Raining bullets

Last night a few of us were playing Civilization IV in our hooch. When we do have free time, this is one of the ways we choose to socialize. The game is complex, challenging, fun and time consuming. We have started lots of games, but haven’t finished any, because someone always has duty and so we start a new game with a slightly different group of players.

It was getting late and we were deeply involved in several societal battles in the game when the ominous sounds began outside. Small arms fire, when heard from inside a poorly insulated metal trailer, sounds a lot like a very loud bowl of Rice Krispies just after you pour the milk on it. When heard from outside the same poorly insulated metal trailer, the gunfire sounds quite a bit more ominous, especially when you realize it is coming from thousands of guns at once. Then, when you look up and see the night sky filled with red tracer rounds from various weapons including machine guns, you start to wonder just exactly what is going on.

If you’re me, and I am, your heart starts to beat faster. You think to yourself that perhaps you should be doing something other than playing a silly computer game.

All of us watched the thousands of rounds being shot into the sky. We breathed in the scent of a Baghdad night – that unique mixture of burning trash, airborne microsand and, of course, the sharp and acrid smell of gunpowder.

A few moments later, the cell phones came out, people started putting on their battle rattle and things got busy. No one panicked, but we were all somewhat uneasy. The sky glowed and the air crackled as we raced to and fro preparing for no one knew what. Then the big giant voice came on: “ATTENTION IN THE COMPOUND. THE GUNFIRE YOU ARE HEARING IS CELEBRATORY. DO NOT RETURN FIRE.”

Everyone settled down as we learned that Iraq had won a close match over Syria in that most revered of sports, soccer. This morning, I found a bullet smashed into the sidewalk outside my hooch. I heard many others tell tales of the close encounters they had with pieces of metal plummeting from the sky. I wonder how many unfortunate victims of the celebratory fire there were last night.

Hopefully, this is a custom that will die out.

The rain of bullets is over for now and Iraq’s elections are four days away. Even when the sky rains metal I remain optimistic.

Update: Others have written about this event as well.

Courage Without Fear – I thought it was the big one
While Away -D ecember 11, 2005
Mike’s Iraqi Adventure – I’m Back
GI John – A Better Use for Bullets

H/T Mudville Gazette

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