The Long Longing - A Story of Palestine.
The sky was different today. There was life, emotions and passion. It seemed to be celebrating the return of a beloved.
"How similar we are oh sky" thought Fatima. For her happiness had no measure. Her husband was getting back. He would reach any hour of the night.
Abu Hamde who had been a captive in the prison of Israel for six months. He worked as chef to make ends meet. Impatiently had he waited for this day. The day he will be going back to his lovely wife who had shared the news of him becoming father of a boy she had named hamza. He couldn't wait to see his son. To take him in his arms. To tell him the stories of brave Palestinian souls who had stood for the rights of the country, to tell him how much had he had wanted to see him, to tell him about the responsibility that lies on his fragile shoulders to get his country rid of the bloodshed and the massacre that was going on.
Once upon a time his mother had told him the same. Her wrinkled eyes had seen many of her loved ones dying right Infront of them. Fired, shot, slaughtered and what not. He remembered it. And that is what he had seen in life. Death upon death. Also how could he forget the warmth of the hug of his mother that he had longed for, all this time.
"You know what has been tough?" Said Fatima
"What?" Asked Eman
"Distances"
Fatima could see a slow drop of tear flowing out of her tired eyes and down her bony cheek. Who would know distances better than Eman did. She belonged to the West Bank and had lost her father in an air strike in Gaza. Her mother had shed tears of despair. For what could be devastating than seeing a teenage son burnt to ash within minutes. He had dreams, he used to share with Eman. But that night when fire had descended from all four directions and the sky had looked like a furnace, those dreams had got lost somewhere. But they didn't die with him, they didn't die. This gave eeman a hope. These dreams were shared by every Palestinian youth. how many will they kill, how many?
Wiping the cheek she said, "but they are over now and your husband is coming back finally"
The wiped cheek still wet, had something to say. These wounds were deep. Too deep to heal.
Today Fatima had made Abu hamde's favourite falafel. It was also one of the beautiful memories she had cherished. The first dish they had baked together after they got married was falafel and the family had loved it. Now that she was done with the final touches, she covered it and left the kitchen.
'Oh it's about to rain' thought Amira and rushed to keep things at safe places so they don't get wet. The weather had been so unpredictable today. Just when Fatima thought sun was about to shine, cloudy sky turned aggressive and showers started to descend like fire descended on this part of the earth, very often. Like a dragon that exhaled fire and inhaled everything in.
'Two hours and we'll be together', Fatima was blushing. She knew Abu Hamde kept his promises. He had promised to come back and he was. There were many words to keep. They had dreamt of the feast they were to have when their son starts walking and what not. He was coming back!
As the clock ticked, the beautiful moment was approaching near. Abu hamde's mother's heart was beating with the ticking of clock. Even a little longer the tick would take, her heart would stop beating. There was so much that mounted on this mother's heart that had to be shared, once her son came back. Suddenly there was noise at the street. Life, there was life! They had arrived finally and the wait of months and days was over. She was lucky to have her son back, people had waited for their loved ones for years but they had not came back. The Israeli detention was so beyond understanding, and quite frankly, all that is done without any logic is way beyond human comprehension. When humanity gets inhumane, it defies all levels of insanity.
Fatima with her son in her mother in law's lap rushed to the door to see what was that noise so full of life. It was Abu Hamde hopefully.
Streets seemed to be celebrating the arrival of one so special.
It was him! It was Abu Hamde! Both the hearts swelled with joy. For they had seen enough of pain and longing. People were clustered like clouds that Fatima had seen in the sky earlier today. As these thick clusters thinned down, she saw dead body being brought near.
Everything stopped.
She had turned from beautiful looking sky to the one that had poured down showers of rain. He had came back, he did. He had tried to fullfil his promise but the life didn't allow him. Their story was meant to be incomplete like many other stories around them.
The wait was over. The clocks had stopped ticking and so the mother's heart beat. She had preferred to join her son. It was not life that danced on the streets of Palestine, it was death. She had mistaken it for life. Life wandered in fear, it would never make itself visible.
Fatima was destined to live with her son, the memory of Abu Hamde she would live upon. He was the legacy his father had left. No matter how many they kill, the legacy will continue. No matter how many lives they feast on, it won't last for long. Distance that Fatima had always feared the most was what she eventually encountered.
"How similar we are oh sky" thought Fatima. For her happiness had no measure. Her husband was getting back. He would reach any hour of the night.
Abu Hamde who had been a captive in the prison of Israel for six months. He worked as chef to make ends meet. Impatiently had he waited for this day. The day he will be going back to his lovely wife who had shared the news of him becoming father of a boy she had named hamza. He couldn't wait to see his son. To take him in his arms. To tell him the stories of brave Palestinian souls who had stood for the rights of the country, to tell him how much had he had wanted to see him, to tell him about the responsibility that lies on his fragile shoulders to get his country rid of the bloodshed and the massacre that was going on.
Once upon a time his mother had told him the same. Her wrinkled eyes had seen many of her loved ones dying right Infront of them. Fired, shot, slaughtered and what not. He remembered it. And that is what he had seen in life. Death upon death. Also how could he forget the warmth of the hug of his mother that he had longed for, all this time.
"You know what has been tough?" Said Fatima
"What?" Asked Eman
"Distances"
Fatima could see a slow drop of tear flowing out of her tired eyes and down her bony cheek. Who would know distances better than Eman did. She belonged to the West Bank and had lost her father in an air strike in Gaza. Her mother had shed tears of despair. For what could be devastating than seeing a teenage son burnt to ash within minutes. He had dreams, he used to share with Eman. But that night when fire had descended from all four directions and the sky had looked like a furnace, those dreams had got lost somewhere. But they didn't die with him, they didn't die. This gave eeman a hope. These dreams were shared by every Palestinian youth. how many will they kill, how many?
Wiping the cheek she said, "but they are over now and your husband is coming back finally"
The wiped cheek still wet, had something to say. These wounds were deep. Too deep to heal.
Today Fatima had made Abu hamde's favourite falafel. It was also one of the beautiful memories she had cherished. The first dish they had baked together after they got married was falafel and the family had loved it. Now that she was done with the final touches, she covered it and left the kitchen.
'Oh it's about to rain' thought Amira and rushed to keep things at safe places so they don't get wet. The weather had been so unpredictable today. Just when Fatima thought sun was about to shine, cloudy sky turned aggressive and showers started to descend like fire descended on this part of the earth, very often. Like a dragon that exhaled fire and inhaled everything in.
'Two hours and we'll be together', Fatima was blushing. She knew Abu Hamde kept his promises. He had promised to come back and he was. There were many words to keep. They had dreamt of the feast they were to have when their son starts walking and what not. He was coming back!
As the clock ticked, the beautiful moment was approaching near. Abu hamde's mother's heart was beating with the ticking of clock. Even a little longer the tick would take, her heart would stop beating. There was so much that mounted on this mother's heart that had to be shared, once her son came back. Suddenly there was noise at the street. Life, there was life! They had arrived finally and the wait of months and days was over. She was lucky to have her son back, people had waited for their loved ones for years but they had not came back. The Israeli detention was so beyond understanding, and quite frankly, all that is done without any logic is way beyond human comprehension. When humanity gets inhumane, it defies all levels of insanity.
Fatima with her son in her mother in law's lap rushed to the door to see what was that noise so full of life. It was Abu Hamde hopefully.
Streets seemed to be celebrating the arrival of one so special.
It was him! It was Abu Hamde! Both the hearts swelled with joy. For they had seen enough of pain and longing. People were clustered like clouds that Fatima had seen in the sky earlier today. As these thick clusters thinned down, she saw dead body being brought near.
Everything stopped.
She had turned from beautiful looking sky to the one that had poured down showers of rain. He had came back, he did. He had tried to fullfil his promise but the life didn't allow him. Their story was meant to be incomplete like many other stories around them.
The wait was over. The clocks had stopped ticking and so the mother's heart beat. She had preferred to join her son. It was not life that danced on the streets of Palestine, it was death. She had mistaken it for life. Life wandered in fear, it would never make itself visible.
Fatima was destined to live with her son, the memory of Abu Hamde she would live upon. He was the legacy his father had left. No matter how many they kill, the legacy will continue. No matter how many lives they feast on, it won't last for long. Distance that Fatima had always feared the most was what she eventually encountered.
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