Home sweet home

As I headed home recently for the first time in more than a year, all I could think about was my last visit.

It was September 2006. I was scared to go home. Working for a newspaper, you become more aware of the violence lurking around. I was convinced that a bomb might go off or a stray bullet might hit me. The escalating sectarian violence convinced me we had reached the point of no return.

The streets were empty. Houses were deserted. People in their cars looked anxious like me. I reached the entrance to my neighborhood and held my breath. It was like a ghost town. The few remaining shops were closed and the whole neighborhood was shrouded in darkness, except for a few houses lit up with their own generators. When I got home, I ran inside with my bags and hugged my mom and sister.

Babylon & Beyond