Graveyard

by: Khabat Rasuli

translator: Renas Abdalla

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I said: if he comes, I will kill him myself, I will hold him by the neck, I throw him to the ground till he becomes breathless. I don’t let him go, no… no, he should not die that soon. I put a rope in his neck and pull him behind myself till he sophisticates, and his body tears apart.

I said: if he doesn’t come, who says after 20 years of imprisonment, he comes here? Even if he loves to come, his sons are not going to let him come. Whatever happened, continue your normal life, and don’t think he comes.

I said: they dismember you, the dogs in front of his house tore you apart, stop!

I said: I said why they released him, why they did not kill him like a dog?

I said: after the uprising, all the people were freed, and then he came back.

I said: even I don’t kill him, my uncles kill him.

I said: they do not care, you were a child. They all were married and have children if they had wanted to kill him, they would have killed him then.

I said: They were late because the government came and arrested him.

I said: do not cheat yourself; till they came and arrested him, he walked in the village freely for three days. No one even dared to say you made a wrong thing.

I said: what should I do? If I kill him, they will kill me, if not, who take revenge my father’s blood?

I said: 20 years of imprisonment is the revenge of your fathers’ blood. When he was arrested, he was young, now his head and beard are white.

I said: If i don’t kill him, i will be ashamed in front of people; they say he was not a man, he did not take revenge of his father’s blood.

i said: who says that?

i said: people

i said: who?

i said: people, neighbors, relatives, who, those who know about the killing.

i said: i said if you killed him and then arrested, those people would come and look after your children?

I said: how i grew up, my children grow up the same.

i said: you grew up in front of people’s gates, your mother got married after your father’s death, you stayed dislocated.

I said: you say what should i do?

i said: I say nothing. You should decide.

I said: he comes and asks for forgiveness, i say i go and i don’t want to see you in this village. Leave here no matter where you go to.

i said: if he doesn’t leave? Will you kill him?

i said: No, if i kill him, they will kill me.