We were lying on the wet grass that sends inside us the desire to dream. Going into a nap with half-closed eyes. Imagining the white cotton fields, where the beautiful princess named Snow White was playing with her seven friendly dwarfs between the green lakes and verdant apple trees. The big pumpkins were lying next to the orange trees, and the flying birds were chirping. The lily roses were dancing with the echo of our laughs. Our dream was perfect until we opened our eyes. Our ears were hit by a sudden sound that was followed by a huge black storm which made the sky full of dust and destroyed our mind's beautiful art painting. At that moment, we were very close to death and our childhood was stolen. Yes, it was 5:00 pm when my mom went to visit our grandmother at the hospital. I was playing with dolls with my sister, Malak, who was two years younger than me in our garden, and broad smiles were etched on our faces. We really had a great time and played a lot. Since we were playing for a long time, our stomachs were growling. We decided to go to the kitchen and find some candies and biscuits to eat.
At the time Malak and I were eating our delicious candies, a huge sound banged in our ears. I felt like a strong hand slapped me. For a while, I thought that it was the sound of fireworks until I saw the grey smoke upon our house. The horror took over my body, and I was like a statue that never was able to move. I looked around with shock and grief. I could not imagine what would happen to me if I was playing out during that explosion. A strong stench filled my nose and made me feel like I was going to suffocate. I saw the broken windows smeared with dirt, the broken glass, and the walls that were full of cracks as a result of the bomb. The floor was covered in a rug of dust and scattered stones were inside the kitchen. I still remember how my brother came and took us to stand downstairs, believing that it was the safest spot in the house. We heard my sister's scream and said "Our uncle's land next to us was bombed. "The first question I had in my mind is how did they bomb it without any warning and why? It's just a land full of flowers and gloomy olive trees.
At that moment, we gathered around each other as we thought that if we were to die; we would die together. My older sisters rushed and wore their Jilbabs so we could go out and be in a safe place. Once we got out of the house, we watched the lily rise covered with dirt, the olive tree that stood for years lying on the rubble, and the green grass turned yellow. It was completely burnt. The garden was covered in mud, shattered glass, and rocket residue. My comfort zone where I was playing a moment ago was completely destroyed. I could not forget the sight of the stones that were around me. I found my favorite toy buried in the rubble. The water drums were exploding and made a huge flood in the area. There garage where our car was located became ashes and the car turned into small iron pieces. It was like a huge earthquake coming out of the earth. All I remember was that I was crying all the time, and my sister put her hand on my head and read the Holy Quran until she calmed me down. I was shaking all the time and asking myself where will the next explosion happened?
Then, we heard the door knock. It was my mom, whose eyes were full of tears. When she saw us, "Thank God you are fine, "she said. She was afraid to lose us and be alone because she got a phone call from my uncle who thought that our house had been bombed. He told her that the house was completely destroyed and no one could know if there were injuries or not, so she came rushing so she could make sure we were okay. At that moment, I could not get her look and fear out of my mind. After a while, the sound of the door knocking hit our ears. My uncle came to take us to his house until ours could be repaired from destruction. We had been at our uncle's house for a month where we crammed 15 to a room. Yes, it was the last day of this brutal long war.
Yes, it was the last day of living in my home; my room; my garden. The last day of living my memories. But, tomorrow will be the first day of new life. The first day to make new memories. The first day of having fun again. After what happened, I am still grateful that God saved us and I am still alive with my family whom I love. I also hope that this brutal occupation will go away one day and that the Palestinian people will have a dignified life and enjoy all their rights away from tyranny and injustice.
