The Lure of the Desert

If you have never felt the lure of the desert, you cannot understand why people like me prefer to be surrounded by sandy dunes. An inexplicable lure, that acts like a drug..... Until I was kidnapped by four senile Bedouins. There was nothing senile about their guns. Courteously I was led into their tent built near a small oasis. I was fed, sort of. And then the entertainment began. From behind the curtains, someone strummed a melody of eastern music, eerie and mysterious, but still unpleasant to my ears. Two men performed a sword dance. Then a lovely female dancer took the stage. In the dim light, the air was smoky with hookahs, she stood in the middle of the tent, The music climbed slowly in a crescendo, her dance matched the rhythm, slow to fast. I wonder why she did not interest me. I was more concerned about the weapons Aimed idly at me. Someone handed me a drink, like nectar. I drank and drank and drank. The end came, abruptly. I woke up groggily, and was sent to the nearest town. The senile Bedouin smiled: "The desert has its beauty, my friend. But be careful. You can get lost." Still, the lure of the desert will always beckon.