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Fate has his strings, but we’re the ones who twist them together with our actions.
“I wanted so many things,” he says and rests his forehead on my shoulder. Melancholy drips from his tone. “But meeting you, loving you… you made me realize how life can be salvaged. That we deserve to have happiness in this long night.”
I’ve learned to see the colors and I’ve found my own version of happiness. I’m owed myself. I’ll either die or get to Germany, but I will not be touched by this animal.
“Bury me before I bury you,” he whispers in prayer. “Please.”
Fear is a cruel thing. The way it distorts thoughts, transforming them from molehills into mountains.
They can bomb us all they want—we’ll never bow down.”
“Whatever happens tomorrow, we’ll be okay. Even if…” He takes in a deep breath and presses his forehead against mine. “Know that even in death, you’re my life.”
“Syria lives in our hearts,” I whisper. “She always will.”
“Because you’re human. Because no matter what, you have a heart so soft it easily bruises. Because you feel.”
Fate. A complex word that holds many doors leading to countless pathways in life, all controlled by our actions.
“I’ve done my job. I got you on the boat. Whatever happens next is up to you. But no matter what it is, I’m proud of you.”
“For the past year,” I begin slowly, “Syria was gray. The destroyed buildings and roads. The ashy faces of the starving. Sometimes the skies. Our life literally became monochrome, alternating with a harsh red. While some were able to see past it, I forgot other colors existed. I forgot happiness was a possibility. But when you showed me that sunset on your roof and I saw pink and purple and blue… it felt like… like I was seeing color for the first time.”
“Salama, we’ll have that knafeh.” His cheeks are wet, and I know it’s not just from the sea. His lips brush over my scarred knuckles. “If not in Germany, then in Heaven.”
“Every lemon will bring forth a child, and the lemons will never die out.”
It reminds me that as long as the lemon trees grow, hope will never die.
