At first I think he means Amman again and I am confused, but I see him looking at the other shore and I understand. I turn around in my seat. The boat with the soldiers is stopped a small distance away and one of them is watching us. I start to wave but Sharif stops me.

Sharif pedals and now we move faster. He sings a song from home that my mother sometimes sings. I listen and watch the houses. I can see plants on the window ledges. The beach behind us looks very far away, but I feel safe. We pedal and sing and challenge the sun.

I hear a motor and then a wave comes from a different direction this time. I turn and see the soldiers coming straight at us.

“Sharif, let’s ask them for a ride in their boat.”

He doesn’t hear me, just keeps pedaling.

The soldier boat turns off its motor in front of us and our dolphin rocks in its wave.

“Hello!” one of them calls.

Sharif stops pedaling but is still staring at the houses.

I feel scared, but I want to ride on their boat.

“Where are you going?” Their boat has floated up to ours and they are both young—maybe even younger than Sharif—and look smaller than they looked from a distance.

“Home,” I answer because Sharif is silent.

“Home?” The soldier has big teeth.

I feel shy and look down.

“We just wanted to see what’s on that shore.” Sharif points to the houses.

“You can’t go there.” The soldiers laugh. “They won’t let you.”

“Who is ‘they’?” I ask. Sharif is quiet.

“The Israelis. You can’t cross this border”—he points a few feet in front of us—“or they will come out and stop you. They might even hurt you.”

I look at the houses.

“You’re awfully far from the beach. Why don’t we take you back.” The soldier has a nice voice, but I don’t want to go with them anymore.

Sharif turns to me with large eyes. He tickles me. “Come on.”

The soldier with the big teeth pulls our boats side by side and helps me get up and into their boat. Sharif gets in by himself. They tie the string from the dolphin to their boat and we turn back toward our shore. I wish they would go faster.

The soldiers are asking where we are from and I answer, but Sharif is leaning over the side, letting the water splash his face and watching the houses.