Mike Ferner

Rabah Kalaf is, or rather was, a citrus farmer in the village of Abu Hishma. As we ate our “honored guest” meal of rice and tomato-stewed lamb at the wake for Taha Lateef’s son, two youngsters tapped us on the shoulder and asked if we wanted to see “where the cruise missile landed two nights ago.” They took us down a long lane and showed us the 15 foot-deep hole in the ground that measured 30 feet across. Rabah Kalaf had his plot of orange trees at that place, part of a communal grove farmed by people in Abu Hishma. After we viewed the damage, we accepted his invitation to “please come to my home for tea,” where I took this picture of him with some of his children and neighbor kids.

Photo by Mike Ferner