The Reality Of Life In Iraq…BEFORE and NOW!
It was in the mid of 2001 or 2002 when she sent me the first letter. A mistake brought her to me…she got my mailbox by a mistake, but she wanted to be a friend. She was needing a close friend, so I couldn’t say No…. she gave me the bitter picture of realty of people suffer and their Dreams became just mirages.
I couldn’t imagine such a suffer and agony like this. I got the whole picture of her suffering life…through letter after letter. She told me how she lost her Father and Mother because of illness and lack of medicines and cures,,, How she gave up her study and school to work in a factory…she used to start from 5 AM to 5 PM in very unhealthy conditions that made her and her mates get illness…so horrible to imagine!! Besides, that the owner of the factory was so cruel and if any one of them felt ill and can't work properly, he will easily expel her and bring stronger one regardless how much she needs to work, so she kept working so hard despite her weakness. Her income was not enough to make her and her sister, brother and aunt living happily. There were so many things to pay for. The house where they live is a rent house. One of the difficult moments that she faced when her sister caught illness and she was needed an urgent surgery, but with their tiny incomes that was impossible. They sold their furniture, TV, Radio,,, all things can be useful to collect enough money,,, good people helped them with what they could offer. Happily, her sister went through that surgery and she is fine. All these before the invasion of aggression Army of American "The New Pirates".
Now, she lost her Job because she can't go out as before,,, she can't go out even for normal things,,, she and her family barely can survive each day where The Death can be in any corner. She told me how it's terrible to see people you knew became Human Flesh pieces. The Human Flesh Pieces can be seem everywhere.
I was cohabiting her hard and harsh life for years by her words and letters…
What happened from that time till now?!!
Not even a single positive thing!!! NONE!
BEFORE: at least she got a job and kept her dreams alive to go back to school one day and complete her studies. Life wasn't that bad…all that because of the siege and the economic siege "that America put it on Iraqi People", there was not enough supplies of foods and medicines and equipments. For that she Lost her Parents. That Siege made Iraq and Iraqi people so weak. As she told me at that time, there was a card for each family to get a monthly supplies from the government, so there was good plan to make life easily for each family. The lack of medicines at that time caused death of more than 1 million child in Iraq.
NOW: The brilliant idea of supply card is dead, there is no one giving the families monthly supplies right now. The people of Iraq not only still suffer with the lack of supplies, but lack of safety, lack of trust, lack of everything can be imagine. The Death become the daily visitor to Iraqis,,, no one sure that he/she will be safe or stay alive this day or tomorrow,,, This is the freedom of America.
my dear friend stuck in the house, she can't find a job, she hasn't any incomes and the owner of the house wants his money, she tries to write and imagine nice things for me,,, she said in her last letter: everything still the same, the death lies ahead for us in every corner and street, but we can't do anything except praying and asking God to help and save us.
*********
My Dear Pretty Friend,,, She is an angel, Pure, Innocent, virtuous. I have one picture of her, I wish I can put it for you to see that angelic face and pure beauty of Iraq, but I can't put it before getting her permission "but I will put a design with her eyes".
She wrote very special letters for me, her words,, her lines, she use wonderful words to write even though she didn't complete her 7 grade. She is 4 or 5 senior than me, but her pure heart and satisfaction making me feel I'm less and less than her.
I feel ashamed to be so unsatisfied with my own life, I'm so stubborn and moody If didn't get one stupid material thing, or If I asked for something and I didn't get it immediately, How ungrateful I am towards God' Graces. I'm living in very big modern house, having my own big private room with all things, PC, Mobile phone, toys, teddy bears...etc like a spoiled baby girl,,, I'm enviable by my own friends,, one of my friends came to visit me and she wowed by my own room and said: you have all these and you are not happy!!!!
I couldn't figure out what is the big deal!
Now, I admit that I'm so ungrateful to God.
I write these post as a lesson for me to be satisfy and happy with God Blisses.
I write this post as tribute to My Dear Strong Iraqi Friend. I wrote for her in my last letter these English words:
Keep your Rosy "Dreams" On
Keep your Faith
And
Your Soul
Shining like a Sun
She will not understand my words because she can't read or speak English, but she knows that will be tender words to encouraging her.
I was thinking of scanning one her letters to let you see and touch her tender, wonderful and moving words that making me shed tears and stand speechless for this great girl…
May God Save Her and Her Family.
*****
PS: "I'm against American Army and their aggression, I'm against American administration, but I'm in love with American people "The Real Americans". I have great, faithful, respectable and honest American friends and they are totally against the aggression of their army and the unfair wars that American administration made against weak peoples and countries"
