This Eli was was an unusual character. A giant of two meters or so, with broad shoulders and a prodigious mustache. He looked like one of those who spend their leave in the beach cafes of Tel Aviv, loudly recounting how they killed at least a dozen Arabs and captured an artillery piece. Eli, in fact, was exactly the opposite: taciturn, restrained, solitary.
He was a machine gunner. A real one. Not simply a soldier who can operate an automatic weapon. The weapon lay in his hand like the brush in the hand of a painter. It was said of him that even if he wanted to, he could not miss his target. But Eli did not enjoy his task. His comrades envied him. But when they sat on their beds discussing how to destroy the enemy more quickly, he turned his back or went to take a shower. In brief: a strange fellow...
* * *
The story of him and Fatima began with the assault on Deir-Mussah. Eli was in the first wave. He ran with the machine gun, stooping, ahead of his squad. Flat on the ground - jump up - flat - jump, until he reached the first houses.
The resistance from the village got weaker and weaker. It looked as though the last few Arab fighters wanted to get out. People’s spirits were high, soon they would ... suddenly the chattering of a machine gun opened up from the left. The fire came from a shabby house standing beneath a big leafy tree. Eli turned his gun, fired a short burst and quiet fell on the front at Deir-Mussah. Nobody took much notice. The comrades stormed onward and broke open the houses. Here and there they found souvenirs. Nobody asked about Eli.
Eli went to the isolated house. Something drew him there. He stood there, looking at the young Arab lying face down on the floor. It was a silent dialogue between Eli, the machine gunner, and the man he had just killed.
But suddenly Eli was awoken from his reverie. A little dog jumped from the house and ran to the dead Arab. With howls of desperation she licked his face and prodded his body with her paws. She looked as though she wanted to bring him back to life. Eli stood there for a long time, silent and still. Then he picked up the dog and returned to the company.
* * *