Palestine 11/04/09
Aisha raised her eyes to the sky, her heart crying for help. But she could only see smoke which turned the sky dark. A drop of tears fell from her little brown eyes as she realised what she lost. Beside her, Ibrahim, her little brother sat on the ground staring at his mother's corpse. He could not cry as confusion and shock conquerred his tiny heart. Aisha, 14 years old understood everything. She took a bloody scarf lying on the ground and covered the beautiful face of her mother. Aisha came back and took her brother in her arms. Ibrahim, 10 years old, hugged back his sister. She was his only family.
Around them, nothing was left. Their home was turned to dust, their clothes to ashes and their foods were all doomed. Aisha closed her eyes and prayed to God, she prayed for peace and happiness but she knew that the worse was yet to come. She hated war but knew she had to be strong. She wiped away her tears and helped Ibrahim to stand. They had to get away from here, from all these bloody scenes . But where will they go? They had no other relatives, no other shelter. Aisha felt the scorching sunlight penetrate her skin as she walked on the scattered stones. She tightened her hand around Ibrahim's. Her eyes roamed around, searching for a place to rest. But nothing was left. The bombs blasted everything as soon as it touched the ground.
Cries of abondonned children raised in the air, causing the eyes of Aisha to overflow. She wiped away the tears fiercely and closed her ears to the cries. No more tears was allowed. She had to be strong. She was a palestinian and this was her fate. Her hand twisted into a fist, her heart ached as hatred and fury filled it. The attack occured yesterday and today the road was filled with corpses and blood. Ibrahim closed his eyes as they passed by a child's body left in the sun. Aisha felt helpless, wanted to bury the child but she kept moving on. People's home were no more existant, they found shelter under pieces of cloth which they turned into a home.
They both walked silently as some men, holding big weapons, stood in group. Ibrahim began to shake as if his knees were jelly, it can fall at any time. Aisha held her breath and walked fearlessly beside her brother. The men watched her carefully, examined her like they always did. Aisha's heart began to race when one of the man approached her. He stood before her and glared at Ibrahim. Ibrahim glared back as anger increased in him. He recognised the clothes of the man. He was like the man who killed his mother yesterday. Aisha began to pray, waiting for the man to shoot her.
" What's in that bag? Give that to me," he ordered in his loud, cruel voice. Ibrahim embraced the bag, as a sign of refusal. Aisha did not see Ibrahim take the bag. It was his school bag which was saved from the war. Ibrahim loved school, he loved going there with his bag and learn new things. He would tell his sister about what happened when they were home.
The disagreed with his refusal, snatched the bag violently from Ibrahim. The boy landed on the ground. Aisha understood her brother, she helped him to get up while the man was searching into the empty bag. He threw it on Ibrahim, disappointedly. Aisha could no more bear his atrocities.
" Got scared of children?" she snapped. The man slapped her with all his force, causing Aisha's lips to bleed. Her brother kicked the man's feet, trying to defend her sister. The man armed his gun and prepared to blow the little children's face when his friend caught his gun and asked him to calm down. Did they have a heart? Would they treat their kids thus? No, they wouldn't. But Ibrahim and Aisha were not their children, they were palestinians, they could be killed, slayed, insulted, bombed. They had no rights, no weapon, nothing at all. But the Israelites did not know that inside that fragile helpless body hide a greater weapon. This weapon was faith. At no moment Aisha blamed God for her miseries instead she would pray, all the time.
The other man took his friend away from the children. Aisha caught the trembling hand of her brother and led him away from these man. Burning salty water gushed from Ibrahim's furious eyes. He hated these people. They caught his father, killed his mother, destroyed his home and belongings and now they tried to hurt his beloved sister. He wiped away the tears with the back of his hand in fury. Aisha tried to calm her heart as the sun made her feel dizzy.
