Hisham Khasawinah

By Alexander Magnus Golem. As the midday sun scorches the Jordan Valley on August 8, 2012, I—Alexander Magnus Golem—stand under a magnificent Byadi fig tree beside Hisham Khasawinah. He’s dressed in a pale turquoise shirt, sandy trousers, and chestnut sheep-leather shoes. His golden skin glows; dark lashes frame piercing brown eyes; a full, wizard-like beard crowns his unblemished visage. I watch, intrigued, as he plucks each sun-yellow fig whole—never a drip, never any mess—seemingly without end. Yet the tree remains laden, its emerald unripe figs untouched on the branches, no fruit littering the ground. “Hisham,” I say, “you’re like a fig-eating robot.” He chuckles, serene. “Welcome to the team, Alex!” he replies. “Ancient fruit on an ancient land. Each season has its own magic. When it ends, most people wish they’d savored every fig. Not me. Carpe diem! The Wild World Web, WWW, works the same way: unique seasons at your fingertips waiting for your loving embrace.” The 1990s: Hum...