Short Story

Kurzgeschichte 2008 The Wall – Two friends seperated From one day to the other, everything had changed. When he had gone to bed yesterday evening, there had been a fence. Nothing more or less than a fence. Made of wood and a bit of wire. Nothing to worry about. Weak and full of gaps, as it had been, no one had cared about it. And now there was this wall. Huge. Grey. Unsurmountable. Garded by a few soldiers patrouling observantly and holding tight to their weapons. − Joel! One small boy. Crying out desperately. − Joel! − Elias! − You’re there? − Yes, I am... His voice faded. His friend, the only one, was on the other side of the wall. The village had been parted. Joel gulped. Parted. He wanted to say something. But he couldn’t. They had been together every day of their lives. Playing with marbles in the sun. Running through narrow streets. Elias had told him stories. He had protected Elias from the attacks of the other boys. A friendship not liked by everybody. They had coped with it. Praying in different ways and buildings. Eating differently. Living differently. An ancient conflict. Elias needed him! He was not likely to survive out there without him, with all the enemies on his side of the wall. One arab in a field of jews around. He felt an anger arising deep inside of him. An anger against everything. How could they dare to set up a wall like this to seperate him from his best friend, the storyteller? How could this be possible? Why would Jahwe do something like this to him? Was it a punishment for being disobedient? Suddenly his father stepped out of their house. − Come in, boy. It’s dangerous now to be out there. Anxiously he looked at the armed soldier.

− Come in now. He winced. Stared at the wall, hiding his friend. And obeyed unwillingly. When he stood in front of the door he glanced back. Elias was behind. Whoever had done this hadn’t known anything about him. If Jahwe wanted him to be seperated from his friend, he would see what it would cost him. His hidden anger bursting out he sprinted towards the wall. He was within half a meter from the wall, when he heard a crack. A shot into the silence. And a cry. And a pain, very deep inside. Then there was nothing at all.