Lubna Mrie

And my mother did everything to broaden our world outside of that house.

She would take us out every day.

And eventually, my grandmother wanted us to leave the house.

And I remember at some point, my mother was like sobbing on the phone with my father, asking him for help.

And he offered to help on one condition, that we move from Damascus to

to a small coastal town called Jeble, where he would offer us a house, where he would also support us financially, on the condition that we will be raised near his big family in Jeble.

Not living with him, but like living near his sisters and brothers.

And looking back, I truly wish my grandmother acted differently because the whole trajectory of my life would have been different.

My mother had to choose.

our freedom over hers.

She was willing to uproot herself completely from everything she knew to move to a city that she doesn't know anyone in.

Like she was not even close with my father's family in order for me and my sister to have like a stable life.

She wanted us to have a home.

I mean, Jebel is a very small city, but...

It felt like bigger than life itself.

It was so vibrant.

It was full of life.

The air was... Because we moved to Jeple in the summer and I remember how the air smelled of the sea and how our balcony would have kind of like...

Like this dew in the morning, and sometimes I would just like wipe my fingers on the windowsill.

And I sometimes, I know it's gross, but I would taste it and it would be so salty.