitandcalleachothernamesthatmademyearstingle.Welittlebrownboyswhowentwithourmotherstofetchwaterlovedthesefights,becausewegottoseethewomen'slegsandtheircoloredpantiesastheygrappledandrolledaroundinthedust.Onceinawhile,wegotluckyandsawmuchmore,becausesomeofthewomenworenothingatallundertheirlongdresses.God,howIusedtolookforwardtothosefights.Iremembertherush,theexcitement,thesundancingonthedustcloudsasadressrippedandayoungwhitebreastwasrevealed,thenquicklyhidden.Inmycalendar,thatyearofdroughtwillalwaysbeoneofthebestyearsofmychildhood.11.But,inanotherway,theyearofthedroughtwasalsooneoftheworstofmylife,becausethatwastheyearthatAbuRaja,theretiredcook,decideditwastimeMagdalunagotitsowntelephone.Everycivilizedvillageneededatelephone,hesaid,andMagdalunawasnotgoingtogetanywhereuntilithadone.Atelephonewouldlinkuswiththeoutsideworld.Afewmen—liketheretiredTurkish-armydrillsergeant,andthevineyardkeeper—didalltheycouldtotalkAbuRajaoutofhavingatelephonebroughttothevillage.ButtheywereoutshoutedandignoredandfinallyshunnedbytheothervillagersforresistingprogressandtryingtokeepagoodthingfromcomingtoMagdaluna.12.Onewarmdayinearlyfall,manyofthevillagerswereoutintheirfieldsrepairingwallsorgatheringwoodforthewinterwhentheshoutwentoutthatthetelephone-companytruckhadarrivedatAbuRaja'sdikkan,orcountrystore.Whenthetruckcameintoview,everybodydroppedwhattheyweredoingandrantoAbuRaja'shousetoseewhatwashappening.13.ItdidnottakelongforthewholevillagetoassembleatAbuRaja'sdikkan.Someoftherichvillagerswalkedrightintothestoreandstoodattheelbowsofthetwoimportant-lookingmenfromthetelephonecompany,whoproceededwithutmostgravity,likepriestsatCommunion,towireupthetelephone.Thepoorervillagersstoodoutsideandlistenedcarefullytothedetailsrelayedtothembythenot-so-poorpeoplewhostoodinthedoorwayandcouldseeinside.14.Thebaldmaniscuttingthebluewire,someonesaid.15.Heisstickingthewireintotheholeinthebottomoftheblackbox,someoneelseadded.16.Thetelephonemanwiththemustacheisconnectingtwopiecesofwire.Nowheistwistingtheendstogether,athirdvoicechimedin.17.BecauseIwassmall,Iwriggledmy