By Bader Al-Aqad
The expected phone bell rang on the afternoon of that day, as we were meeting, as usual, in one of the hotel rooms that we rented for a whole week where there was no entry or exit for our safety. Suddenly, quick instructions issued by the "smuggler" he said: "prepare for your trip in a little time without the large number of bags and stuff." So we looked the last look at the readiness of the bags after we pressed them to reduce their number where we dumped some of the things that we could dispense with. while we were waiting for a moment, the second sign came out to get ready to get out of the hotel from the "back door", out of sight to sneak one person after the other toward the car in a corner of a side street between many cars, which are open for us, where we rode fast and lightness of foot, so that we can go between the streets and alleys away of the sight of the "police".
[Between alleys and forests]
The car sped off towards the next step with hours of time between narrow streets, sandy roads, tall trees and static forests, and bypassing security radars, until at night we reached a Semi-empty area to a pre-equipped "hotel" to meet and set off. Other hours of time we spent, until the signal came to move where it became a habit of an individual quickly and lightly from the hotel door to the car with ten passengers.
[In dire darkness]
The car moved by a period of time until we reached to an empty area in which we do not see ourselves in dire darkness where with instructions from the accompanying smuggler that you should rushed behind me like a train. Then it was a rush in complete darkness between the small trees, the thorns scattered, and the rough roads, on the sounds of a cold, wild night with nearby dogs barking until we got to those deserted rooms.
[Very cold]
At these moments, it was very night and cold where the first group sat in the deserted room without sound, light, smoke, or movement. More than two hours of alert and anticipation, in a bitter cold, was not resisted by the many clothes that each of us wore were some slept from the severity of fatigue and the length of quiet.
[Inside the deserted basement]
With the hours of dawn, the quick signal came, "Let's move quickly and follow me," minutes between the bushes until we entered an abandoned basement.Unfortunately, We were men, women, children, adults, and young people, and more than thirty people were waiting together in this dark place with a bad smell where we spent an easy period here. Then it was the preparation of jackets, vests, personal wheels, and sea balloon, and this preparation was for taking us across the sea.
[Critical moments]
The sun rose with the day, and we got out of that wild basement to find ourselves in front of a big beach waiting for us to begin our dangerous journey.In this critical moments, fear, and anxiety, everyone rode without hesitation in the boat to sail through it into the sea with choppy waves, accelerating strikes, under a rainy sky, and in a very cold atmosphere, all of these things forced the driver to walk slowly Without the slightest speed that would make us with moments in the deep sea.
[Desired arrival]
Nearly 45 minutes inside the water, until we reached to the beaches of the wanted island where we reached to the land that suffers thousands of times than the suffering that we mentioned to reach it. Moreover, we reached and rejoiced where everyone was in safety and wellness, and we found one of the houses that welcome us. then the help crews, organizations, and authorities came to us successively.
[What then? And why?]
After dangers journey which caused you the suffering by the torment of the road, the severity of the cold, and the great fear, in an adventure, it is perhaps the only or unique dangers in the life of yours. Finally, there is no doubt that it is an exciting and wonderful adventure despite its dangers, but it is necessary for each one to ask him/her, Why should I do it? What is the goal behind it? Does that the goal deserve all this risk? Of course, the answers of each person differ from other .
(A personal experience that took place on the night of November 17, 2018 in the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece).
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Bader Al-Aqad is from Palestine. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and information with a major in Public Relations and Advertising as well as several course diplomas in the media and design fields. Bader has a passion for teaching, having planned many activities and events around education camps and lectures on his specialty in communications as well as on the Holy Quran.
"I aspire to have professional freedom; to build my own business. I also aspire to put a fingerprint in this world that has a great impact; I want to help and help people in my own way."