Life at its Purest

By: Evan Sahraeain 

part one

�Look back, this might be the last time you will ever see this place�� my brother said as we took the last turn on the mountain, with this tears started coming down like a waterfall quietly from my sister�s eyes, since she was a little bit older than me she was able to understand more than me. After one month or less in our home city we packed up everything we could carry, with hope in our hearts for a better life in another country, leaving the city was easy because we hired a taxi to take us to the border, form there, a smuggler was waiting for us to take us to the other country through the mountain on foot, whereas no one will see us, and when we reach the cities it will become easier from there, and many other empty promises. The plan was that from there the family will work for some time, then gather some money, afterward the same way we will go to one of the European countries, and finally live like normal humans.

From the border the ��guide�� as they called him came with us, we walked and walked until we couldn�t walk anymore, reaching small spring water, my mother said sit down and she had sandwiches for all of us, they were the most delicious sandwiches I have ever tasted, resting by the water drinking from it, was all we needed to start back up and continue, I am not sure how long this took we reached a small town or village from there the ��guide�� brought a taxi for us to take us to the closest city, it was a big city we went to a house where the family welcomed us, they might know the ��guide�� we rested and had dinner with them, what was strange for me at that time was that their children were playing with apples they had plenty of it, they used it like balls, throwing them at each other, one of them was taking one bite from each apple then kick it to the wall, later on, I understood that the area had many apple gardens. After spending the night the next morning we prepared ourselves to go back on the road, we found out our �� guide�� was nowhere to be found, we didn�t know what to do, said our goodbyes to that good family and walking around the city, in one of the neighborhood, a man was keeping complaining why we are there what do we want, it ended up in a huge fight between my family and his family all adults women, and men started hitting each other for whatever reason, hair was pulled, broken head, clothes were torn, like we had enough for ourselves, anyways the minute they knew police might come you couldn�t see a single one of them, us being illegal in the country, like to sibling that is scared of their parents without a word they left so did we. There was one man who knew my oldest brother who was planning to go to the same place as us, he started begging my mother to let him come along and act like he was his son too like she didn�t have enough of those already. My mom with her big heart agreed. this way it would have brought fewer questions to him if he was part of a family rather than being a single man going alone.

moreover, the young man knew a little more about the roads and ways outside of the city, we started walking again, it was full of trees and little bit steep way, we sat down to rest when two soldiers came, started asking questions no one knows more than some words, it was not enough to make a full sentence, we were sitting, and they were standing with their guns in hand, so my mother had some small candies in a bag, she asked me to give it to the soldiers, I was ready for my mission, I took out two held it toward them, they looked at them but they were not taking it, my mother figured they were scared there might be something bad in it, or let us say poison, so she asked me to give one to her too in front of them she ate one of the candies, after that the soldiers smiled, they each ate one and left us alone, from my previous experience,  seeing a gun was not a pleasant sight for me, not that I would be scared of death or it would kill me, it was losing my mother was the first thing that would come to my mind.

The next stop was a small village it was dark, so it was safe, they found a car who was willing to take us to the place we wanted at least that is what we thought, seven persons were stuffed in one car that is except the driver, everyone was tired and sleepy I remember the place was dark we were crossing big woks camps, suddenly two cars stopped in front of us, for some unknown reason they had swords, I know it is weird too, but they had big swords, they started shaking the car like it was a baby crib, took the driver, they were huge men, one of them lifted the drives by his neck he looked like a small bird shaking, my mother started saying prayers, she held one the doors so they wouldn�t be able to come in, I don�t remember being scared I was in shock, after a short while, they stopped it was all a misunderstanding, these men had a camp and some workers escaped from there, and they mistook us for them since the driver knew the language he explained everything, they left without a word, we started on our way too like nothing happened, these camps were illegal working places once you were in leaving was not possible I heard only about two types, one of them was for apple picking, the other one was for making bricks, the owners would give each family one room, a working place enough money not to starve. Finally, we reached our destination with no idea where it was or what it was. Later on, we found out the driver had sold us to one of those brick camps, he left us there and never saw him again. We received our room, it was part of a chain of one room all next to each other each one had one family some bigger than our family some were husband-wife and one child, if I had to guess I would say there were about fifty rooms more or less, it made a big U shape in the middle there was a well for water and a kiln to make bread, for this one I have to paint a picture for I don�t think there a word for it in English that exactly shows what it is the only word I found was �kiln�, so bread place was (hole in the ground they make fire inside it its made of clay, when it becomes very hot the woman will make the dough thin and slap it to the wall of it, it sticks to it it might take only a few seconds the bread would be cooked and ready, it is like an oven but in the ground).

This story was long for one post, I will write the 2nd part soon