2 Years Later; The Story Continues

Fatima Norman | 31st March 2017 | Sana’a, Yemen

You’d all think that considering the fact I’ve been living with death for the past two years I would be scarred. Bruised. Broken. That is nowhere near the reality, with every passing day, with every bomb that hits, with every missile that drops I grow invincible. Death is a vengeful sea. A sea feared by all but Yemenis, we have adjusted our sails and claimed that sea ours. Ours eternally.

This Saudi-American led coalition might have ended 2600 little children’s lives, but that will not be a barrier. Every 60 minutes 6 children die in Yemen from different diseases as a result of both the air, land, and sea blockade and the illegal weapons they are dropping on our country. That means that every 10 minutes a child at his or her springtime of life have their lives stolen for no reason. Yemeni children are paying the price for a sin they didn’t commit. The children that do make it past the ten minutes are mutated because of the bombs that are dropped. The children are scarred for life because of a brutal, savage, inhumane coalition. But even this is NOT a barrier.

The last time I saw my father was 28 months ago back when I was sixteen. Now, I am eighteen and sometimes I feel cold and cruel for no longer pouring rainfalls from my eyes when I think of how much I miss him. Don’t get me wrong I miss him with every heart beat and every drop of blood in my veins, but when I remember the 15,916 fathers that have been massacred and how their children must feel, I bear with the pain. I can’t even imagine how much it must hurt that little five year old to know daddy is gone. No longer being his little princess, but rather labeled an ORPHAN. All for no reason! A life is stolen for no reason. A child is crying for no reason. Disregarding all this pain, the truth is these small babies crying for their dads will rise to avenge not only for their fathers, but for our land.

To my country that is being attacked and labeled “weak”. We are going to teach you strength, perseverance, and courage. We will rise again. This is Yemen we will not kneel down to any country, we shall only kneel down to God for we fear nothing but the almighty. We will stare death blankly in the eye. Twilight is merely a prelude to dawn, yet the beauty of the ending is alluring. Not all endings are bad. Some end with diamonds dispersed in the abyss. Whether the abyss is deemed the vast oceans or the seven skies. Yemen will surpass every hardship. Yemen will not be held down even if this coalition lasts till the end of time. Yemenis’ rage is eternal and we will not be held back for we were the very first on this Earth and we WILL be the very last.