Production
Write To Life: Gift from my Grand Mum
When I arrived to this western country 2 years ago, I knew an unlimited number of things about this life of ours; but the strangest thing I learnt is that there is a big sea of difference between the evil and good things in my grandmother’s heart. I knew, after I disappeared from her sight, that she is full of ever-lasting compassion and carries an unconditional love for whoever has a soul in this life, even those that are full of all kinds of evil.
When I approached her with my father to say farewell, going somewhere nobody knows about; she begged my father with despair not to separate me from her – at least for the days and months that are left of her life. My father cried and answered that there is no way out of this, and that we have to separate. So she hugged me for a moment. We cried and then she started walking away slowly with sadness and depression that instantly filled her life.
Then she came back with a bag from which she pulled this hat and said, “ Son, I want to tell you something, to keep in mind always, that life is full of good and bad things. People are of different races and different religions. Everyone loves those of his own colour, culture and religion more than anyone else. That’s human nature. Therefore, this country that you are going to – according to my knowledge – is a race and colour totally different from us, and they embrace Christianity as their religion – I know about them since they came to our country a long time ago. That’s why my main interest – since I heard of your departure – is to make something that would serve as a protector of you after God’s protection. Son! This simple hat is of Abyssinia’s style and the inscription on it is a verse from their holy book. The long hair, however, it is not designed for beauty but it would make you appear before the police like a woman. Meaning that you would appear as an African Christian woman. That would rid you of their evil, because not only do they respect people of their own religion, but they also respect women. May God protect you.
Her talk was, for my father, that of a superstitious old person. But for me, although I was interested what she said, and what she gave me as a gift, I started to feel frightened. A feeling that I could not rid myself of since.
Six months after I arrived in England, I wrote her a letter saying:
“I came here, grandmother, safe and sound, and I haven’t been hurt by anybody. You were right when you advised me. You meant my protection, and I’m not blaming you for what you did not know. I want to tell you something very simple: This country – just like our country – is full of all kinds of devils. But the difference between our country and their country is that in their country there are angels that stop the devils and keep them quiet. Which is not the case in our country grandma! Angels with hearts made of gold; and compassionate hearts do not know how to kill flowers. Goodbye”
My Grandmother died one month after the death of my father. As if she knew we were never going to meet again. And I am sad in this Western country fighting to be accepted as an asylum seeker whose country threw away two years ago. And I did not know the value of my sweet grandmother’s gift until I met an angel, named Rhonda; best regards to her.
Aziz Idris – from Massalet tribe, western Sudan, from Geneina… his father was imprisoned after he escaped, held captive for 2 months, and tortured. Within a few hours of being released he died.
Translation: Duke translator