Shadow of Resistance

Chapter Fourteen

Dad places the two little babies on the couch and looks at us.

"Look boys I have bad news and I want you to keep yourself together." He says with a quite steady voice. "Your grandmother's house was bombed and she, your aunt and her husband died from this explosion. They managed to extract these cute little babies alive and unhurt from under the rubble thanks to God"

Although I expected that, his words were like a knife to my heart. I try to hold my tears while every part of me is collapsing. I see tears well up in my dad's eyes and I turn to Omar and see tears already falling on his cheeks.

"I want to tell you a hard truth...." He continues "Here in Palestine we have to be always ready for losing anyone at any time. Everyday could be holding some heavy news for us, but we have to deal with it differently and look at the bigger picture. They are all now in heaven, the best place anyone could ever be in, and we should be happy for them."

I can't hold my tears anymore, tears start flowing from my eyes. I can't imagine I lost them and won't see them again, won't do our fun gatherings again, won't listen to my grandmother's stories again.

He puts his hands on our shoulder when he sees both of us crying. "Hey, you have to be strong for your mum," He says. "She lost both her mother and her young sister on the same day. We have to support her and seem strong in front of her."

I wipe my tears and look at these two little babies that are sleeping on the coach with dust all over their bodies. All of my sadness turns to anger, I realise that I'm the least one affected by this. My mother losing her mother and sister and these cute little babies losing their parents.

"Is that it? Ain't there anything we can do?" I shout. "Israel has to be tried for this. This war has to be stopped."

"I've lost many relatives the same way," Dad replies, his voice heavy with sorrow. "I know exactly how you feel. But this is the hard truth, in Palestine anyone can be killed at any moment, and no one is ever held accountable. I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do."

"What about these babies that lost both of their parents before their first birthday? What did they do to deserve this?" I say with a loud voice and a broken heart.

"They are with us now, we will be their family. God chose their parents to be martyrs and gave us to them to be their new family at the same time." He replies. "Both of you now are their older brothers that should take care of them and teach them everything."

"I want to go to her house," I say, my voice firm and unwavering.

"Why would you want to go there? It is just a pile of rocks. And on top of that, it is now classified as a dangerous zone," he replies, his eyebrows knitting together in concern.

"I have to find her key and keep it with me," I insist.

"What will you do with this old key? You don't know anything about the house or the farm except the village name," he responds with a puzzled look on his face.

"I don't care! I want this key, and I will find the house when the day comes," I shout with my face flushed with determination.

"Okay, okay. I promise you that I will take you there once the war ends," he says, sighing deeply.

Mum comes from behind him after she changed her clothes. I look at her face, I have never seen her that sad and lost. The way she looks makes me want to do anything to make her feel better.

I run toward her and wrap my arms around her, hugging her tightly. Omar follows quickly and embraces both of us. She gently pats our backs and whispers, "I'm okay, dears. Don't worry."

We leave her and look at her face while she forces a smile. "I have to give these little ones a good bath." she says while moving towards them and she then carries them to the bathroom to clean them up.