A Home Full of Nothing
Ahmad hated his parents' eager approach to visiting the relatives in Eid. His idea of Eid was doing nothing but sleep late and visit his friends in the afternoon. Yet his mother always lectured him about the whole meaning of Eid and how we always have to visit our close relatives. His father agreed to Ahmads point of view of not seeing all the relatives, since they had a big family and it would leave the whole family exhausted at the end of the day. However, his mom would always insist on visiting all the relatives. She said it was inappropriate for their reputation in the family.
The sun was sinking between the mountains. The orange- red glow of the sun reflected in Ahmads drowsy eyes, heavy and sore from the long day he'd gone through.
"Mom, can we go back home please?" Ahmad pleaded.
AHMAD ELLAZ
AHMAD ELLAZShe pretended not to hear him but Ahmad asked again,
"We still have to visit your grandfathers brother," She replied
"Mom!" he replied complaining.
"He lives across the street, we'll be in for twenty minutes max!" she added
Opening the white steel door, Sameera, his wife welcomed them and offered an Iraqi greeting, which is more of a smooch than a kiss. Lying on his brown leather sofa, playing with his rosary beads. Ahmad saw Grandpa Ali pushing himself up, walking slowly towards him, his pale face looking at them all with a small smile. Ahmad called him grandpa; he liked it when they called him that. The rooms smelled faintly of stale cigarettes, not enough to bother you, but still enough to make you think of going out for some fresh air.
Talking about his school life was the only thing that accompanied the cookies.