-Olive Oil and thyme (Za'ater)-

It's 12 O'clock midnight …

Qabatya, Palestinian Village in the West Bank

He awakes ..his wife is screaming .. ."Oh God ..I think It's  time " she says...

He gets up quickly from his bed ..

"Oh ..God ..Oh ..God ..this is my first child" Sameh said

He get his wife to the car ..and they go to the small hospital in the village.

"It's ok dear .. just take deep breaths" Sameh says to his wife.

"I think the condition is serious, we haven't the proper equipment or devices to do what needs to be done, I'm sorry .." Dr. Ryad says "she must be moved to Jenin "  he continues.

  As he is gazing at her face, while they are in the ambulance on their way to Jenin .. Red Lights flashing all the way …

"Hope we will not run into any trouble here" The ambulance driver said.

It's the Israeli "Checkpoint" or "Hajayz" in Arabic or "Mahsom" in Hebrew ..or the humiliating point or the murdering point or .. or ..

The Soldiers who were always listen to the music … raise his hand from his tank and said "Yalla …Layhk Habytah ..Go home .. The road is blocked " .

At that moment .. "You wake up dear .. Oh God ..Help us " Sameh said…

Sameh "What's going on?! Why have we stopped?"

The driver says, "they said the road is blocked" ..

Sameh shout "what that's suppose to mean? My wife is dying in here! "

He gets out the ambulance and walk towards the checkpoint ..

"One more step and you will be shot in the head!" The Soldiers Shout... Sameh shouts "My wife is dying, please!.

"I will not say it again. Back or you will be shot!" The Soldiers repeat...

The driver says  "Damn! Sameh ..Back up Sameh, what are you doing man, they will shoot  you!"  While the driver was saying those words … Sameh's wife .. who was still conscious, trys to call at him, in a very weak voice .. .

The music was still playing …

The music, the soldiers and Sameh voices all get mixed together ..

Sameh's screaming and begging …nothing .. will convince the soldiers He goes back to the ambulance with his wife ..

"Let us try to contact the "Red Cross" " the driver says. Sameh was holding his wife's hand and saying to her .. "Do you remember this day? We have been dreaming about it dear. We will not let anybody spoil our dream !"

I wanna a pretty pretty  boy … just like his mother .. he smiles.

She smiles and tries to hide it while the pains continue to worsen. She was holding on his hand ever so tight ..

Sameh start to talk about ,the 1st time he saw her, while she was selling "Olive Oil and Thyme" in the market and how they fell in love ,and got married .. and she was smiling,  and she said to him, in a weak voice,  and she hardly said 2 words "Oil and thyme", she repeated that over and over and  her voice was getting weaker and weaker .. and he was crying hard and shouting "Oh God Oh God ..help us " ..

The time was moving too slow for him, but fast enough to make his wife get weaker and weaker …

Suddenly…

The Soldiers said "Ok, I got the order to let the ambulance pass "

Sameh takes deep breathe ..

"I hope she will make it " the driver said.

But …

The commander said to Sameh ,"We have to search the ambulance before we will let you pass".

"She is dying please, I beg you, we need every min to save her life and the baby " Sameh was crying …

"No way ..that's the orders" the commander said.

The soldiers start to search every corner .. not paying much attention to Sameh shouting and crying .

"I fear .. Her time is almost here" the driver says

After a half an hour, the  soldiers say to the commander "Clear,sir!"

He points his fingers to soldiers to open the gate while he was busy smoking !!

Mean while ..

Sameh's wife .. was too weak … the driver made his way to Jenin as fast as possible …

Sameh was looking at his wife's tired eyes and her pallid face .. and crying .. and shouting like a crazy man .."They can't spoil our dream ,,you would be ok dear.. I'm sure"

Finally, they reach Jenin which was so calm .. but for the "call of prayer " and Sameh and ambulance Shouting…

Once they reached the Hospital ..

The Dr.'s said , "Oh God .. this lady .. is dying " .. but Sameh was screaming and crying "NO.. NO.. no one can spoil our dream ".

She needs an operation as fast as possible .. that's was the last thing Sameh hears before he looses consciousness ..

After Hours …

Sameh hardly opens his eyes .. and the 1st thing he asks, "where is Amal?"  his wife's name. Theygive him ..a beautiful baby boy .. "that's your son" ..

He holds him and look at the baby with tears in his eyes …

And ask again ,, "where is Amal !"

The Dr .. could not bear to say it .. "She .. .Uhh. She .Uhh. She  had serious condition .. and we did all we could to save her .. but…"

Sameh breaks into tears while he is holding his baby ..

The nurse ask Sameh what are you going to name your son? ..

"Hajyz!" I will named him "Hajyz" .. he said ..