On the Other Side

Chapter 3: Greece

Only the lights from people's mobile phones showed them the way, and even then they couldn't see a thing. The darkness of the night was scarier than Jawl or Najid could've imagined. Thick grey clouds covered the sky, blocking any light that came from the moon or stars. Najid felt alone. Even with the 22 other people around him and one of them being his sister, he felt very alone. The boat could tip at any moment, or a cargo ship that couldn't see them in the darkness could crush them. In an instant, all of them could be forgotten.

Jawl flinched as another spray of water hit her face. The salt burned into her eyes, she felt like gagging as her throat began to tighten. Splutters and coughs could be heard throughout the rubber boat, along with the sounds of chattering teeth and crying children. And yet somehow, the waves and the engine dominated everything else. She imagined how some people might like the sea. How it may have been comforting to some or even enjoyable. But not to her. And not to anyone who had ever travelled on these boats. People had died here, and they all knew that[25]. But they also knew they would die in Syria if they stayed. Najid and Jawl understood that best.

"Does anyone know how far away Chios is?" A man in a white cap asked shakily.

An old man with a white beard replied, "From where we are? No, no one has a clue. But from the shore, it was about 8km away if that's any help to you."[26]

"Rais said it would take 30 minutes," a mother holding a baby no more than a few months old muttered.

"Well, it's been more than 30 minutes," the old man replied.

"Why aren't we there, yet?" Najid asked cautiously.

The old man turned to look at him, "It's the engine. Do you hear how it splutters? There are too many of us on this boat. We're weighing it down, so it can't go any faster!"

Suddenly, the engine began to cough and stutter at an ever-decreasing rate. Everyone remained silent as they watched it in agony, hoping that it would be ok. With only final gasp, it stopped. The man who was steering the boat attempted to start it up again, then again, and again in desperation, but it would not. They were stuck.[27]

"Qa'areb al-moot!" Someone wailed.[28]

A few cries could be heard from the impromptu captain as the smell of petrol filled the air. With the combination of the rocking of the boat, the saltwater and the fuel, many people began to vomit - some rushing to get to the sides of the boat. This only seemed to make things worse, as it began to rock dangerously from side to side. People began to cry out, telling everyone to stop moving, but even then the boat kept teetering - it meant a storm was coming. Soon the waves were crashing harder and more frequently than ever before, and soon the sound of rapid tapping echoed throughout the area. Before long, the group was caught in the cold, hard rain.[29]

Suddenly, people were screaming about getting water out of the boat. Najid looked down, but all he could see was the smoke coming from the engine. He rubbed his eyes as the petrol vapors stung horribly; reminding him of the truck ride they had taken previously. Jawl grabbed cups from their rucksack, passed one to Najid, and began to scoop the water and throw it back into the sea.

"Somebody help us please!"

"We have children on board-"

"We're going to die if we don't get to shore!"

"Can anyone phone the coast guard?"

"Does anyone know their numbers?!"

"Flash your lights, maybe someone will see us!"

"Are we sinking?!"

"I can't swim!"

Cries, screams, shouts, tears. Faces, hands, smoke, rain. That was more than Jawl could bear. She couldn't make out anything anymore. It gave her visions of her house devoured by flames - she could vividly hear her own screams. Najid grabbed his sister's hand, she was screaming in agony.