Beyond the Fence #1

“Abboussi, wake up” Qasem’s small and hopeful voice rings through the morning air, he shakes me until I show a sign of life. I groan and turn away from him, shooting another empty attempt at sleep. “Abbass, you told me that we should start early today!” Qasem pokes my cheek. I try to wave him away, wanting just a few more moments of sleep.

“Abbass, I’m hungry.” My brother persists, extending his hand to poke me yet again.

I sit up, annoyed, and rub my eyes, dodging his finger. “What’s the time?” 

Qasem shrugs. I look around to find everything dark, with a few beams of light escaping the gray walls through cracks and glassless windows. 

“Come on” I mutter. I still have not come around to calling this dump my house, but really it is all we have now; an old abandoned shop, half demolished with glass from what was the window scattered everywhere and nonfunctioning light bulbs hanging from the dull ceiling, threatening to fall and add to the mess on the floor at any moment. 

Yawning, I get up from our makeshift bed; a bunch of old blankets and clothes bundled together. 

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It takes the whole day to find a decent amount of wild mellow leaves and a lighter to cook. At every passing minute, my stomach rumbles louder and my head grows heavier. 

I pile our bits of wood and burnable materials to start a fire as Qasem kneels down beside me, placing a plastic gallon on the ground, collected rainwater splashing inside. “Hey Abbass” Qasem hesitates, a solemn expression settling on his face, “do you remember Ibrahim?” 

“Yes,” I mutter. Ibrahim had been my friend from school—when it was still standing. Ever since the war started, we lost touch. 

“Him and some boys were planning to cross the border to escape to Egypt.” 

I freeze. Are they mad? Many have tried to cross the border with no avail. People got shot or taken away, never to be heard of again. Nowadays, no one dares. 

“I don’t know if they crossed, only that they vanished.”

“May God be with them.” I utter, my mind racing with possibilities. The chance of them making it to the opposite side of the fence is nearly impossible. Nearly. What if they made it? I shake my head. There is no way over the barrier, where a barbed wire rests on top that will grab a bloody hold of whoever dares an attempt. Rumors say the fence extends a meter underground. Even if it didn’t, by the time one digs enough to crawl under, the guards would have eliminated them.

Even knowing this, my mind races. It races away from the impossibility and searches for a way out of the inescapable loop. Yet, the possibilities of a new life waiting for us beyond the border… 

We eat dinner, a meal barely enough to quiet our rumbling stomachs. While the thoughts envelop me, I hardly notice Qasem crawling under the sheets and sleeping.

Unable to rest, I brainstorm a plan. I need to take Qasem to a safe place; one free of hunger. I grab a flashlight, kiss my brother’s cheek, and walk into the darkness of the night to find the materials to liberate us. 

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