The Turtle of Oman

Aref wakes the next day feeling strange. His mother comments that he does not seem happy, and Aref replies that he can’t be happy all the time. She suggests that it would be better to be excited about their journey. She also wants the house clean for those who are stopping to say goodbye and for their relatives, who will soon move into the house.

While turtles and birds both have instincts that tell them when to travel, Aref does not feel that this is the best time to move to the US. However, he hears his mother on the phone talking to someone about taking him camping. This greatly improves his mood, and he waits for that person to arrive.

Sidi picks Aref up for their camping trip and reminds him of the last time they went to Night of a Thousand Stars camp. On that occasion, a baby camel licked Aref’s head over and over again. Today, they stop to see one of Sidi’s friends, who is named Mohammed. Sidi’s name is also Mohammed, but Aref does not call him that.

They talk about their surroundings as they drive through the city. Sidi asks if Aref thinks foxes are more like cats or dogs. When Aref asserts that they are like cats, Sidi admits that he thinks that they’re a mix. They take a detour near a field, and Sidi collects several orange stones that he believes were once meteors. Then they get falafel sandwiches and stop at a watermelon stand. When they find a place where cranes lay eggs, Sidi suggests that they should come back one day and wait for the birds to appear.

Sidi and Aref drive through the mountains to reach Night of a Thousand Stars camp. Eventually, Sidi turns off the road to drive on the sand. It is difficult to drive on this terrain, and Sidi grips the steering wheel tightly. Eventually, he concludes that they may be lost, and they behold the depths of the desert. Sidi says that the desert is always changing. Soon, however, the camp appears in the distance.

The narration states that it can feel uncomfortable to arrive in new places, but new arrivals can soon become a part of their new surroundings. At the camp, Aref sits down with Sidi and three other older men. A man named Naveed greets them and asks about their trip. Sidi gives him a watermelon, and Naveed brings curried vegetables and rice for them. Aref wonders where the food came from and fantasizes that it was brought in via helicopter or that there are secret caves with refrigerators. In answer to Sidi’s question, Naveed reveals that he has been working at the camp as a cook for two years. To Naveed, the desert “is a friendly place” (155). A hyena makes a noise in the distance, and Aref is briefly nervous, but Sidi reassures him. They go outside and look at the Milky Way. Sidi recounts his memories of sleeping on the roof as a child and watching the stars. Aref wants to do that too, and Sidi promises that they will do it before Aref leaves. They enter their tent and they becoming Bedouins—nomads—when Aref returns from the US. Then they go to sleep.

Aref takes a shower in the morning, but the water is freezing, so he keeps it short. Back in the tent, he helps Sidi, who feels stiff. Sidi says that he feels like a sphinx. Aref copies Sidi’s morning stretches. Naveed appears, offering breakfast. They watch birds from the table and throw them crumbs. Aref wishes that they could stay at the camp forever, but Sidi tries to emphasize that he will like his new school. Tears flood Aref’s eyes, and Sidi promises that they will still be with one another every day. As it grows quiet, Sidi tells him to listen to the wind. He promises to learn how to use email to talk to Aref, and Aref laughs. Then, Sidi tells Aref to run around again, which Aref enjoys. Looking at Sidi, Aref knows that he will always remember this moment.

When Aref stops running, Sidi gives him a rock with lines that look like a map. Then, a man named Jamal appears; he has a falcon on his shoulder. Jamal and his falcon, Fil-Fil, have stayed awake for many hours as part of the falcon’s training. Jamal clicks his tongue, and Fil-Fil takes off. When Jamal whistles, the bird returns to his arm. After asking Aref if he’d like Fil-Fil to land on his arm, Jamal removes a leather landing part from his jacket and puts it on Aref’s arm. He positions his own arm near Aref’s, and Fil-Fil climbs onto Aref’s arm. Then, with a sound from Jamal, Fil-Fill takes off again, soaring through the sky.

Aref wonders what it would be like to fly. He knows that even missing a single feather could throw off the balance of a falcon’s wings. Jamal tells him to raise his arm again and summons Fil-Fil back to Aref. Then, the bird moves back over to its owner. Jamal and the falcon leave to rest. Sidi and Aref walk into the desert, and Sidi encourages his grandson to breathe deeply, bringing the desert air into their lungs so that it can come with them to the city. Sidi comments that Aref will be his falcon, departing and then returning.

Aref records a few details about falcons, including his brief fears when Fil-Fil landed on his arm. He wonders how someone learns to train falcons. He also wonders if Fil-Fil has ever pecked Jamal. New visitors arrive at the camp, and Sidi points out that they must now pack up and leave. Aref wishes that he could stay at the camp for three years. On the way to the car, Sidi picks up a speckled stone that reminds Aref of the falcon. Sidi gives the stone to Aref. They get in the car and drive away.