Chapter Three: A Tragic Accident

After working for some time in Turkish restaurants, Abboud realized that the meager wages he was earning barely covered his expenses. Life in Turkey for Syrian refugees was harsh, not just financially but also due to the racism and bureaucratic challenges they faced daily. Abboud felt the need for a drastic change in his life. He no longer had time to wait or hope for better opportunities. He decided to switch to construction work, despite the dangers and difficulties he knew it entailed.

The Hard Work:

Construction was a physically demanding and exhausting job, requiring great physical effort. From dawn until sunset, Abboud spent his days lifting bricks, mixing cement, and climbing high scaffolding. At first, he felt that the physical exhaustion helped him forget his worries and pains. The more he immersed himself in work, the faster time seemed to pass, and his life in Syria began to feel like a distant dream.

However, he soon realized that the hard labor in construction was slowly wearing him down. He didn’t know what the future held for him, but the work was the only way to earn some money, hoping that one day he could achieve something better. Life at the construction sites was full of danger, but Abboud had no other choice.

One day, while working on building a wall in a large project, the unexpected happened. The scaffold he was standing on was unstable, and his feet suddenly slipped. He felt a free fall, and before he could comprehend what was happening, he found himself on the ground. The pain was indescribable. He felt his right leg shatter. He screamed at the top of his lungs, but his coworkers couldn’t hear him immediately due to the constant noise at the worksite.

He was rushed to the hospital, where they informed him that he had suffered a severe fracture in his right leg and that he would need a complicated surgery. After the surgery, they told him that his leg would never be the same, and he would require months of rehabilitation. That moment was one of the hardest in his life. Abboud had always been an active young man, relying on his physical strength, and suddenly, he felt powerless. The sadness wasn’t just from the physical pain but from the overwhelming sense of helplessness and weakness.

Recovery and Despair:

The months passed slowly. Abboud had to learn to walk again. He couldn’t return to construction work, and he had no steady income. He lived off the small savings he had managed to gather, but those savings were quickly depleting. Life became harder than ever. The physical pain was gradually fading, but the emotional pain was much greater. Abboud felt as if his life had come to a halt.

Despite everything, Abboud couldn’t stop thinking about Layla. She was the only light in the darkness of his life. He tried repeatedly to contact her, but communication in Syria was still complicated due to the war and the crumbling infrastructure. He didn’t know if she was still alive or if she was safe. Every time he thought of her, he felt a sharp longing. He didn’t want to lose hope of finding her again.

A whole year passed in Turkey, with Abboud searching for any glimmer of hope to reconnect with Layla, but to no avail. He felt as if his life had paused, yet inside, a small hope remained that time would eventually reunite them.

He used to send money to his mother through his uncle, who kept in touch with him and reassured him about her well-being.

The Call:

One cold evening, Abboud was sitting on his bed in his cramped room in Turkey, momentarily surrendering to the worries that constantly plagued him. The room was cold, and the atmosphere was filled with loneliness. He felt that even though he had escaped Syria, something inside him had broken. He constantly thought about Layla, wondering where she was and how she was doing. Did she still think of him as he did of her?

Just as he was lost in his thoughts, the phone call he had been dreaming of came. It was an ordinary day for Abboud, until his phone suddenly rang. On the other end was his old friend Abbas, and the moment was filled with surprise and disbelief.

The Call from Abbas:

Abbas (with relief in his voice): “Abboud, I have news for you.”

Abboud (with curiosity and concern): “What’s going on?”

Abbas (smiling on the other end of the line): “Layla called, and I managed to get her phone number. Communications are back in the area, and she sends her regards.”

Those words were enough to reignite a spark of hope in Abboud’s heart. He felt something like life returning to him after a long absence. Layla, the girl who had been such a big part of his life, was still there, still thinking of him.

Abboud (with a voice full of emotion): “Layla? Really? Where is she? How is she?”

Abbas: “Yes, Abboud. Things are still tough, but she’s doing well. I gave you her phone number. Call her now.”

With trembling hands from the overwhelming tension, Abboud took the number and immediately began dialing. Every moment of waiting for the call to connect was filled with memories and emotions. The phone rang… and rang… until finally.

The Conversation:

Layla’s voice (calmly): “Hello?”

Abboud (with a voice choked with longing): “Layla… Layla, it’s me… Abboud.”

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line, as if she was trying to comprehend what was happening. Then finally, her voice came, filled with suppressed emotion.

Layla (in a soft, emotional tone): “Abboud… I can’t believe you called. How are you? Where are you now?”

That was enough to drown Abboud in a wave of emotions. Years of pain, worry, and longing culminated in this moment. He didn’t know where to start or what to say, but he felt that just hearing her voice was enough to fill the void he had been living in since leaving Syria.

Abboud (with a deep sigh): “I’m okay… at least now that I’ve heard your voice. How are you? Are you okay?”

Layla (hesitantly): “Things are still difficult here, but I’m holding on. I’ve been thinking about you a lot. Every day, I wondered if you were okay, if you were still alive.”

Abboud (sadly): “I’ve been through so much, Layla. I lost my father, and death seemed to follow me at every turn. But the thought that we might meet again was what kept me going.”

Layla (with a trembling voice): “I’ve missed you, Abboud. Life here without you has been harder than I imagined. I lived on the hope that we would meet again.”

They spoke for hours that night, Abboud and Layla. They exchanged stories of the days gone by, the times they spent together in Syria, and the days that nearly tore them apart forever. Abboud talked about his journey to Turkey, the horrors he witnessed along the way, and how all he wanted was to survive so he could return to Layla.

A Glimmer of Hope:

After that night, Abboud called Layla every night. Talking to her brought back the feeling of being alive and gave him the strength to keep going. Despite all the suffering he had endured, he knew that there was someone waiting for him, someone who meant everything to him.

In every call, they talked about their future together. They dreamed of a simple, peaceful life, far from the war and destruction, a life they would live together in peace.

Layla (with hope in her voice): “Do you think we’ll meet soon?”

Abboud (with determination): “I’m sure of it, Layla. I’ll find a way, and we’ll be together again.”

Those calls became everything to Abboud—hope, the future, and the love that bound him to Layla. They gave him the strength to continue fighting in this hard life, giving him a reason to keep going.