the diaries of palestine.

A New Beginning

The mess of 1967

Khadija's pov:

Before the war, we had a quiet life.

My husband Mohammad used to work as a builder, he would go on trips to work in instruction in cities like Jerusalem Jaffa and Amman.

He and my brother had a job in Amman recently, and they went there 2 days ago.

I live with my mother in law and my 3 children, I work in our land and in my free time I visit my relatives and friends.

In summer nights we set and talk about our everyday lives and problems, we also pray together and share food.

Until war started again, it was like the gates of hell have opened.

Things went out of control, it was a complete mess, people fell into pain and misery,

After the 6 days’ war which actually sounded like 6 hours, Israel set borders between the lands of Jordan and Palestine and people could no longer move freely between the sibling lands.

My husband got stuck and couldn't make it back home. 

My mother in law ordered me to go after him and take my children to live with him in Jordan, to raise our children there.

She said that even if we leave our home, at least we would still get the chance to live as a family, and my kids wouldn't have to live as orphans like me, so I packed a few things for the journey and carried my baby. 

my kids held each other's hands and we went on with our journey.

Mohammad pov:

When I heard that we lost the war, and Israel had closed the borders, I immediately thought of my family and how am I going to get back to them! 

I and my brother in law didn't waste time, we knew the danger ahead of us, 

Anyone who dares to cross the borders between Jordan and Palestine will get killed immediately by the Israeli forces.

But we weren't scared, the only thing we thought of is how to get back home to our families.

I asked around a few people about the locations of the Israeli forces, and I knew exactly where they would be camping.

Finally, when we reached the borders, there was no sign of any Israeli soldier.

While we were carefully making our way into the soil of Palestine, a bomb was thrown at us, it didn't hit me thanks to Allah but it did injure my brother in law badly.

By the time I got myself up and walked toward him he was already gone, his soul has left his body forever. 

My brain completely stopped working, I didn't know what to do, should I carry on and probably get killed too? 

or should I go back and stay by myself here? 

I was drowning in rage and pain, I almost decided to go over the borders, and if they kill me so be it.

Then I remembered Hasan's kids they were orphans now! 

and I remembered my own children, my wife, and my mother.

They all need me, I have to stay alive for all of them, I will find another way to get to them, and I will do it without getting harmed.

In the end I buried Hasan under a tree, I read Alfateha and prayed for his soul, then I turned around and went back to Amman.

Khadija's pov: 

We had finally arrived to Amman, we suffered a lot of hardships during the journey, the dirty camps, the bad transportation, and the long-distance walks, but at last, I made it to Amman all by myself and my baby and two little kids. 

My husband told me to meet him here, in this bus station so we would go together to our new home in Amman city. 

Note (this story is actually about my grandparents may they rest in peace).