……………………???

It was a balmy, pleasant day. The whole team headed for the north. A usual recreation was expecting them. In one of the tunnels, they were in competition to show their superiority in shouting and laughing. Eli accompanied them. She was a new member to be introduced to Ahmad. He’d just arrived in Iran. After several years staying in Germany, and an unsuccessful marriage, he made his mind to remarry. Sepideh, Ahmad’s wife and one of his friends, decided to be a matchmaker. She always had a leader role and was in charge of all appointments and pursuits. After arriving in Challous, as a routine, they headed for one of the villas reserved in advance. The villager responsible for the accommodation told them the owners inclined to go there, and they should leave in two days. Sepideh reacted as if she had been oblivious of it. Her own purpose was to keep all friends satisfied. They could just stay there for two day. All of them objected. She simply said, “If I have told you, the journey would have been cancelled.”

Every body especially ladies: Shohreh, Sima, Sepideh, and the newly joined member, Eli, were making attempts to dust the villa. The villager suggested another villa which had a view on the sea. Nobody nagged. The glasses of the entrance door were broken. It was more than ventilation. The three rooms and hall were vulnerable to the cold. After two hours all parts were fixed and they had everything just so. They danced and song. Kids were playing hide and seek. Eli, without any tendency to join, was gathering some fragments of a window.

8 p.m.
Eli and Ahmad were on the road. No chance was in the villa to talk with the cell phone, but it was just an excuse to search for more intimacy. Eli called her mom, who had had a heart surgery recently. Just by exchanging some words and her sweet smile Ahmad could acquaint with her.

10 p.m.
All the friends were eating dinner. The hot subject was young couple. They persuaded Eli to take a seat beside Ahmad. Feeling so bashful she did. The lively décor and the mixture of light and hot collars gave a sense of vibration and harmony to the environment. Eli quit them to search for salt. She needed solitude to reconsider all the incidents happening in the twinkling of an eye. She was about to marry Ahmad.


10:30 p.m.
Men were drinking and smoking on the veranda. Sepideh joined them to know their idea about Eli. Ramin, her husband said he could see a kind of innocence in her eyes. Another one described her as an intimate and warm person. All the judgments were based on a several hour experience. Ahmad intoxicated and passionate called her a lovely sweetheart. The verdict was given: Eli was the best choice for Ahmad.

10 a.m. the second day
Around fifty meters away from the villa, there was a volleyball court. All men gathered there. After a little while Eli joined them. After some minutes she left them to join ladies on the coast. Two of the kids were making a sand castle, and Arash, the oldest one, was standing in the water letting the waves touch his small feet.

11 a.m.
Sepideh wanted to buy some groceries. Shohreh, Arash’s mom, joined her, and asked Mina, the youngest lady, to take the responsibility of the kids. Mina stayed with them for 15 min. Having no child, she couldn’t realize the risky situation, so she quit and asked Eli to take over the responsibility. One of the kids was trying to fly a kite, but all her efforts were in vain. Eli, at the sight of her attempts, tried to help the kid. She could fly it and was overwhelmed by the kite flying freely in the sky. Like a kid she was shouting and laughing regardless of all woes preoccupied her mind.

11:30 a.m.
Shima, Arash’ sister, weeping came to the adult men. They were in the middle of a hot game. At the first step, they didn’t take her seriously, but kid’s sustainable crying aroused their suspicion. They inquired her; she pointed at the sea murmuring Arash. With a halting answer and a childlike tone the little kid told them Arash was drowning. The reckless father rushed to the scene.

11:40 a.m.
All the men jumped into the sea. Confused and passionate, aimlessly, they were searching for the kid everywhere. There was no trace of Arash. Nobody had time to regret and blame himself for being careless. Calling his name several times, Ahmad saw the boy’s body floating on the vast sea, precisely, in the left side of the camp. They swam there, rescued and carried him on the shoulders, and put his little motionless body on the sand. The breathless and exhausted father was calling his name. Arash…dear Arash open your eyes. Peyman was calling ‘Abualfazl’. Ya Abulfazl rescue my son, rescue him. He was wrapped in a great tendency to pray and take refuge to a sacred person. He was like most of the people trying to cling to a trustworthy source. No sign of dancing, no trace of gayness could be found, probably just the songs of the goddess of death. Ahmad kept him away from the scene. The other men leapt in to the action to give first aid. Arash coughed two times. His trachea was fortunately open. He was alive but totally shocked.

12 a.m.
According to an unknown but accepted rule, common between men, they never blame each other after a tragedy. Feeling released, they were lying on the sand, but it didn’t last any longer. Eli had been disappeared. The signs of another tragedy were on the way.


00: 30 p.m.
They searched the whole villa and around it. There was no sign even the slightest one of her. The suspicion was aroused. She was probably drowning in water trying to save Arash. Again the whole rushed to the sea. Sepideh and Shohreh arrived and joined them. Shohreh, feeling relieved after being sure about his son safety, stayed out. Sepideh, historically, started swimming. The more they searched the less could find. They called the coastal guard. They searched with a motor boat, but nothing could be found. The sea was getting stormy; they left the searching on the half way. A stressful night arrived. All the headlights were focused on the sea. Even the faintest hope could settle them.

6:00 a.m. the third day
After a hard night, they were totally stressed out and out of mood. Everybody tried to find some logical reasons.” What if she left here without telling us?” Peyman said.
“She intended to leave this morning, but Sepideh urged her to stay.” Shohreh said.
“Probably one of us said something and hurt her feelings. Dear shohreh, can you remember? You told her, in the kitchen,’ you can’t do housework well ‘I guess…” Mina said.
“You are mistaken” Shohreh interrupted her, “I was just joking.”
Everybody tried to find some justifications. Ramin and Sepideh went out of the villa. Ramin believed Sepideh knew more about her and concealed. The seeds of suspicion were beginning to merge. He was in bewilderment and under pressure. Sepideh resisted. Ramin burst into rage, cursed her, and pushed her down. Shohreh intervened and separated them. Peyman joined the furious man to calm him down. Two men were strolling along the beach in silence. Ramin was regretful about that illogical reaction. He was in love with his wife.

8: oo a.m.
They came to conclusion to call the police. While they arrived, as usual asked about her exact identity. The group introduced her as Eli. The police officer said “Eli what? Elham or Elmira? Probably it’s a nickname.” Nobody knew more. Confusedly, all exchanged glances and at last focused on Sepideh. She, as the mediator, just had some trivial Information: Eli was her daughter’s teacher in the kindergarten and nothing more even her surname could be retrieved. At this part, a bitter fact was revealed. Nobody even Sepideh knew her name, just a nickname, Eli. The police officer was astonished. “How did you invite a stranger to come to the north and stay with you?” Sepideh had been a scapegoat for what happened. Eli was her daughter’s teacher and she was blameworthy for asking her to come. Ramin was gazing in bewilderment at her. “Who on earth was she?” he asked furiously, “Who told you to introduce her to Ahmad? Who are you? His sister? His mother?” She couldn’t answer. Just some desirable behaviors were enough to satisfy Sepideh to take this action.

10:30 a.m.
After two days police called them. Eli’s body was found one kilometer away on the east coast. The poor boy, engaged with her, was in the room to identify her. Motionless she was lying on the bed. Police could find the boy’s number in her call list. The boy was shouting and crying. Sepideh was staring at him as if she hadn’t known the reality.

11:15 a.m.
Arash and two other kids were playing on the coast. Arash put his little feet in the water… a kite was flying in the sky… Peyman told Ahmad he guessed Eli wasn’t a moral person, for she left her fiancé to marry him…. A… kite w…as… fly…in…. (1)

Yours truly,
S.J.

1- Based on About Elli by Asghar Farhadi