Oranges and Fish from heaven...you can forget that.--The Telephone

Let's have a celebration for this short story, shall we? On the McKinley scale of 5 stars, I give this essay a strong 4 if not 4.5, depending on my mood.
Mr. Anwaar Accawi is divinely inspired, it would seem. Or atleast that's the impression he makes with his frequent references to the heavens and the way he paints his cousin-marrying, simple, private home town in Lebanon. Don't be a doubter.
"fall from the sky..."
"Heavens were shut for months,"
"fish and oranges from heaven."
^all lines from the story.
In a little religious reflection, I have to say that the theme of "The Telephone" is very reminicent of many religious texts, of all beliefs. One of humanity's greatest flaws being its discontent, restlessness, and acceptance of simplicity. We always have to make things more complicated with our curiosities and idiosyncities.
Anwaar graces this. His entire community was content until they decided to try and improve themselves, after withstanding decades of global peer pressure they decided to "progress" and get a telephone. And then things changed, and people realized that there was "more" in the world, and suddenly they weren't satisfied.
It would be nice to be satisfied wouldn't it? I guess the general masses just aren't. There's just more to be had.
My favorite character was that of Im Kaleem. The loveable whore. Not really whore, because she loved all of he men whom she pleased. (That must have been emotionally taxing right? She gave Natalie Imbruglia a real run for her money on the whole "torn" thing.) And my little heart empathized with her when all of the men of the village ditched her for the telephone. I mean really, who were they expecting to call? Men and their toys.
See what I mean about dissatisfaction? Im Kaleem all of a sudden wasn't cutting it. As there wives weren't before her.
Hopefully someday the telephone won't be enough. But until then, "I'm still looking for that better life."