Excerpt from THE GARDEN
by Carol Matas
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In order to fool the Arabs who lay in wait for the convoys, we'd move on Shabbat or at night or take side roads or dirt roads. We hid guns on us, not in pieces like the first time, but tucked into our skirts or blouses, and we returned fire when we could. All we could carry were pistols, though, except Fanny, who actually managed a submachine gun. Meanwhile we were being shot at with rifles and machine guns by Arabs - not exactly a fair fight. Still, we couldn't let them cut us off from each other - food had to go from the kibbutzim to the cities and people had to travel, too. Jerusalem has been under siege since that first day of the riot, and getting food and supplies through is becoming harder and harder.
In between our convoy duties we've had to go on raids to other Arab villages similar to the one we carried out on Majed. We've been lucky so far. Although we've had close calls, none of us has been seriously wounded.
From The Garden. Copyright © 1997 by Carol Matas.
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