The Number

McClatchy Baghdad Bureau

A friend of mine called me to tell me the bad news. Her brother had been kidnapped, and the ransom set at $100,000. For any Iraqi, such an amount spells disaster. Selling all they could sell, the whole extended family pitched in to save the poor man. They told the abductors that they couldn’t manage more than 20,000. (It is common knowledge that none can sell his house or his car; the odor of ready cash would attract others). Surprisingly, the criminals said "OK, have a woman bring the money to …..". After leading her on a merry dance, a boy of sixteen or seventeen approached her, took the money and said, "We will contact you". And that was the last they saw of them. Two weeks later, their women combing the hospitals and then the morgues, had found no trace of Hani. They were told to speak to the contractor. "What contractor??", "The one who is in charge of burying all the unidentified bodies we get." "What??" So they asked around, and were directed to an ordinary looking man, who was not at all surprised to hear of their dilemma. "Yes, I’m in charge of burying the bodies that are not claimed. There is no room for all these bodies in the morgues. You must identify him first, and I will direct you to his grave."...

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