Member-only story
The Olive Diary
Read for free here! (Please let me know if this does not work.)
Haifa, the second Tuesday of the month, 1852
73 Olive trees. That’s how many trees we harvested today. Yahya and I ran across the field, in competition to see how many olives we could pick. Yahya may have had more than me, if he hadn’t eaten so many but who can blame him when our olives are so delicious? We have a right to eat, after all.
I wonder if our olive trees will still stand after 100 years. Maybe 200? I like how we can leave something on this earth that remains even when we are gone. Whenever I am in the field, it feels like Grandma is hugging me. She may be gone from this world but never from our hearts and her work has left trees in the soil.
-Mohammed Saleem, 12 years old
Jerusalem, the first week of Ramadan, 1899
The call of prayer resounds in the street, marking the end of our fast. I kept a half fast today! We tuck into dates and fruits, drink milk and water. My friend Hind says that there will be a river of milk in Paradise- I wonder how the milk will taste there?
The dates are from our Christian neighbours, they came over just an hour ago, knowing we were fasting to share some food with us. My mama says good neighbours are important, I agree with her.
