Chasing Wood on the Waves:
In his book "Shortcut for a Better Life", the writer Ziad Rayess mentions: My memory takes me back to fifty years ago, when I was in elementary school. I was at a house at the Zaroub Port, which was called Zaroub Abu Hani, in the old port neighborhood. The house looked out straight out onto the sea, so close that the sea water and waves would sometimes reach the balcony on stormy winter days. I have some nice stories about that time with my older brother Ghiath. One of these stories is about the adventures of the sea and the wood. We would collect wood offshore and sell it. There were two ways that the wood ships arriving at the port would be emptied: either they would be tied directly to the dock and unloaded, or they would stay offshore and barges would come to them. They would be unloaded with cranes on the ships themselves, and while they were being unloaded, some pieces of wood would fall into the water and float off in the direction of the wind (to the north).
We would always wait for this wood, especially if it was good beech or long pieces of pine. We would notice it when the sun glinted off of it as it was floating on the water, and we would determine what kind it was, how long it was, and how many pieces there were.
Then we would estimate how strong the wind was and where it was going while it was still far off, and how feasible it was for us to catch up with it. Of course, we would have to immediately swim in its direction, taking into account the angle that we had to swim at to reach it before the wind took it away, where it would be difficult to catch.
We also had to move quickly and start swimming right away before someone else from the neighborhood beat us to it. At the time, the custom was that whoever got there and put their hand on the wood first won it. Of course, some of the ships were anchored far away, and we had to swim long distances, more than 1000–1500 meters [0.6–0.9 miles].
This also involved some crooks from outside the neighborhood, one of whom would come up to you when you were on your way back, take out a knife, and stick it into the wood. This was his way of telling you to give it to him immediately, and you’d go back empty-handed after a long swim. We also had to deal with motorboats that would take the wood before you, after you’d taken such a long swimming adventure. We tried again and again, sometimes failing, sometimes succeeding, until we gathered enough wood at the end of the summer to go to the wood market and happily sell it.
Conclusion:
The author's account of his childhood story highlights the beauty and simplicity of that stage in life, where every little thing could bring joy and excitement.We are reminded of children's tenacity and resilience by the author's adventures with their brother, who they accompanied while collecting wood offshore and swimming great distances to reach it. The memories of these adventures and experiences will always hold a special place in the author's heart, as they serve as a reminder of a simpler time, when life was full of wonder and possibilities.
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