My sister Abeer got engaged in these difficult times.
I’m sorry, my dear.
I’m sorry that did not happen in a hall as you dreamt; the hall now which serves as one of the shelters for the displaced. No favorite playlist; no printed invitations, no friends and debates over dresses, wedding trends, and the latest fashion. no joyous ululations (Zaghareed) this time, and no bridal white gown. That is however still not bad after all as white, has become a color entirely tied in our memory to shrouds.
Despite of that, and against “the criminals” wish, you are going to have children.
You are now braver than ever, carving a breach in the wall of genocide with your small engagement ring, allowing children, revolutionaries, and the weary to pass through.
All the joy in the world is yours my love, as vast as it can be, despite the miserable situation and the limited space we live in.
All the luck in the world is yours, even amidst the immense loss we endure.
For you, the luxury, Aladdin’s lamp, and thirty silk wishes.
Leave behind a single shoe for the lover who will always find his way to you, our dear family’s Cinderella.
As you are aware of, we have no home now. We lost our neighbors. Our joy is too heavy to carry alone in this emptiness. It is too fierce to hide in a tent or tie to a stake, like a lone dog barking into the void.
Our joy this day is very big to be reduced into the silence hanging over the martyrs’ graves. To me, it is more important than the flow of blood that gamblers, negotiators, and the occupation itself leap over.
It is a quiet joy, but believe me, my dear…
Believe me, it is on the verge of speaking.
Hamed Ashour
August 25, 2024
