Ammar Habib - The Heart of Aleppo - A Story of the Syrian Civil War

“Will they take us in?”

“If we approach them the right way, then the resistance will let us join their ranks with open arms. They know the fighting will only get worse from here. With everything that’s coming, they’ll take all the hands they can get.”

My eyes widen. This can’t be happening. Faisal’s words echo in my head. My mind has to be playing tricks on me. There’s no way they could be talking like this.

“Wake the others. It’s time we go.”

Hearing the door open, I try and hide behind the staircase’s wall. Arms at my sides, my back and palms are pressed against the barrier. Their footsteps are softer than normal. I hold my breath as they walk right past me. With just a turn of their heads, they’ll see me.

My mind is racing. What do I do? Do I attack them? Do I try and defeat them here or do I wait? Even if I wanted to, I don’t think I could. I see the back of their heads as they come into view. They both suddenly stop. They’re about to turn around. I know it. Allah , please make me invisible. Please protect me…

…they don’t catch a whiff of me.

Going out of view, their soft footsteps begin to grow fainter until they’re gone. But I don’t feel any safer. I remain there for long after they’ve passed. Everything has changed. After everything they’ve seen, they would betray us and join the rebels? How could they—

I’ve got to warn Salman and Fatima.

They’re all awake by the time I reach Salman and Fatima. The storeroom’s lamp is illuminated. Salman’s back is to me as he rummages through his sack. My mind is going crazy, a complete opposite of this calm room.

Amaan sees me at the doorway. He’s standing close to his brother, not too far away from me. He politely nods at me before looking away. Is this the same person who was just speaking so menacingly?

Fatima is wiping her green eyes as she lets out an exasperated yawn. She looks as fresh as ever. Blinking several times to wake herself up, she looks at me before smiling.

I don’t return the gesture. I can’t think right now.

Salman is still looking through his bag. Bent over, his gun is on display as it hangs from his belt. Faisal’s eyes are on it as he prepares his own things a few feet away. He exchanges a quick glance with Amaan.

I’ve got to tell them. Think, Zaid, think! I need to get Salman and Fatima alone. The other two might be armed. I think Faisal or Amaan have a knife, or maybe it was a dagger. They might try something if they realize that their secret is blown. We need to slip away when we get the chance.

“Glad to see you’re awake.”

Hearing the voice, I turn towards Faisal. He’s staring at me and wears a slight smirk. There’s a look in his eyes. I can’t tell what’s behind it. A fearful thought grips my soul: maybe I shouldn’t have come straight here from the stairwell. I arrived only a couple of minutes after them.

Before I can say anything, Salman’s tired and firm voice breaks the uneasy silence. “Zaid. Come get your sack.”

I make my way into the room. My footsteps are heavy. The air is cold in here, and there’s complete silence. I feel Faisal’s gaze follow me, burning the side of my skull. Does he know?

“Are you okay, Zaid?” Fatima sounds genuinely concerned. Is it that obvious?

Crouching down and picking up my sack, I sling it over my shoulder as I look over at her. “It was a bad dream. Woke me right up. But I’m fine.”

Salman walks right by me without a glance and heads towards the door. “Let’s get going already.”

Faisal is the one to respond. “We’re just waiting on Zaid.”

His voice sounds like it did behind that closed door. It’s completely different from the boy we found in that darkened hallway. However, I don’t let his tone rattle me, not missing a beat when I glance back at him. “I’m ready when you are.”

I can’t take my eyes off of the brothers. They’re not leaving Salman alone, staying on either side of him. We go down the desolate streets just as before: Salman and the two brothers up front while Fatima stays alongside me in the rear.

This time, I can’t see any of the destruction or feel any pain. I can’t focus in on any of the misty surroundings, and the smoke isn’t bothering me either. All I can do is stare at the brothers’ backs as I hear their true intentions echo in my head over and over again.

I’m only a few paces behind them. If Faisal or Amaan are suspicious, they’re doing a good job of hiding it. Neither even give me half a glance, keeping their eyes straight ahead or on Salman as they lowly speak to him. Like before, I can’t make anything out. Are they trying to influence him? I wish I could hear what they were saying.

My heart won’t settle down as it swings between being terrified and angry every few seconds. I can’t get their voices out of my head, can’t forget how they talked about us as if we were just animals.

I don’t even know if Salman will believe me. He’s been distant ever since we left Jari’s shop, trusting no judgment other than his own. He was angry when I gave that woman food. He didn’t trust me to wave down the helicopters. A part of me fears that he won’t pay my suspicions any heed.

“What’s bothering you, Zaid?”

Hearing Fatima’s voice, I’m suddenly yanked back to reality. I look over and meet her inquisitive, green eyes. She looks like she’s been staring at me for a while now. “Nothing.”

My response comes out as a reaction, not realizing what I’m saying until the word is out of my mouth. Fatima doesn’t believe it.

I take a deep breath. She’s not taking her gaze off of me. Will she believe me? I move a little closer, leaving only a few inches between us. “Something is happening, Fatima.”

“What?”

“They’re planning something—Faisal and Amman, I mean.” I make sure to keep my voice down. “They’re not going with us to Ballermoun.”

“But they—”

“They’re going to join the rebels.”

She falls silent. Her face doesn’t show any reaction and she doesn’t miss a step, but her eyes urge me to go on.

“I heard them a few minutes before they came to wake you up. They didn’t know I was there. They’ve always intended this. They want to try and get us to go with them. If we don’t go along, they’re going to… going to get rid of us.”

“I…” Her soft voice trails off. She glances up at their backs for a long moment before looking back at me. “Are you—?”

“Yes. I’m sure.”

“What… what are we going to do?”

I start spitting out what I’ve been thinking all along. “Salman has a gun. I think they’re armed too. I don’t have anything and neither do you. If I ask Salman for the gun, it’ll look suspicious. I don’t think he’d even give it to me. We need to alert Salman without them finding out. But I think Faisal might be on to me.”

“What are you thinking?”

“We slip away when they’re not looking. We can lose them in the smog. You bandaged up Amaan’s leg. How quickly can he run?”

“He can do almost everything with it, but he can’t run at full speed. He barely escaped the soldiers earlier today.”

“Then all we need to do is somehow warn Salman.”

She takes a deep breath. It’s all starting to settle in her head now, and she’s handling it better than I thought she would. Finally, Fatima nods. The sweetness that is always in her voice is replaced with a determination I didn’t know she possessed. “I’ll get him away from them.”

“How?”

Through her eyes, I see her mind at work. “Your sack. It’s been bothering you all night. They all know it. Tell them you need someone to carry it. It won’t look suspicious, and they won’t offer. They haven’t yet. But Salman will.”