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

I go feet-first into something—no, somebody. The impact painfully shoots right through me. My whole body suddenly rings with agony. As my legs hit something hard, I hear a loud crack. I don’t get a moment to digest it. I crash headfirst into the concrete, my skull protected by my arms.

Everything goes black.

It’s all numb: my body and mind. I’m lying on the concrete ground. I don’t feel anything. My eyes won’t open.

When sensation does finally flood my limbs, the first thing I feel is the excruciating pain echoing through my limbs and body. It’s nothing I’ve ever felt before. My forearms and hands are scraped up. My head is spinning worse than it was after being knocked unconscious. I’m bleeding, but I can’t tell from where. Everything in my body feels broken or torn. For a long moment, I can’t move a muscle no matter how hard I try.

What… what happened? I hit something. Was it him?

Each and every fiber inside me is throbbing. But I slowly force my eyes open. Not far away, the lank man is sprawled on the ground. He’s just lying there, not moving a muscle. There’s… there’s blood on his face. Did it… work?

My gaze tears away as something else catches my attention. I slightly turn my head to look, only amplifying the pain. The burly man collapses with a loud thud right next to his comrade, falling down like a sack of bricks. There’s somebody standing above him. No, there are two figures.

Now they’re standing over me. I can barely move, but I force myself to look at them, squinting my eyes in an attempt to make them out. My heart stops. The world stops. It… it can’t be. It’s…

Salman.

Fatima is by his side. My anguish is extinguished. Their wide eyes are filled with as much disbelief as mine. Without a word, Salman grabs my shoulder and slowly pulls me to my feet. He’s strong enough to bring me upright in one haul. The legs under me are wobbly, but he keeps me steady. Salman’s grip is tight, as if I’ll disappear if he lets go.

My eyes go from him to Fatima and then back to him. Is this really happening? I can’t speak, can’t utter a word.

…and I never get the chance.

In the next moment, the ground violently shakes as if it’s an earthquake. I fall backward, away from my friends. Landing roughly on my side, I try staggering back up, but my legs give in and I collapse onto my stomach.

An explosion erupts down the road. Then another. Dust and bricks are blown into the air as the thunderous detonations explode. The deafening blasts ring in my ears. I crawl onto all fours, barely keep myself up as the road tremors.

Salman and Fatima are only a few feet away from me. They’re under the shadow of the building I leapt out of. The structure quivers with every detonation, threatening to collapse. The shop behind me goes up in smoke. My ears fall deaf with the eruption. The force and heat of the blast beat against my back.

But then I see it.

Neither of them do. Their backs are towards it, blinding them from the danger. A chunk of the building’s wall is ripping off. It suddenly breaks free, plummeting below. And—and the debris is falling straight at Salman! They can’t hear it. Not above the barrage.

The pain disappears. So do any inhibitions. I don’t think. I don’t hesitate. With strength that I don’t have, I kick off of the ground and leap towards him with every ounce of force I can muster. My arms are outstretched.

Salman senses me coming and whips his head around. Time seems to stop. Everything falls silent. My vision is tunneled. There’s nothing but me and Salman. No war, no chaos. Just us. I can’t move fast enough. Our eyes lock. I’m not going to make it. He’s too far. The wall is going to topple right on top of him. I’m too slow!

No! Not my friend! I can’t lose him again!

My eyes shut. Arm still outstretched, I desperately reach for my friend—desperately reach to push him out of the way. The debris is nearly upon us. At that moment, I sense nothing, think of nothing, except Salman.

But then it happens. I feel something on my arm—feel something grabbing me and pulling me towards my friend. Strength suddenly rushes through my veins—strength that I’ve never felt before. At the last moment, my palms touch something. It’s him.

And the world ends.

Did I get him? Did I save my friend?

There’s nothing but an abyss around me. Blackness is on every side. I can’t see or sense anything at all.

The abyss ends when I hear Salman’s voice. And Fatima’s. They’re… they’re calling out to me. My eyes open slowly. There’s not an ounce of strength left in me. My vision is a blur, the edges all black. The first things I see are Fatima’s green eyes. Then his. I… I can’t move my legs. I can hardly feel them either. I finally sense it. There’s something heavy on them, keeping me pinned on my back. It’s the wall. My legs are crushed under it, completely numb and unable to even twitch.

But it doesn’t matter.

All I can think is that I got to him in time. I did it… I saved him. Staring at Salman, I care for nothing except that I saved my friend—my brother.

Bombs are falling all around us. Blasts erupt up and down the street. The heavens are blocked by the dust and dirt, but Salman and Fatima don’t move. They don’t even wince. I see the look in their eyes. They… they’re scared for… me. I’ve seen them scared before, but never like this. They’re saying something, but I can’t make out either of their words.

I feel Fatima’s hand holding mine. It’s… soft, just like I always imagined it’d be. Her clasp is so tight, and she’s quivering. As the ringing in my ears disperses, I hear her sweet voice. It’s cracking up with every word she utters.

“Z—Zaid! What did you do!?”

“Oh, God! No!” Salman’s hand grips my shoulder as it trembles. His other hand is holding his own head.

Behind them, the heavens continue turning black as the missiles shower upon the city. The blue sky and sun are long gone, but I can only see my friends’ faces.

“What did you do, Zaid?” Fatima’s voice is in hysterics, swinging from terrified to sorrowful in each syllable as she repeats the same question again and again. “What did you do?”

A coldness washes over my feet and begins to crawl up my legs.

Even with the destruction, even with all the chaos, my voice is weak and calm. I don’t feel any fear in my soul. Not today. Not right now. “…I… I took an oath. After Jari died… I took an oath to protect you… both of you with my life.”

Their trembling gazes stay locked with mine.

“I swore to honor that oath. When I thought I’d lost you… I promised myself that if God gave me another chance, I would fulfill that oath… even if it cost me my own life.” My eyes lock with Fatima’s. “Do you remember what I told you… long ago when we sat on those swings… when the world felt so cruel?”

She nods as tears fill her green eyes.

“I… I swore to you that one I day I would change the world. One day I would save it… one day I would save my world… so I saved you…”

Fatima clenches my hand tighter. Her whole body is shivering more than I’ve ever seen before. Her voice is just the same. “Please don’t go, Zaid. I’m… I’m so scared without you.”

“Don’t be afraid, Fatima. Never be afraid. I will always be with you. Both of you.”

“Zaid…” Tears stream down Salman’s face. He firmly grips my free hand. “Don’t leave us. We need you. I need you.”

My eyes link with Salman’s. “I’m sorry, my friend… it was the only way to save you. A lot more suffering awaits you, but don’t ever change. Don’t ever lose your strength… or hope. Be the best of us, the light that this city needs… my brother…”