The View

From the balcony, the view of the valley below was mesmerizing. At first a gentle slope with olive trees, it descended deeper with near vertical walls studded with ancient caves and part of a recently recovered aqueduct, and eventually it flattened out into a rocky wadi that led into the Arab village beyond. Five times a day, the devoted singsong of the muezzin echoed up the wadi, snaked its way through the valley, and slipped through the sliding glass doors into the living room, the kitchen, and the bedroom. The sound had become so familiar in the house that the old armchair seemed to have developed a slight indentation where the voice settled on its many visits.