1982 (Coming Home)

Muhammad had been in the United States for twenty years, leaving his home town in Syria to find a better life in America. And he'd found it, too. He'd started as a cab driver, but he had managed, with the help of relatives back in Syria, to eventually start his own limousine service. Telephones back home were expensive, so he relied on letters to hear the latest news. So when the letters stopped coming, Muhammad got concerned. He booked a flight to Damascus as early as he could and arrived back home on Valentine's Day. He tried to get a bus ticket to his village, but they told him no buses were stopping there. Muhammad was confused. Why not? he asked the man from whom he tried to purchase his ticket. Didn't you hear? the ticket seller asked. Assad moved into Hama two weeks ago to get rid of the Brotherhood. The ticket seller lowered his voice to a whisper. They say no one survived, he said in sotto voce. Muhammad turned without a word away from the ticket counter. He wondered whether any of his family were left. He wished he'd never gone to America in the first place. That way, wherever they were, he would be with them.