A mother’s story: Om Fares

The prisoners’ families make sure not to miss any day of the weekly protest so the number of the people inside the Red Cross is more than usual on Mondays. Therefore, one should expect to see lots of tears and hear lots of tragedies, especially after the names of the soon-to-be released prisoners were declared.

As I entered the Red Cross this Monday, an old lady was sitting in a corner, hardly noticeable. She was putting her hand on her cheeks, closing her eyes and saying nothing. The wrinkles on her face, with expressions of sorrow and burdens and the broken glasses of the picture she was holding, directed my steps toward her.

Om Fares holding her imprisoned son’s picture

I tried to talk to her but I didn’t get an answer immediately, only after I started talking very loudly while holding her hands. I realized that she barely hears and her vision is very week. “Who’s this man in the picture?” I asked using a very high tune. “This is my son Fares, my darling. He’s not going to be released. I am very sick and about to die. I even spent last night in hospital. Why wasn’t he included to fill my last days of my life which passed for 22 long years without him? I want to enjoy hugging my son before I die,” she said with tears falling so intensively and bitterly.

Calming her was a very difficult task, but one can imagine how deeply her wounds were felt. I was looking around asking who accompanied that lady to the tent, as I found it impossible to imagine that a blind woman came by herself. However, what I thought was impossible, was actually a fact.

After questioning people in the Red Cross about her, I met a young woman who seemed to know her. She told me that the old woman, Om Fares, lives alone in Beach Camp. Her husband passed away years ago and she has no body to take care of her. It was very hard for me to believe that this very old woman, who can barely walk, see or hear, lives alone. I was very angry and questioned loudly how an old sick woman could be left alone with no one to look after her. But the young woman calmed me down after she declared that Om Fares was a reason for her to keep coming to the weekly protests. She even arranged a group of girls to help her and show solidarity with her. They have shifted turns along the week to visit her as much as they could. Hearing that, I couldn’t help but smiling with relief to know that there are still some caring people, and without her asking me to join her group, I stated that I am already a part of them.

The young lady told me that she once was sitting with Om Fares in her very simple and narrow house chatting, attempting to make her feel that she is not alone or forgotten. Suddenly Om Fares asked her to bring a piece of paper and a pen to write down what she heard her saying. “Dear Fares, when you are free, I’m going to pick for you the most beautiful bride in Palestine. I’m going to build a big house for you to live in with your kids. Stay steadfast my darling and God willing your freedom will be soon,” she said while her week hands are busy drying the falling tears on her cheeks. The poor woman didn’t realize that she was only a dreamer, but a dreamer who never gives up.

I can actually say that no one left a profound impact on me as much as this woman, Om Fares. I pray that she gets the chance to see her son before she dies and I promise her that she will never be alone and she will have many people who will never forget her or her precious tears over her son’s ongoing imprisonment.