p>”He asked me what my name was, and I answered [Khaled]. He said: ‘Wonder of wonders, [like the name of the Muslim commander] Khaled bin Al-Walid. And where do you live? And how old are you?’ I said to myself: ‘He is asking how old I am in order to be sure my blood is suitable for the deed. He placed his hand on my head and asked: ‘Khaled my son, do you know how to light a fire?’ Another wave of terror swept over me. Would he cook me over a fire? He said: ‘Show me how you light the fire in the stove.’ I took a match, and lit the stove with shaking hand.
“This man, one of the people of the Torah, the Talmud, and the Mishna, kissed me on the head and led me to a room with an antique cupboard. He opened one of the drawers, took out a handful of chocolate, and filled my pockets. He led me, completely amazed, to the door, opened the door, and bid farewell, blessing me, wishing me a long life, and adding: ‘Give regards to your father.’
“I left, astounded, and hurried home like somebody who has awakened from a strange dream. I told the story to my father and brothers, and they laughed at me, and said: ‘It is the Sabbath. The Jews are forbidden to light fire on the Sabbath. The poor old man was thirsty for a cup of tea.’
“We shared the chocolate, and I spent the rest of the week counting the days until the Sabbath, and then until the Sabbath after that and the one after that. Every Sabbath I went to that same alley, hoping that the white-haired old man would open the door and that I would light his fire, and he would fill my pockets with chocolate. But the door never opened again, and those ancient features, from Biblical times, did not reappear. Recently I have been thinking about knocking on the door and asking: ‘My uncle, Abu Sasson, do you need anybody to light your fire?’”
In 1948 there were 150,000 Jews in Baghdad. Today there are 21.
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