Commentary
Baghdad Observer - McClatchy Newspapers
A Night in Baghdad
Posted by Leila Fadel
Tue May 6, 7:25 AM ET
In an outdoor garden we ordered sweet, fresh orange juice and shared plates of chickpea dip, salads and grilled meat and chicken. For the first time in a long time we went out as an office and stayed out what would be considered late in Baghdad. We were living on the edge. We didn't get home until a whopping 8:45 p.m.
The occasion was a sendoff for McClatchy’s Africa Bureau Chief, Shashank Bengali, who graciously swept into town to help while I was out of the country.
In the sea of trees and grass we sat away from the crowds of families to avoid people hearing us speak softly in English. Inside the restaurant we heard the melody of celebration. A young woman in a white halter gown was getting married. The older women celebrated with ululations that wafted out into the serene garden. The party was still going as we left and families still coming in for dinner.
Two couples behind us seemed to be on a first date. Nearby a family with three children ate and chatted, away from the devastation that was likely just a few neighborhoods away.
It was refreshing to be out at night as cool air replaced the intense heat of the day. We didn't need to interview people about their lost loved ones, U.S. airstrikes, roadside bombs or general misery. We just laughed and chatted as people around us did the same.
At one point the electricity went out and the colored lights, wrapped around trees and bushes turned off. Within minutes the generator kicked in and the children in the garden shouted with elation "Yay!" Then they returned to running through the grass.
In war and peace life goes on and everyone looks for their oasis.
