We were not alone in
our journey. There were other families who paid to smugglers. Our way to
Pakistan was partly by road and partly by walking. It was not as harsh as dad’s
journey except when we had to cross the border. Mom told us that we could not
cross border legally. Smugglers took us to place where Pakistan and Afghanistan
were divided by barbed wire. This was probably in Torkham, but mom could not
remember the exact area. She told us that she wore the traditional Afghan Chadiri
which is a big cloth that covers all part of woman’s body. On the both sides of
barbed wire there were smugglers. They asked men and women to crawl bellow the
barbed wire. Mom took my sister with her and crawled bellow the barbed wire.
Her cloths were torn, she was injured and bled. But she made to Pakistan side. Me
and my brother was on Afghan side and were waiting for someone to take us to
other side. I was not more than 5 years old and my brother was only 3. Suddenly
smugglers found that border forces noticed them. The started shooting and
driving to us. Mom was taken to Pakistan side and smugglers took us and escaped
back. I can not imagine how hard was for mom. She was grieving from horrifying
death of her dad, her brother in-law and her niece. She was alone, exhausted,
injured, her cloths were torn. And then she lost her 3 and 5 years kids. She
told me this story several times. This brings tears to my eyes when I remember
her stories. Fortunately after few hours when the border police was gone
smugglers took us and reunited us with mom.
