The Bedouin

I had a passionate affair with a Bedouin. Yes, a real Bedouin. A member of the Alameen Bedouins, to be exact. And there was a geniune connection. We met at Petra, and I flew back to Amman to be with him again and see if there was really anything there. And there was. What could be more perfect for me than a professional nomad? He was confident, and gentle, and sweet. Everyone in Petra knew him and liked him. He was kind, and honest, and insisted on hosting my two girlfriends and me...even when we knew that he had spent a half day's wages to do it. He accompanied us, and the looks of the men turned from leering to respect. He gave me a beautiful Bedouin silver necklace with a teardrop design, that I in my selfishness thought he expected payment for. But it was merely a token of affection from a man to a woman.