A Prayer for a Friend

a short story on peace and war

I want to write about peace and love and war. I want to write about my friend. My dear, old friend and the last day he spent with me, oh, so many years ago now. His last day here, he called by to tell me he was leaving. Those were the days before we all had mobile phones. He had a camera, the kind that took a roll of film because those were the days before digital, and he wanted to spend his last day with me, riding around on his scooter like we had done so many times. We rode out to the coast, taking photos of the scenery, and of us, for him to take with him. He got two sets printed, one for me. I still have those photos. I was sweet sixteen, a rebellious teen with beads in my hair, and he a young, Israeli paratrooper travelling the world to study language and culture. And he the sweetest, kindest, most considerate and soft-spoken gentleman I have ever known. Yuval. My friend’s name is Yuval.

I looked him up two weeks ago. My kind, gentle, peace-loving friend in his war-torn homeland.…