Arabic France Novel excerpt. I pushed my cart forward and took my place in the long queue of women and men. We might have been in a supermarket but were heading toward stacks of clothing, not scrutinizing aisles of canned foods and milk. Tables had been placed next to each other in front of shelves stacked high with folded garments: khaki trousers and shirts, shoes and socks, belts, and wool underclothes, as if we were brides and the army was responsible for our trousseau.
I imitated those ahead of me as each person took items from a shelf and placed garments his size in the shopping cart. They had taken our measurements the day before so we would know what to choose. When we first arrived at the base, they did a roll call in a commanding voice and pronounced my name Zayna Bihanayim. I stepped forward then, and they checked my identity first before issuing me sheets, a pillow, and a blanket.
I stowed my gear under my arm and headed to the dormitories, where we would sleep four or five to a room. The next day was devoted to physical exams. These were conducted by military physicians, and the only thing different about them was their uniforms. Then there was a day for filling out official forms with our personal data.
Had I done enough in my life to justify all these questions about it? We had arrived at the military base on a civilian plane from Detroit and found a military bus waiting for us.
Only at the moment I put my right foot on the first step of the bus did I realize that I had said goodbye to all my former life. A new page had opened before me, and my life would never be the same again.
