This is nice article from nice girl. Thanks Roba
Dreams Beyond The Road
by Roba Salipi on Monday, May 16, 2011 at 1:12am
“The teacher told us to ask our grandparents about our original home land. What is mine grandma?” I was only a kid when I asked my beautiful grandmother this question. She smiled, putting me in her lap as I used to sit always and said, “It is Dair Snaid darling. If you had been there now , you would be collecting olives, brining water from the well, singing songs in harvest days , and dancing dabka in weddings wearing a dress just like the one I am wearing now.“ She continuous to describe the black day… Israeli soldiers forced her to leave the house. “They (May god take revenge of them) came with guns and weapons and took over everything, with every step I walked away, I was dying and I still am.” Since that day, I never forget my grandmother’s face or Dair Snaid and I won’t.
My grandmother died dreaming of going back, but her living soul is flying happily over Dair Snaid. Though I bet now, it looks much different. In a way, I envy my grandma’. At least, she had a good picture of it but me who don’t even know how it looks like asked once one of my cousin who went to Jerusalem last summer to describe it for me and she said, “It is all Israeli farms now.“
Sometimes it appears funny to me, how ridiculous life is! As I can see all the people in the world who can move freely inside their own country without checkpoints, where soldiers ask you to kiss their feet to let you in as It happens in West Bank. But us, who live in Gaza, are in a prison where it is written at the crossing, “not allowed” sign. Not allowed to move or even freely live, yes poor us!!
Since 63 years have passed, we were forced to leave our homes. But today, on 15th of May, as my grandma described it as “the black day”, I went to the same road my grandparents walked through. I could feel the same feeling they had, “going nowhere”. As I walked forward I could see a lot of people there. When I got so close to my homeland… there was a big , huge and tall wall that separated me from my homeland ( Dair Snaid ), which was standing right beyond it. It is missing my grandmother’s touch on its sand, my grandfather’s feet while dancing dabka or planting an olive tree. Today I was able to imagine how they suffered, I could see in my mind… grandmother holding my uncle who was only 3 years old and her heart is bleeding inside, asking herself “will I breath that air again? “ .
This anniversary was completely different. For the first time I feel that Arab nations are taking real steps, as it started from Facebook where they were calling for “The Third Intifda”. As many people went to the crossing with Israel today and was shouting loudly “occupation no more“ and there is still firing as it happened in both Gaza and West Bank , and believe me it is an amazing feeling to know that you are not alone.
I have a sweet sensation every time I remember my grand mom and her amazing and simple life in Dair Snaid. It is like the true image of Palesine to me…. the very beautiful Palestine which I dream of visiting it every single moment , and among all those good memories a question rings in my ear, “Will you die dreaming!!”
