People

---

One Hot Summer
© 2008

by

Stephen A. Peterson


One hot summer afternoon in Iraq, Air Force Second Lieutenant Dennis Lewis was writing a letter at his unit’s office. Through the open door, he saw a boy walking through the hangar accompanied by a Sergeant. His slow, shuffling walk drew Lieutenant Lewis’ attention. He walked painfully seemingly concentrating on the ground before him.

About halfway through the hangar, he stopped and looked up. By his response, he seemed to have never been in such a large, spacious structure in his life.

“May I help you?” asked Lieutenant Lewis.

“Are you the boss?” the boy said in a low tone of voice.

“Well, I’m one of them but I’m not the big boss is that is what you mean,” responded the Lieutenant. “But why are you here?”

“I’m looking for an American boss to ask for some food for my mother, sister and myself. We’re hungry. My mother told me about Americans. She told me Americans are helpful and kind to people. My mother went to school in America. She taught me and my sister English. So we know English, too.”

Lieutenant Lewis had been in Iraq long enough to know that people asking for help are very deferential, so the boy’s aggressive demand puzzled him. As he went closer to the boy and the Sergeant, he could see a shinny object around the boy’s neck. It was a medal.

“What’s this young man? And where did you get this medal?” questioned Lieutenant Lewis.

“My family is Caldean Christians. My family has been in this area a long time. We have suffered much. My father and a brother are dead. They died because of Saddam Hussein. So I work to get food and help for my family. I work when I can sell the things my mother and sister make. They cannot do the things I can do because Iraqi society does not permit women to do these things.”

Lieutenant Lewis and the boy stared at each other. It had occurred to him that it was the first time he had ever met any one in Iraq who had not been Islamic. The Lieutenant was probably the first American officer he had ever met in his young life.

So Lieutenant Lewis invited him in. He shuffled toward the Lieutenant’s office door and stopped.

“Are you sure about this, sir?” responded the Sergeant.

“Yes, I think we’ll be okay. He looked innocent. Did you check him out?”

“Yes, I did, sir. He had nothing on him except that medal around his neck.”

“When we’re finished I’ll call for you, okay Sergeant. Thanks!”

“Yes, sir.” as he left the Lieutenant and the boy.

“Come on young man. I’ll get you some food to give to your mother and sister. What would you like to have? I’m pretty certain I could give you enough food for a least a week. I’ll call my boss and tell him what I’m doing.”

“You would do that for me?” queried the boy.

“Yes, come on in young man.”

Slowly his eyes went down to his feet. Then he looked the Lieutenant in the eyes. “One of my feet was cut off by Saddam’s men and can’t walk very well. I smell bad. I’ll make your place smell bad.”

“Well, so do I,” responded Lieutenant Lewis. “Now come on into my office so I can take you on down to our food storage area. I’ve already gotten the okay from my wing commander to give the food I requested.”

Lieutenant Lewis and young boy chatted for another thirty minutes or so. He got to know the boy and his family better. He asked the Lieutenant if he was a Christian and had brothers and sisters. The Lieutenant responded “Yes” to both questions. He told the Lieutenant that he was the first American he had met that was so similar to his family in so many ways.

The boy’s mother was an English teacher as well as a Christian who had suffered persecution for both. Through an educated teacher she could not teach because she was a woman. Likewise, the boy suffered for being able to speak English and even more for being a Christian in an Islamic country. And in the mind of Lieutenant Lewis, this soon to be 13 year old, was such a polite and gentle person.

Eventually, he prepared to back to his family with 10 days of food. The Lieutenant reached into his pocket and offered him some money. Suddenly and unexpectedly, the boy became very angry, it seemed.

“Peace, American, don’t insult me or my family,” he said in a low tone of voice.

Lieutenant Lewis apologized profusely. “I didn’t mean to insult you or your family.”

He soon became calm. “I came to this place as an outcast and a beggar. But you have given me hope, dignity and made me feel like a man. Thank you American, Christian, man.”

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE