Mariam's Story

My life feels like it has gone by so quickly. It has, about 40 years of suffering and I've still managed to strive and actually survive! Everyone's story has an ending, and what I've learnt during my years is, life goes on!

Briefly, Rasheed has the idea to spoil Zalmai. He forces Aziza, who has been very responsible in helping with Zalmai and Laila, to beg on the streets and cover the money Rasheed used to spoil him.

Due to me not having much time left, I must finish my story quickly before I have to leave. Aziza is dropped off at a “special school” but really it’s a horribly maintained orphanage that Rasheed had forced us to send her to.

 We returned home after one of the last visits Rasheed allowed us, and there is a man standing at our door. I had no clue who that was, a Taliban maybe? But Laila wouldn’t run towards a Taliban, especially one missing a leg. It ended up being Tariq, whom has been dead for about 20 years. But he clearly wasn’t. He told us all his stories about Pakistan and his refugee camps. He told us about how he went through thick and thin, sacrificed it all just to save his father and mother (which made me cry, thinking of Nana again). He went to jail and later found out his mother died. Laila told me she loved all his stories but didn’t want to tell him about her’s. But in the end she had to tell Tariq about Rasheed, about Aziza and how she thought he died. But somehow Tariq understood, he wanted to meet his daughter. Zalmai listened in on all the conversations and told majority of them to Rasheed. After hearing about all the talks with Tariq, Laila is beaten by Rasheed. But Laila actually fought back. She cuts Rasheed with a piece of glass. I tried to help her, but I was unsuccessful, I got hit to the ground. As I was getting up, I saw his hands around Laila’s neck and she was becoming blue. And this is where my story comes to a brief stop, because of one man I was forced to marry. So I grabbed a shovel and hit him with it. But it does nothing, he lunges to beat me just and I strike him once more, as hard as I can. Laila finally starts breathing again, looking around, seeing me astonished sitting next to Rasheed’s corpse.

A couple days later, I wasn’t able to live with myself anymore. I was sent to a women’s prison but I was the only one who actually committed a violent crime. I remembered right now that Nana always gave me advice. One of which was that a man always finds a woman to blame. My trial was short. I pleaded guilty, but I tried explaining the truth, that Rasheed would have killed Laila and I if I didn't kill him. I was to be executed.

Mariam Kassab

And now is where Mariam’s story has ended, she wrote all this and demanded for me to pass it on. She asked me to also continue by writing my entire story. Mariam cared for me, if it wasn’t for her to save me and look after me for all those years I would have been dead within the next year. Words cant even begin to thank her. But now she is gone unfortunately, and Aziza, Zalmai, Tariq and I left to Pakistan to continue our lives here. But we hadn’t forgotten about Mariam and her childhood, we stopped by her old house and we discovered a letter that Jalil had written to Mariam regretting sending her away. Tariq and I decide to move to Kabul with the children, as I find out I am pregnant with a third child. Tariq liked the name Mohammed. Zalmai, who just finished watching superman, is still curious on why an Afghan cant be named Clark. Aziza likes Aman and I like the name Omar. But if it’s a girl, there is only one rightful name I can name her, in hope she grows up in the shadows of that name and lives a life full of happiness, fulfilling all that the original Mariam couldn’t.

Laila Tamir