Page 35 - MY Book - My Voice

dirty and some just sit, apathetic, watching us.It used to be a lot of families living here, but they have recently been thrown out by the owner, except the few families that couldn’t nd anywhere else to go.We don’t stay long; we ask one of the women to give our regards to Qamar and walk out into the streets again. The contrast in atmosphere is overwhelming.Dalal tells me that the husband of Qamar never reached Germany, but is stuck in Hungary and can’t go anywhere because of closed borders. He tells his wife on the cellphone that it is freezing cold where he is, and that she should be happy still being in Lebanon. Qamar has now abandoned the plan to take her children on the dangerous journey to Europe.The next day I visit the Watanieh School and meet Qamars twins, Zeinab and Abdel, now in third grade. I think about the choice Qamar had to do between her children: Two would get the opportunity to go to school, and the others would have to stay at home or work.33