Tears under the sun | Chapter ~ IV Spirit of the Moth

The heat of the sun blazes the bare horizon, giving a very hot temperature inside the truck. My little brother Ahmed is complaining for the extreme sweltering. My mother gives him water to ease his discomfort. I wipe his face with my cotton handkerchief. I try to comfort him while my parent is discussing our departure and the time we will spend in traveling across the border of Turkey. Other passengers also are busy with their family.

As I comfort my brother, my mind still thinking of what happened yesterday, what if the rebels did not come, maybe we’re all dead, It is still vivid in my mind how they struck my father's back with their rifle, gripping hard my hair and spit us, I am afraid if the soldier hurt us again. I can’t let it happen once more. I will try my best; I shall protect my family, but how? I am too young. I wish I am tough, just like others, so that I can beat those evil soldiers spreading chaos in our place. Thinking again of my place, it is sad, I am not there to attend Khalid’s burial. I think about Khalid every night. I feel lost and I don’t know what to do, I am sadden that Remia and her family stay, and I have fear that I will not see her again. I am also hesitant about the idea of settling our life in Turkey. I am afraid, we could be strangers living in my father’s homeland.

We passed several places and traveled a week, until we reach Kafr Janneh. It is look normal here, no gunfire and rockets, completely opposites for the place I came from.

 

 

 

7:00 AM Turkish Airlines arrives in Gaziantep Oğuzeli International Airport. Haifa has a mixed feeling as she walks into the plane exit door heading to the airport building. The time seems so fast, Haifa rushes into the immigration officer counter and after, she takes her bag at the luggage area and proceeds to the scanner.

“Haifa!”A man waves to Haifa as she carries her bag, walking out from the exit door.

“Ayman!” “Thank you, you are here!” she cries and hugs the man.

“Don’t cry,” said Ayman, still comforting Haifa and holding her tight.

“Father will be happy to see you, you have grown too fast,” Ayman proudly praise her cousin Haifa as he put the entire luggage into his car.

The car left the airport. Haifa missed her family and she talks to Ayman about what happened.

“I am afraid Ayman," " I don’t have any idea what happened to them, I tried since last week, calling my mother but her phone is off the same with Baba."

“We even try this morning, we can’t call them, I think the bombing last week severely damaged the infrastructure of communication,” Ayman reiterates.

“That’s what I am thinking also, did uncle Hisham arrange the car going to Aleppo?” Haifa asks Ayman while opening her bag to get the mobile phone, it is ringing.

"Yes, he arranged it already," Ayman smiles to her cousin assuring her things are perfectly planned as she has wished.

“Hello John,” “I am ok, I am traveling now, I am heading to my uncle’s place, don’t worry I will be fine. Yeah I will call you tonight, bye!” Haifa cut the conversation after John’s voice faded.

“Who is that John?” Ayman asks Haifa.

“He is my American boyfriend, he just wanted to help me and he asks my situations right now, you know he cares a lot,” Haifa gives a glimpse to Ayman how her boyfriend cares in finding her parent.

“Did your father knows about him?” Ayman asks farther.

“No, not yet,” “But I am planning to tell him soon,” Haifa assured Ayman that she will deal with it later, the important things right now is to save her family from the chaos.

The car parks in front of the beautiful garden with abundance of trees surrounded the stunning Turkish Houses of his father families and relatives. All of them are waiting for Haifa’s arrival.

“Haifa, thanks God you are here,” A bristly man hugs Haifa with her wife and daughter. The family of Ayman welcome Haifa in their modest home.

“Thanks Uncle Hisham” as she cries as she missed them, she hugs Aya her cousin and her Aunt Asena.

“We missed you,” Aya holds Haifa whiles her parent and brother deeply touch for her gestures.

 

 

I am excited but somehow sad; we will cross the border tomorrow. My father already rented a car we will use in crossing the border.

“Mariam let’s go outside, let’s play.” Ahmed asks me to play but I am not in the mood.

“Ahmed, we will travel tomorrow, I think it is better you play your Portable Playstation,” “I am really tired today,” I open my bag and give him the Portable Playstation.

“Mariam, help me wash all of our used clothes,” my grandma asks me as she unload all dirty clothes from the bag.

“I will wash it all grandma, just take a rest, I knew you are tired.” I get all the dirty laundry and proceed to the bathroom.

The door opens and my parent arrives. My father informs us that we will leave tomorrow at 5:00 A.M, and approximately we will arrive in Turkey during noontime.

My grandma is excited and she prays, my mother hugs my brother telling him to take a shower, it is a week already he did not wash his body.

My father opens the plastic of food he bought, we settled the night with good food, decent place to sleep and a new hope to re-build our life in my father’s homeland.

 

 

 

“Haifa, careful, stop, don’t go there,” Hisham tells her niece not to cross the populated streets were some group of people protesting throwing stones to the Police Force.

“Uncle Hisham, I saw them there, my father drives that blue car heading to that street,” Haifa assures her uncle.

“But it is dangerous,” “you have to come back,” Hisham hold her hands but the moving protester dragged her into the center and it is difficult for Hisham to pulls her out.

Haifa becomes disoriented surrounded by different people, she cries, seems she will lost her breath. The intense atmosphere gives her fear of being trap in case the police will strikes using tear gas. Her body gets hurts as people picketing and advancing near to the police blockage.

Suddenly people retreat and spread sporadically as the police fired to the aggressive protesters.

Gunfire erupted, some fall, some trapped including Haifa, she can’t hold it anymore. She feels she will fall, it adds more fear when she realizes a rocket is heading to their location fires by the government forces from the upper part of the opposite building.

“God please, she cries,” “ No!” Haifa screams.

Loud explosions…blow the massive protesters.

As she opens her teary eyes, she can’t bear the sunlight. She heard the agony of people around her, they cry just like her, she feels her body mounted on the ground, she can’t move her body anymore, and she feels the blood flowing from her head, while the sun rays in the afternoon make her eyes completely blind.she remembers her sister Mariam, when they tried looking straight into the sunlight, those happy moments as they play together with Ahmed, she remember also her loving parent, and John, the person she really love. She heard the voice from the distance calling her name, it is his uncle Hisham and Ayman crying, they are rushing into her, her uncle holds her frail body. She chases her breath while looking into the sky, her tears under the sun flowing like a pouring rain.

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

Reviews

[Rhianne Ney]

What happened here? I was hoping to find something. But haha, sorry for reviewing on the last chapter. I just couldn't make myself move this hand and type reviews for the earlier review. Yes, it's filled with action and greatness, literally. Maybe a little descriptive pinch right here and then. Great job though, keep working wonders, dude

[Marc Marlon Villaflor]

Lol Thanks Rhianne :) I am working on it, I will post after an hour. Thanks for the reads.

[Rhianne Ney]

You're welcome, kababayan

[Marc Marlon Villaflor]

:)

[Rhianne Ney]

:D

[Marc Marlon Villaflor]

Yan na, post ko na :)

[Rhianne Ney]

“Ayman!” “Thank you, you are here!” she cries and hugs the man. separate this one:
"Ayman!"
"Thank you, you are here."
- there is another dialogue separation in need here also.

Well, I'm not that great when it comes to tenses in grammar so I won't be able to place it here but nice chapter anyways

[minisla]

Bit repetitive with certain words but enjoyed the concept

[Mike Emil]

why is there music here?
why is it not 'the dead boys' or the 'ramones'?
why are we in arabia?
that might be cool but there are cops here and i keep thinking of jimmy hoffa

[s y e]

Woo, Marc! Your chapters are getting longer and longer now which has me intrigued and it was really interesting. Well done!

[InsanityWriter]

You've beautifully captured terror...

[gombeggar]

like the dialogue

[Mother Maggie]

Your words capture beautifully the pain and terror of a culture and a family torn by so much violence and hatred. Mariam and Haifa have pulled my heart into their world.

[TL Boehm]

Such a hard thing to read. I mean that as a compliment. It is brutal and graphic especiall the last part. You don't sugar coat the horror of war. I found it to be a heartbreaking read which means, you are doing well.

[Coyote Poetry]

A very sad ending to the chapter. I like the beginning. Good conversation and hope. I was in the Middle East many times. Scary to see children killed for no reason. No weakness in the chapter. You held my attention till the last word. A excellent chapter.
Coyote

[SHEEMA HUQ]

Marc, I cannot read this font size I'm afraid, would it be possible to re-issue this chapter in a larger font, so that I can read and review? Kind wishes

[Marc Marlon Villaflor]

No problem I change it now :)

[SHEEMA HUQ]

Thank you for the content of the first section, this provides a sense of the setting, the people and the edgy environment, the severity of the situation, of guilt and separation, of loyalty, and of the emotional trauma of conflict, as well.
The sections, there after, perhaps demonstrates the madness of conflict situations. The capacity of human dialogue really stands out, as a form of resilience and of survival, during crisis-conflict-after, experiencing height of brutality, which also resonates with me. Thank you for this piece.

[gabrielle]

I think that the most devastating effects of war on children is when children stop being children or when they are forced to act and think like adult. In war, children simply loss their innocence.
Having said that, i feel that the heart of this piece lies on the very unassuming and concise line, " I will try my best; I will protect my family, but how? I am too young." These lines are very crucial. It marks the loss of innocence- the character is forced to act and think like adult. I feel, however, that you should make it more stronger by replacing the word "will" to "shall or must." I am not really sure but i think that using "shall or must" would make it stronger. there's more conviction to it.
By the way, your style- using the present tense in the narration, is quite unique for me as nost novels/stories i've read were written using the past tense. enjoyed reading this

[Marc Marlon Villaflor]

Thanks Gab, you are truly brilliant I like your suggestion :) I will replace the words. Thanks. :)

[gabrielle]

i'm excited to read the ending. =)

[Marc Marlon Villaflor]

:) Thanks