SABAH (72)

Memoirs of Sabah Vatankhah

Interviewed and Compiled by Fatemeh Doustkami
Translated by Natalie Haghverdian

2021-8-24

SABAH (72)

Memoirs of Sabah Vatankhah

Interviewed and Compiled by Fatemeh Doustkami

Translated by Natalie Haghverdian

Published by Soore Mehr Publishing Co.

Persian Version 2019

Chapter seventeen

It was the second week of third month of autumn. More than one month had passed since Elaheh had come to Abadan. One day she said that she wants to go to Sarbandar to visit her family. I told her: “Elaheh! If you go, you might not be able to return and would have to stay.” She said: “No problem. It has been a long time that I haven’t heard from them. I miss them. I better go and visit them. You come with me and have a rest. Then you will return.”

I liked the idea. We had to think of the permission. We consulted Ghasem Farrokhi. He said: “I will get the permission for you.”

I felt strange when someone talked about permission. We had suffered a lot to get permission for Zahra and Leila to come to Abadan and those memories did not leave my mind. I told Ghasem Farrokhi: “From where do you want to get the permission?” He said: “Khorramshahr army.” I said: “But I do not think that they will give us permission easily. If we apply as aid worker from Taleghani hospital, it might be easier.” He said: “I will try my best. If I succeed, then you go. If I do not succeed, then we will go through that channel.”

Me, Elaheh and Ghasem Farrokhi went to Khorramshahr army headquarters in Persian hotel. Persian hotel was about one hundred meters away from Karevansara hotel and was a chic and modern building. Its yard was surrounded by short walls with the height of less than one meter with metal bars. Besides the entrance door, there was a guard’s room. At the entrance of the hotel, Ghasem Farrokhi said: “You stay here outside the hotel. I will go and return.”

Elaheh and I went to the other side of the street, opposite the hotel and waited. A few moments had passed since he had gone that I saw Ali coming out of the hotel. As soon as he walked out, he saw us. I was so excited to see him and from the other side of the street I shouted “Ali! Ali!”

As soon as Ali heard my voice, his face frowned and came towards me shouting. He was shouting: “What are you doing here? Don’t you have an owner?!”

I had missed him so much during that past two months and was counting the moments to see him, but he shouted at me without considering the crowd around us. When he got near, I said: “Ali, the dearest, please lower your voice. Everybody is watching us. I feel embarrassed!”

He was wearing the kaki uniform of the army and had a woolen pink hat on his head. He looked taller since the last time I had seen him. It was as if he became more masculine day by day. I was so happy to see him healthy.

He said angrily: “You think I do not hear the news? You think I don’t know where you are? I can tell you exactly what day you have been in Zolfaghari front. I had sworn to God that if I see you in front, I will shoot you myself so that you won’t be held captive by Iraqis. Have all men died that you have come to front?!”

I wanted to ask him about his injury but he was so angry that he did not give me the chance to talk. I should have seen such behavior coming. Maybe his army comrades, who had acted very cold towards me in Zolfaghari, had reported about my whereabouts. I was so sad by his behavior.

As Ali was shouting at us, Ghasem Farrokhi came smiling with the permission in his hands. He shook hands with Ali and greeted him. As they told us later, they knew each other from an Arab public issue. Ali was still nagging. Ghasem Farrokhi said: “What has happened Ali jan?! Why are you so upset?!”

Ali said: “Why am I upset?! Don’t you see what they are doing? Is the front a good place for women?! If they become hostages by Iraqis what can I do?” Ghasem Farrokhi said: “Calm down brother. Don’t bother yourself. Here are their permissions. They are leaving. I promise that you won’t see them in front!”

As soon as Ali saw the permissions, he cooled down and said: “Let me see.”

The permission was signed by Commander of Khorramshahr army, Mohammad Jahan Ara. It was written: “In the name of God, from Khorramshahr army soldiers to army common headquarters: hereby sisters Sabah Vatan Khah and Elaheh Hejab are introduced to exit Abadan area.” Ali told Ghasem: “Thank you. Now I feel relieved. I had sweared to God that if I see Sabah in the front, I will shoot her myself.”

Although he had acted harshly in front of other towards me but I was not upset with him. Ali said in a calm voice: “mother and children have come to Sarbandar, go to them.” I said: “How do you know that they have come to Sarbandar? They were in Boroujerd.” He said: “in the first days of second month of autumn, I went to Boroujerd and took mother for visiting her husband in Shiraz. He had been discharged from the hospital and was resting in uncle Nemat’s home. Then we returned to Boroujerd and came to Sarbandar with children.”

For a second, the scenery of camp B and its harsh conditions appeared in front of my eyes. I felt astonished thinking that my mother and children are living in that condition in camp. Why Zahra Hosseini did not say anything to me, if they were there then. Or why didn’t I see them while I was commuting in the camp. I asked Ali: “Are they in the camp?” He said: “No! They have gone to Sarbandar.”

We said goodbye. I wished for our next visit to be soon. While saying goodbye, he said: “I don’t want to see you around again!”

I smiled and said nothing. We went to Karevansara hotel. We wanted to say goodbye to team members and pack. We did not have special items. I had a trophy bag; but Elaheh had none.

We returned to the hotel. I told Shahnaz and Fouziyeh that I have seen Ali. They became so happy. We were all worried for him and we thanked God that he was healthy.

I did not want to go and visit my brothers and sisters with empty hands. When I was in Zolfaghari, I took one box of small bullets with twenty bullets inside, from the Iraqis trenches for Abbas and one pack of RPG bullets for Mohsen. I knew that they would enjoy setting them on fire. It was customary among soldiers to take such things as souvenirs for their loved ones.

There we learnt that we will be transferred early in the morning, when we said goodbye and wanted to move, Ghasem Farrokhi and Dr. Sa’adat said that they will accompany us until Chouebdeh.

We went to Imam Port with helicopter instead of hover craft. Those who were supposed to leave Chouebdeh by helicopter had gathered in one corner. We had been standing there for a few minutes, that an army force that was in charge of the crowd in Chouebdeh waterfront came and said that we have to go into inspection in order to get permission to exit. This was the first time that they were inspecting. We had never been inspected before.

The army person ordered his forces to search the items. The first person whose bag was inspected was a young nurse without scarf who had ponytail hair and was wearing jeans trousers with a white coat. After a few second, one of the forces took out a betadine from her bag and held it in front of her face and said: “You cannot take this with you?!” The nurse said: “Why can’t I?! This is mine. It doesn’t belong to the hospital.”

The army person said: “We have been told that nobody has the right to take out any sanitary and medical equipment.” The nurse said: “but I have bought this with my own money from Abadan drug store, why can’t I take it?!”

The army forces that did not have the nerve to argue raised his voice and said: “You don’t have the permission to take it and this is final. If it is important for you, keep it here and don’t go!”

While looking at the discussion going on between these two, I remembered one box of bullets and RPG ammunition I had for the children. When a bottle of Betadine was not permitted, how could they let me take these?! Recently we had heard reports about bringing out weapons and ammunition by Fadayi Cherik forces from the fronts.

For one second, I started to fear. I was afraid that they will create problem for me. With the record we had left in Mahshahr, they could easily label us as fifth columnists and this time it would have been impossible to escape. I don’t remember exactly when I took those bullets and I didn’t think at all that they might cause problem for me. Besides that, Elaheh had a hunting spear head that was in my bag. When we were in front, they gave us a number of spear heads. My spear head would embark on my weapon but Elaheh’s was different. Before hitting the road, when we handed over our weapons to Alivand, my spear head was on my weapon but Elaheh had brought it along for her brother, Reza.

Elaheh saw the behavior of army soldier with the nurse, and her face turned pale. She told me gently: “Sabbah, what should we do now?! If they inspect us, we are doomed.” I said: “Don’t be afraid. If we lose control of ourselves, the situation will be worse. Let’s wait and see what we can do.”

We were three four people back from the nurse, standing the queue and we had no chance to hid the objects. I whispered the verse of Va Ja’alnaa and blew on my bag. This verse was a reminder of Revolution days. When we got afraid of being arrested by police forces in the opposition, we whispered it. I had prepared myself for all kinds of insults and behaviors. When it was our turn the army soldier was very polite – contrary to his behavior with the nurse – and said: “Sister, please open your bag.”

I reached for the zipper of my bag and opened it gently. The ammunition, spear head and the bullet box were at the end of the bag and a shirt and trouser covered them. The army soldier reached for the trousers and brought it out. Then looked inside casually and put the trouser in its place and said: “Please get in.”

I could not believe that we had passed this part successfully. I believed that his respectful behavior was because of our Hejab. Two three steps away from him, Elaheh reached for my hand and squeezed it and said: “oh, Thanks God, we were successful.”

Without looking at his face, I said: “Keep quiet …”

To be continued …