Wished On My Worst Enemy

Countdown to Delivery: 28 days
Due date: 4/18/10

The colonel was quite frustrated.  It was important to make the captured man talk.  Had it not been for the press, the fools, the law makers, the man would have spilled his guts by now.

His fist slammed into the small table in anger.

Then it came to him...a sound, a feeling, a horror.  The horror.

He stood sup o fast the small table went crashing to the bare concrete floor.  Grabbing his jacket he yelled for the ever-present corporal.

"The plan!  The plan...it will work!"
"Beg your pardon, sir?"
"We need a baby!"
"Baby, sir?  We're in the desert..."
"Fool.  Get me a baby.  New baby.  Colicky.  Very young.  Do it!"
"Sir!"  and he escaped through the tent flap.

"You imbecile!" he bemoaned himself.  "Why didn't you think of this before?"

Two immense Marines shouldered him as they walked down the sandstone corridor.  The bumbling colonel trying to keep up and carrying a small basket laden with soft blankets.

"Open his cage!"
The clank of the wrought metal met with the crash of the door slamming into the wall.

"Stand him up!"
The torn and tattered man, who was all of 28 or 30, stumbled to his feet.  He leaned to the left and then right, tired.  Haggard.

"You see this!  Look at it! Do you know what it is? Do you? DO YOU?"

Abdullah spoke no English, but he understood that he was to look in the basket.  Before his eyes was a tiny child.  Boy child.  Only a month old if that.  Much like his own son.  He raised his eyes in a befuddled look at the colonel as if to ask "why this?"

"We are putting the child in the cell next to you.  He hasn't slept through the night yet.  He cries, and cries and cries.  You, my friend, YOU will tell us what we need to know!"

Within the week poor Abdullah had fashioned a small rope from his ragged clothing, and made his peace.  The baby had won.

I hope this new child sleeps through the night!  The last one didn't sleep for six months.  I have a NICE rope!