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

How did I not recognize a chirp when I heard it? Have I really not heard one in so long? The more I think about it, the more the realization dawns: I haven’t seen any animal outside of vultures since this entire ordeal began. Is that why the city has been so silent?

The Sunbird looks at me. Our gazes lock, and I feel a moment of peace as a bit of reassurance washes over me. It loudly and almost cheerfully chirps again, breaking the stillness. And then once more. Not a moment later, it stretches out its wings and flies into the air, as if it is heading straight towards the sun.

The bird disappears into the blue sky. I take a deep breath before turning away from the scene.

I push all the memories away and keep moving forward. I know that I’m going along the highway. Every now and then, I can see it between the buildings to my left. The only trouble will be finding Salman and Fatima in all this. If they’re sleeping or resting in a building, I could very well go right by them and never know it.

No, don’t think like that, Zaid. Hold on to that hope you felt.

Trudging forward, I don’t look back at the garden. Instead, I keep my gaze focused on the destruction ahead of me. The sun is at its highest point now as it looks down upon a city I don’t think even it recognizes. It’s hotter than ever. The dry heat I grew up in seems to be permeating right through me. Has it always been this hot during the summer? Or has this battle and destruction only made it so much worse?

Just as before, I come across a handful of people every now and then. I usually hear their footsteps a few moments before I see them. Almost all of them are in pairs or small groups. Most of them don’t give me more than a glance. They seem to be headed west, probably going towards Mansoura.

I’m so used to all the carnage now that I don’t take the time to observe any of it. Instead, I move on while holding on to the dim hope that I will catch a sign of my friends. The rational part of me knows the odds. I have a better chance to run into a thousand different things before catching a whiff of them. However, the part of me that felt solace during prayer or while reading the letter, the piece of my soul that felt hope as it watched the dawn break the night, continues to clench on to the faith that I will be reunited with them.

And so I move on. I continue to trek upon the desolate roads that are littered with wreckage and blown to bits. I continue to march between the debris that was once a bustling city. When there are no distant bombs going off, all I hear is a smoldering pile of ash or my wearying footsteps as they echo up and down the abandoned street.

I wonder if Salman and Fatima are thinking about me as I am of them. Maybe they—

Gunfire.

The shrilling bullets rock the street. The barrage came from one street over. Before I can even fully grasp the situation, my feet whisk me away. I’ve hardly even registered what’s happening when I’m dashing through an alley and towards the chaos.

“Come out!” The bullets end and a voice cuts through the still air. It sounds vile—just like the one that shot Jari. “Come out now and maybe I won’t shoot you!”

The laughter of another malevolent voice fills the air.

Why am I heading towards it? I’ve barely asked myself that question by the time I emerge on the other end of the alley.

In the next instant, the machine gun goes off again. I hear the endless bullets violently break against concrete as I catch sight of the scene. There are two men. They’re not wearing any kind of uniform. Not even thirty yards away, their backs are turned towards me as they shoot at a slab of concrete. The lank man leans a rifle over his shoulder, while the burly one fires away at their target. The gunfire is so deafening that I can’t hear my own thoughts.

The bullets are sprayed onto the barrier with nothing held back. I quickly register what’s happening. Those men—they’re trying to shoot whoever is behind it, not even giving them a chance to defend themselves.

The burly man’s gun runs dry with a loud click. As he effortlessly reloads it, the lank man lets out a snicker before his loud words echo once more. Every syllable is filled with a vile arrogance. “If you refuse to be with us, then you don’t deserve to live. You’re no better than Assad himself!”

Eyes wide, my mind screams to turn and run. I try to flee back from where I came… but my heart doesn’t let me. Not this time. Not anymore.

What do I do? I don’t have a weapon. I can’t attack two men head-on. Finished reloading, the burly man begins firing at the concrete again. I look to the right. Then the left. My eyes see the answer. Will it work? I don’t know. I don’t care. I can’t abandon whoever is being shot at.

Without another thought, I take off, my footsteps silenced by the roaring gunfire. As soon as I enter the building, I hear the gun go dry. The burly man again reloads it, and the lank man’s cruel voice cuts through the air once more.

“Quit cowering like sniveling dogs. We gave a choice to you and your si—”

I can’t hear the rest of his words as I hurriedly fly up the flight of stairs. Stepping onto the second floor, I falter for a moment. Do I keep going higher? No, too high and I might miss. I only have one shot.

Sprinting to the end of the hallway, I arrive at a large opening in the wall. No doubt the hole was created by a bomb or missile. The floor beneath me is shaky, threatening to crumble at any moment. But I don’t care. Standing at the edge, I face the situation down below. The lank and burly gunmen are directly below me, not even ten feet from the base of the building. I see the tops of their heads.

My eyes look towards the slab of concrete. It’s thick and holds up against the streams of bullets raining down on it. I tear my gaze off of it and focus on the men.

Will this really work? I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. People are pinned behind that slab of rock, and those two gunmen won’t stop until they’ve shot them. I take a step back, preparing to do what I never imagined I ever would before.

I hesitate. A twinge of fear finally surfaces above all the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Its voice reminds me that if I jump, there’s no turning back. I’ll likely miss and be at the mercy of those two men. The promise I made to Fatima echoes through my head—the promise that I would become a doctor and change the world. There’s still hope for that, isn’t there?

I remember the words of my father: never give up your dreams; never surrender them no matter what. If I take this leap to my certain doom, I’ll condemn all that I ever dreamed of. My life is worth something, isn’t it?

Shaking my head, I put an end to that voice. That isn’t the voice of my dreams. It’s my fear using my own father’s and friend’s words against me. As I ball my hand into a fist, another voice suddenly echoes through my head.

My true voice drowns out everything else. It reminds me of my dream, my real one. It’s to make the world a better place, to save the world and help those suffering. And if I save one life, then I may have very well saved humanity.

My name is Zaid Kadir. This is my city. My home. These monsters can take away everything, but they will never take my courage. And I am willing to sacrifice everything if that’s what it takes to save a life, if that’s what it takes to keep hope burning in the darkness.

There’s no more hesitation. Without thinking, I close my eyes and leap out of the building. My body curls into a ball as my forearms shield my face. I hang in the air for an eternity. I feel the rush of it blow right past me. Everything seems to freeze, even my own mind. But just when I think it won’t end, there’s an abrupt jolt.