Don't Listen to the Sounds

My dear Olka, When you were just learning to talk, whenever someone asked you the meaning of your name, you would answer in your sweet, thin voice: "It means homeland. "

I have to tell you a truth.

The morning when you were four years, seven months, and six days old, war entered our lives.

Your mother and I are both children of war. From day one, our biggest concern was to protect you from it. I'm sorry we had to lie to you.

We taped up the windows not because they were loose, but to protect ourselves from the blast waves.

When we went to buy Nowruz decorations and later heard strange sounds in the park that forced us to leave early, I pretended not to know what they were. They were the sounds of bombing and air defense systems.

On Iranian New Year's Eve, Elham turned up the volume on the TV and said, "Don't listen to the sounds. Come dance with me, Olka. " The sounds outside were not construction work. As he danced with you, he hid his tears and repeated to the reader: "I will kiss you in the midst of sorrow. "

In those days, I returned to war photography. Every day I visited families who had lost their homes or loved ones. Before coming home, I wiped my tears so that you would only see my smile.

One day, a huge explosion shook our house. Just a few streets away, bombs had destroyed an entire neighborhood. Later, your mother told me that it took you half an hour to recover from the shock and that you finally cried in her arms.

The next day, we went out for sports and kite flying, as if life had to go on while the war continued.

At night, the three of us slept together in the living room. This was not for a new experience on vacation, Mom Elham and I wanted to take care of you while we were both by your side. After you fell asleep, we followed the news and waited for the war to end.

Now we are happy that those days of war are over.

Don't listen to the voices and just live and dance, Elka

War destroys homes.

It separates people from those they love.

And sometimes, it turns mothers and fathers into liars.