Misdemeanor Trials (18 page)

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

MAC

Raintree introduced John to the local currency and drilled him on the names of the coins and the denominations of the Rial, the Iranian currency, and the Toman.  Raintree said, “The Toman is ancient money in Iran that isn't around anymore, like the British 'Quid'.  It is slang and refers to ten Rials.  Most of the time you'll pay for local transportation using 250, 500 and 1000 Rial notes or coins.  You have to remember that the inflation rate here is 40% and prices change from week to week.”

Later in the afternoon Raintree drove John into the heart of Tehran.  They parked the cab and Raintree took John on a bus ride, and showed him how to pay.  “I don't know how long you will be here, or that you will need to know this stuff, but if you are here for more than a week, you probably will need to know.”

After the bus ride, Raintree told John to hop in the cab and they took a short tour of the city.  As they drove around in the taxi, Raintree said, “I don't mind living in Tehran.  I have been here a long enough to feel comfortable.  I was raised speaking the language and there are many very nice people I have become acquainted with.  That happens when you're a cab driver.”

John was impressed with the size and beauty of the mountains around Tehran, and the smog and dense traffic on the streets.  Raintree told him, “It is hotter than hell during the Summer, and cold with some snow on the mountains in the winter.”

One thing we don't want here is exposure or unnecessary risk.  None of us put ourselves into harm’s way unless it is required, and then we are very careful, so the risk level is low.  Our in-country activity has increased lately and gives us a higher profile.  I was a bit concerned when Washington wanted an insertion into our mission, but a lot of pressure was put on our group to comply.  The consequences of risk and possible exposure are fatal.  I have to admit, I was relieved when I learned about your history.  A history of strict military discipline is reassuring.  But a little warning, careful navigation in the city and around the Mosques is critical to avoid being noticed or arousing suspicion or detection.”

When they returned to the house John saw a man sitting on the couch.  Raintree closed the door behind him and said, “Mac, this is the new guy.”

Raintree looked at John, “Mac, this is John.” Mac stood up.  Mac looked about thirty, five foot ten inches tall.  He was dressed in dark pants, a dark blue long sleeved shirt, and black shoes.  He had a trimmed black goatee and mustache.  His air was slicked straight back.

“Nice to meet you, but I have to get going,” said Mac.  “I have evening prayers.  If I get back at a decent hour, we can talk.  See you then.” Mac left the room and John heard the door close behind him.

“Does Mac have a job?” asked John.

“Except working for Uncle Sam, Mac doesn't have a job.  Mac goes to morning prayers, afternoon prayers, and evening prayers, usually at a various local Mosques.  If he were devout, he would go to prayer five times like a good Muslim.  But he hasn't the stomach for it.  He goes because he picks up a lot of information and easily melts into the community.  Mostly Mac hangs out, has coffee and talks with his buddies who don't have jobs either.  At night, I don't know where he goes, but he gets lots of calls from women.  Mac is short for Macbeth.  His parents obviously had a sense of humor.”

“What are the women around here like?” asked John.

“If you're looking for a date,” said Raintree, “you'll have to ask Mac.  But generally, if you want to get laid, you go to one of the underground dark bars, hang out until about two.  The gals who are still there at two in the morning are available.  Although I think Iranian woman are really good looking, at two o'clock in the morning the good looking gals are not the ones still hanging out at the bar.  You will have to drastically lower your standards, or drink a lot of vodka.  I think vodka is the best pill to cure ugly.  This country has a lot of conservative aspects to it on a larger scale, but when they are off the public streets or not in public buildings, the gals act and dress differently.  On the street the most common clothing is a head scarf, or a roo-sari to conceal the head and neck.  The women wear a formless, knee-length coat known as a roo-poosh and a long dress or pair of pants.  In and around holy sites women will wear a chādor, which is a full-length swathe of black cloth designed to cloak everything but your face from view.

“The younger women are fairly westernized and are pushing the boundaries of modesty with colorful head scarves that cover only a fraction of their hair, and figure-hugging roo-pooshes that reveal every curve of their bodies.  Half the population is under 30 and changes are coming quickly.  I like the changes, especially in the way these modern young girls are breaking through some restrictive customs and are dressing in a modern way. “Men have an easier time of things.  Short-sleeved shirts and t-shirts are acceptable for daily wear.  Shorts and three-quarter length pants are only acceptable on the beach.  In the Mosque you have to wear a long sleeved shirt.”

John heard the front door open and close.  A moment later a tall, dark haired woman came into the room wearing a roo-sari and a roo-poosh.  “Farah, this is John,” said Raintree. 

She unwrapped her scarf, took off the roo-poosh, draped them over her arm and put out her open hand to John.  “Salâm.” She was stunning and exotic looking with black long hair, dark eyebrows and piercing brown eyes.  “I hope your stay in Iran is brief and safe.  I am sure when you leave you will never look back.” She smiled, left the room without saying anything else.

“She doesn't say much,” said Raintree.  “Safardi Jews were, and still are, a critical asset for the Mossad.  Safardi Jews are dark, look Middle Eastern and speak the language, not like the European Ashkenazi.  If the Iranians think a guy is Jewish they strip him.  If he is circumcised they kill him on the spot.  I think she is with us now, and not the Mossad, because she had a bad experience with the Mossad, but I don't know.  Like I said, she doesn't say much.”

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

THE MOSQUE

The next week John and Raintree visited the Jameh Mosque of Hamedan, the Sheik Loft Allah Mosque, the Agha Boozorg Mosque and the Shah Abdol Azim Mosque among many other he could not name.  John became practiced in the ritual of Muslim prayer, and even was able to adapt to the slightly different prayers in the different Mosques.  He realized the he was nondescript and received no special attention or notice among the devout.  He became comfortable in the Mosques and felt a strange sense of peace as he followed the rituals he now performed almost automatically.  He was impressed by the size of even the smallest Mosques, but not with the dirt and filth of the area around the Mosques and sometimes inside the Mosques.

 One evening after returning to the house after prayer, Raintree went to the small refrigerator, unlocked it, and removed two beers.  John sat on the floor pillows and savored the rare taste of beer in this Muslim country.  “The Mosques seem somewhat peaceful and the prayers bring calm to the place.  I've always been told the Muslim's were a hostile and hateful religion.  I don't get it.  What is going on?” asked John.

“You don't hear what the Imam is saying during the prayers.  He talks about the Jews as pigs and America as decadent, and every non-believer must be killed unless they convert.  It is the same everywhere.  If you hear that every day, it becomes part of what you believe.  Give them two weeks in New York with an expense account and a lot of their minds could be changed.”

“It seems a bit goofy to me,” said John.

“These guys are savages,” said Raintree.  “They are one generation off their camel.  They left the desert just a short time ago.  In the desert they threw spears, put women in red tents and ate camel.  They are aborigines and it takes hundreds of years, if not thousands, to breed out that aborigine and replace it with a civilized society.  Merely because they dress in western clothes instead of robes, drive cars instead of camels and use nuclear bombs instead of spears, doesn't change their tribal, territorial, savage instincts.  You can't change an attack dog, but you can breed it out of him over many dog lives.

Raintree continued, “Not only that, but the religion is nuts.  Have you read the Koran?”

“No,” said John.

“Anyone with half a brain who has read the Koran, or the Classics Illustrated version, learn real fast that the mission of the Muslim is to kill, and I mean kill, everyone who is not a Muslim.  We can't co-exist with them.  Also, they are sex crazed.  The religion, and a good part of their entire society is based on sex, as in fornication, not gender.  They use their women as semen receptacles and household servants.  Women are property and not human.  It's bizarre that the greatest sacrifices by the devout, and by that I mean them killing themselves in some act of violence that kills the infidel, will be rewarded in the afterlife.  The prize of the devout is you will go so heaven where they will be have seventy virgins.  I guess they assume the virgins are young.  If the virgins are eighty years old that might change a lot in the religion, but that is too much to hope for.  I had the great idea that if we tried to educate the Muslims that the virgins were old ladies, the number of suicide bombings would fall by half.  Can you imagine a young horny Jihadist who has just set off a suicide bombing killing scores of Jews, arrives in heaven, and sees 72 seriously ugly women who, he is told, are the 72 virgins? Suddenly he knows why they are virgins.  I am sure the first thing that comes out of his mouth is, ‘Oh, shit.’ As it sits now in the Jihadist lore, if you wear a bomb, and kill a bunch of Jews, you can then fuck a lot of girls who you don't know, who don't know you, and who are totally inexperienced.  In any other culture that would be a child molest or a rape.  A religion that revolves around sex, like child molest or rape, like they do, is crazy.  But that is what it is.  There is no mention that the reward in heaven would be a beautiful woman, with whom you experience a special love and devotion.  Now that might be something to die for.  But these guys are a bunch of animals.  I have always wondered about the Muslim girl or old woman who puts on a bomb, and blows up a bunch of infidels.  What is any of those gals rewarded with? Probably an old fat eunuch houseboy with his tongue cut out who takes a bath every day and consistently puts the toilet seat down.  That would be her reward.”

“How did you get those ideas? You’re from this part of the world.  And why are you back?” asked John.

“When my father got to America in the early 80's he saw some things, and he told me about them.  He was big on life's lessons.  He said he looked around when he got to the United States, and he saw there were more white guys than any other.  They had the money, and the power that went with money.  He told me he saw the Middle Easterners had small stores, or drove cabs, and lived in ghettos.  He did not see Americans doing those jobs.  He made a conscious decision to join up with the successful, go with the flow and follow the crowd.  He wanted to be an American.  He shaved his beard, cut his hair short, sent my mom out to buy western clothes, moved out of the Iranian ghetto, and changed his name to David Raintree, and started attending a Catholic church.  He went to classes and tried hard to learn, and especially speak, English.  I always thought he was a smart man.  He started out as a Real Estate salesman and then bought a few pieces of property.  He worked hard and did some things he never got into with me, but he was legit and ended up as upper middle class, almost wealthy.  My brothers and sisters are thoroughly American, have graduated from college and are doing well.  The only political discussions we have at Thanksgiving are between the family Democrats and Republicans.  My brothers and my sister's husbands are Republican.  My sisters are Democrats, kinda.

“But why did you come back to Iran?”

Raintree paused.  With a touch of a faraway glance, Raintree answered.  “When you're a kid, and you respect your father, then you listen to what he tells you, and you believe him.  My father never hesitated to tell us how his mind worked.  I especially remember one time when I came home from the University a little bewildered about who I was.  I was just beginning to bore into typical growing adolescent questions like 'who am I, what will I do,' and so forth.  I asked him why or how he could give up his past, his traditions and his family in the old country, and become a new person altogether when he came to the United States.

“He said that the past was a memory, and the past was a teacher, but nothing would ever change what the past was.  The present and the future could be changed.  The past would always remain in my DNA, he said, but the past he had come from when he came to America was mired in archaic customs and traditions.  It was inflexible.  He said the most stable world, or culture, or person, was the one that could absorb change.  He said he easily gave up his past because he learned in America that the old culture was inflexible and dogmatic, and worse, murderous.  When he decided to give that up, he said that he wondered where he should go and what he should do.  He said the adopted country was strange, it had a culture he was unfamiliar with, and he was apprehensive and a bit frightened.  For him, the future was uncertain and he told me that my own future was uncertain.  He said the history of the world was full of unforeseen events, and included natural surprises, political surprises, historical surprises, economic surprises, and personal happenings that could not be seen coming.  He decided he would move on in the new world, in the face of its uncertainty, mainly, he said, because he had no choice.  He said that the options or choices he had would be foreclosed by the passage of time, and if he did not act, he would become the victim of circumstances, and that frightened him even more than the risk of forging ahead.  He said that he had no past, and no certain future, and he was going to live in the moment, taking every opportunity for himself and his wife, and someday, his children.  After I graduated from school, and looked back at what he said and how he came to his conclusions, I realized he was a critical thinker.  He absorbed information, thought it through, and tried to make the best next move for his family.  Critical thinking takes time and effort, and something you must do, especially if you don't have the benefit of a preprogrammed life.  I got here because I am an American.  I love my country.  I have the tools to be here, and to work successfully, and I knew the old country was wrong, just wrong, and bad.  Until I came here, I did not know how bad and wrong it was.  I was like my dad, with an uncertain future and a real desire to live the American life.  I wanted to live in the moment, and I did, and I am here.”