July, 1982. Dyala. Iraq.
"I can't find my left shoe" Screamed Lamia in panic awaking all who is asleep in the house at five in the morning.
"Mom" Lamia says as she walks into her parents' room "Do you know where my left shoe is?"
"Yes" Her mother responds "It in the shoe cabinet, I put there so we wouldn't lose track of it during the arrangements"
"Okay, then" Lamia says with excitement before running out of the room.
"Did she really need to scream?" Asks Lamia's father "I feel like she could have just checked the shoe cabinet. After all, it is for shoes"
"She's just excited because it is her wedding day, Ayad" The mother justifies
"I know, I know" The father says in a calm manner "But I also barely slept because I stayed up preparing the settings until 1 in the morning"
The mother gets up and goes to check up on Lamia. The traces of happiness and excitement in the air encourage her to start a loud ululate waking up those who weren't woken by Lamia's early screaming.
"Mom, I am freaking out," Says a panicking Lamia "I can't find the ring. The shoe needs polishing. The hair stylist isn't here. The Henna artist isn't here. The flowers aren't enough. Even the chairs aren't comfortable"
"Honey, calm down" The mother replies with an assuring smile on her face " I sent the ring with your uncle Suhail when he went to Baghdad so he could readjust it there. He will bring it with him when he comes to the wedding today. And I will polish your shoes"
"Are you sure uncle Suhail will be here in time?" Lamia asks
"Of course" The mother answers "You are his favorite niece"
"But" Lamia quickly interjects "What about hair stylist, the Henna artist, the flowers, and the chairs"
"We will take care of all of it" The mother responds
"This is supposed to be the best day of my life" Lamia screams anxiously
"Honey" The mother says "Believe me, in few months, none of this is going to matter"
Lamia finally calms down, looks at her mother with a wide smile and excitement "I am getting married today, mom!!!"
The mother starts ululating and the half awake crowd in the house start gathering around her, clapping and singing bridal songs as Lamia dances in the middle while laughing.
As the day went by, the hair stylist and Henna artist arrived. Tattooing and styling Lamia. All the way in Baghdad, carrying the wedding ring after adjusting its size, Suhail takes the bus from Baghdad to Dyala.
Lamia covered in beautiful Henna, wearing her wedding dress as the hair stylist does her hair with her mother in the room, Anmar, her groom to be walked into the room where she is.
"Anmar!" Lamia screams "What are you doing here? You're not supposed to see me in my wedding dress before we get married"
"These are western superstitious, baby" Anmar explains.
"Still" Lamia justifies "I wanted to see me in my wedding dress when we get married"
"Sweetie" The mother interjects "Like I told you, it won't matter in few months"
"Girls" The father walks in "And Anmar, let's start the wedding celebration. People are waiting"
"But" Lamia says "The wedding isn't here yet"
"Suhail called from the bus station" The mother assures Lamia "He should be here in less than an hour"
"Alright" Lamia says "I will make the exception and step outside while the rings gets here"
Lamia steps outside only to be greeted by a crowd of people wearing bright colors on a cool Dyala day. Showered by happy thoughts and well-wishes, Lamia dances in the middle of the stage as she listens to even louder wedding chants and songs. Children jumping around with excitement matched by the adult attendees. All dancing and having a good time.
"All I need is the ring" Lamia thinks to herself "And this will be the best day of my life"
Running around Dyala's bus station trying to find a taxi, Suhail panics that he might miss the wedding. The bus station is empty to Suhail's disbelief. To Suhail's side stops a car.
"Where are you going?" Asks the driver.
"I need to get to Mandali immediately" Suhail explains "I will pay whatever you want. I need to get to my niece's wedding."
"Keep your money" The driver says "I am heading there anyway"
Suhail gets into the car as both head toward Mandali. Suhail looks around and finds no one in the street.
"It's like a ghost town here" Suhail says
"Of course, man" The sirens went out "People fear an upcoming strike from Iran"
"Let's hope we remain safe" Suhail wishes
"Why were you in Baghdad on a wedding day?" Asks the driver.
"I was summoned by the government for a job" Answers Suhail
"Why?" The driver follows up alarmingly "What do you do?"
"Oh, don't worry" Suhail assures the driver "I am not part of the military or anything, I am an engineer, and I make statues as well"
Five minutes later, both arrived to Mandali.
"So where exactly is the wedding" The driver asks
"It is the house right next to Mandali park" Suhail answers.
Arriving to the wedding, Suhail got out of the car in a hurry as he saw what nobody expected to see.
"This must have been what the sirens were all about" The driving says in a sympathetic voice as Suhail runs into a burning house destroyed by military strikes.
Standing among dead bodies, Suhail feels paralyzed by the scene.
"Uncle, you arrived" Says Lamia is a low, shattered voice.
Suhail quickly ran toward Lamia, only to be disturbed by the scene of his favorite niece, armless, with her body buried under bloody rocks and flowers in matching colors.
"Is anyone still alive that we can get to a hospital?" Asks the driver who has followed Suhail.
"Yes" Suhail calls for the driver "Come help pull out my niece"
The driver quickly runs in and both pull out Lamia from under the remains and take her to a hospital only to see that she has also lost her legs.
Lamia spent months in silence with her uncle Suhail by her side. She later broke her silence to say only one thing.
"Mother was right" Lamia says "The ring, the flowers, the shoes, the hair, the Henna, all of that doesn't matter now".
Few days later, Lamia was pronounced dead and Suhail went on to put on his final statue in Iraq before disappearing. A statue in the middle of Baghdad.
The End
Image sources:
Kurdish Bride
Lamia Murad Ali
Mandali Bride STatue