Diaries From Gaza
A very cynical writing by a youth in Gaza combining tragedy and humor (we do not know the name) written during the war on Gaza 2008-9
Diaries by a Youth from Gaza
A youth from Gaza writes spontaneously how he spent his time during the war on Gaza
At first we saw the shelling and bombing on TV
Now it is live and very close. It lights up the night like great fire –works. Every where in the world fireworks are shot from the earth into the sky except in Gaza, they are shot from the sky down ward.
I am sitting in front of my computer while all members of my family are clustered together discussing the war. They have become war analysts and critics. They can’t understand why I haven’t joined them and why I am gloved to the net. They expected me to be depressed and sitting tight as this hellish war goes on.
Three weeks cooped at home unable to go out or to do anything worthwhile, most of the time without electricity or running water; bored to death not knowing what to do indoors. I started counting floor tiles and curtain pleats.
Whenever the cell phone gets charged, which is rare due to the electricity cuts, I entertain myself with its many uses. Still, they are times when I direct my frustration towards one of my brothers and we fight.
Nevertheless shlomo expresses some sympathy towards us. He grants us some three hours of cease fire, a humanitarian gesture to do what ever one needs to do!
The interesting thing about these three hours of ‘luxury’ is their timing! Some times from 1:00 to 4:00, sometimes from 8:00 to 11:00 and sometimes from 10:00 to 1:00. Try to guess tomorrow’s timing and dial the numbers 88820 then press the red button, you might win a prize!
One can’t plan what to do in these 3 hours.
To decide a place to go to and to make sure that the place is still standing takes most of the three hours.
Today I thought and thought where to go and what to do, and then I decided the best thing is to take a nap especially because it is relatively calm. At night one can’t sleep nor rest. There is continuous shelling and airplanes keep buzzing in the sky. it feels like having a drill to ones head! Through out the night we hear explosions some are very close, others are far. The whole place shakes as if struck by an earth quake.
They started shelling different targets. Have they run out of targets? Is that what they are shelling cemeteries, wedding halls, civilian buildings, deserted homes and even places that they have already shelled, probably for emphasis?
By the way, I would like to thank the pilot who starts by firing a small missile at a building allowing the inhabitants to flee, and then he fires the main missile that sweeps the inhabitants and slices the building in the middle.
Well we can’t deny he was kind enough to grant them few minutes to try to save themselves, but!! Of course our lives are in the hands of God and what ever happens is his will.
Even though we have become more tolerant to the sound of exploding missiles yet we can’t exclude the idea that there might be a moron pilot who fancies our house and decides to bomb it, because he assumes that our clothes hanging to dry on the roof top are a danger to drones! helicopters?
I console myself with the saying that one shouldn’t be afraid of the sound of bullet shots because one can’t hear the sound of the bullet that kills him. This saying does not apply to missiles, what do you think? I think! the only sound that brings pleasure is the ringing of the telephone ,we all jump to pick it up and fight over it ,we all want to talk to the callers from different Arab countries –Egypt, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Algeria etc. Some times one of us gets a chitty call from IDF soldier warning us against hiding weapons or having contracts with ‘terrorists’.
Today our phone did not stop ringing. Could it be the only working phone in Gaza?
Hello, Assalmu alikom*
WA aliekom asslam**
I’m phoning from Libya, may God be with you and grant you victory
Thank you hajjeh –pray for us
May God stand by you, protect you
And lead you to victory!
Salamu Alikum
WA aleikum Assalam
This is a sample of the phone calls we get, precise, encouraging, and from the heart.
They make us feel we are not alone and that there are people who care.
Imagine, when still on the phone, a rocket explodes close by or the 500 of an apache plane starts to work, how the caller responds! He or she starts crying non stop and we have to cheer and calm her/him not the other way round.
What enrages me most the use of phosphorus bombs All my life I have been told that fish is rich in phosphor and fish is good for the health. We have been eating plenty of fish. When I eat fish I feel energized and even light up.
But in the case of phosphorus bombs it is different!
The minute you get touched by a phosphorus shell you light up immediately-you will be on fire!
All those who see you will say "waw Hajj, you’re shining bright"
May God have mercy upon us!
When there is much spare time one has to find something to do. that is how I took to a new kind of exercise. I call it" The water barrel exercise"
I practice this exercise every morning. I climb up the stairs to the roof and check the water in the barrels. I do that by tapping o the barrel up and down. I have developed a "musical barrel ear "By tapping I can tell if it is full or empty (This I am sure everybody can know). But what I have mastered through experience is how many liters of water the barrel contains!
Since I am still sound and safe, I have decided to write and tell you about our situation. Maybe tomorrow I will still be alive but cannot write, or maybe I won’t be alive!
Pray for us pray that our story ends well.. pray for our freedom fighters, pray for the martyrs and the wounded…pray for all people may God grant them stead fastness. If you still have time pray for me to become rich.
Goodbye. Till we meet again.
= =
* Peace be upon you (Arab greeting)
** Peace be upon you (Greeting back)
Translated by Sonia Nimr
