SCARS OF WAR
Ra Jassir
As a child, I used to have terrible nightmares because of war. When I was young, I did
not know the details and the causes of war, but I experienced its horrifying nature. My family
used to move every few months or so because of war. We hardly settled in one place. We lived
in different villages and cities in completely strange environments. The first time we moved I
was about four years old. We used to live on an island, but the island was attacked and bombed.
All the resources were destroyed so we had to leave the island.
In my country the government used to broadcast an alarm that would reveal the severity
of the attack. There were three types of alarms: the white, yellow and red alarm. The white meant
safe, and it was used after the attacks. The yellow meant mild and was used during the attacks.
The red meant severe and dangerous attack. Our houses and schools had basements that were
built solely for protection against attacks. Once we heard the alarm, depending on its severity, we
would hurry to the basement.
My eyes witnessed many terrible things during the war. My uncle was sent to war
against his will when he was barely eighteen years old. After a year my uncle was thought to be
dead because he was missing after a battle. After missing for a year or so, he showed up out of
nowhere at the doorstep. He was not quite himself. I remember he used to fall on the ground
and shake because his nervous system was damaged from an explosion that happened close by
him. He also had a few scars on his arm and palm. I have another uncle that was even younger
than him who was also sent to war. My younger uncle returned physically well but he wasn't
well mentally and emotionally. He was in a state of shock, because his close friend was shot in
his head while he was standing right next to him. Our parents kept us away from them during
that time.
I remember one incident that I would not forget for the rest of my life. We had to
evacuate the town because of the news of a severe attack that was about to take place. Early in
the morning, there were thousands of people rushing to get out of the town. The roads that led
out of town were jammed while the roads that led in to town were empty. It was chaos. We
were hardly a few miles outside of the city when all of a sudden an attack took place. I could see
and hear the sound of the maneuvering enemy planes over us. It was terrifying. The driver
stopped the car and everybody jumped out of the truck and scattered in the field beside the road.
We threw ourselves on the ground and lay there watching this terrorizing attack. Nearby the
road was a huge machine gun that was constantly shooting at these planes. The sound of it was
deafening and the strong vibrations from it were absorbed by the ground underneath us. We
were truly blessed to live through this attack.
War for most people is just a word, or an idea. But in reality it's horrific, with its
destructive nature. I hope one day we won't have to lose our loved ones to this beast, and I hope
we will overcome war and live in peace