SABAH (87)

Memoirs of Sabah Vatankhah

One day, Shahnaz and I decided to go and visit him. We asked the address until we found it. Their house was a big garden in Farmaniyeh Avenue. We were surprised to see the house and the entrance door. We couldn’t believe that he could come from such a family and residence. We knocked. His father answered the door. We introduced ourselves and said that we have come from Abadan to visit his son. The man acted very respectfully and invited us in.

SABAH (86)

Memoirs of Sabah Vatankhah

We returned to the hospital. We shook hands with the nurses and kissed and congratulated the Nowruz. We all wished that this is the last year that the country is stuck with the war … Two three days had passed since the Nowruz. I had taken leave to go to Tehran and visit my family. I wanted to be with them since I had not been with them the moment the Nowruz arrived. One of our friends called Zohreh Farrokh Nejad was from Shiraz and wanted to go and visit her family.

SABAH (85)

Memoirs of Sabah Vatankhah

Twenty second day of the second month of winter of 1980 was approaching. We wanted to celebrate the anniversary of victory of revolution despite being in the war. We decided to hold an exhibition in the hospital. Dr. Sa’adat, Fouziyeh, Afsaneh, me and a few others gathered to think about it. A surgery ward technician, Mr. Karegar, had ideas in cultural events. He had come from Hamedan together with Dr. Afsharis team to Abadan. He drew two three beautiful paintings for the exhibition.

SABAH (84)

Memoirs of Sabah Vatankhah

My greatest motivation for staying in Tehran was to find a chance to visit Imam Khomeini. Since 1357 and the trip I had to Qom and had seen him in person, I always remembered those sweet moment in my mind every night. In my family, except for myself, Ferdows had also visited Imam in person in her teenage years and fifteen years old. In the last month of autumn, a bus was arranged for women who had activities and logistics behind the frontline were going to visit Imam.

SABAH (83)

Memoirs of Sabah Vatankhah

At least now she could be covered under martyr foundation coverage and her poverty issue could be solved because she couldn’t fee her children. Poor woman was mourning her husband’s death with two little children. We would like to do something for her but in that condition, we could not do anything. We got on the bus. We ate cooked chicken for dinner in Khorramabad; this was the food that my father would bring us home while ...

SABAH (82)

Memoirs of Sabah Vatankhah

Mr. Karoubi said: “There is a building called Koushk in Ferdowsi Avenue. This building belongs to martyr foundation and is the residence of a number of war-stricken families from Khuzestan. I give you an introduction letter, go to martyr foundation and tell them that we are war-stricken and get a place to stay temporarily until the situation with our father gets normal.” We said goodbye. When leaving, Younes Mohammadi said: “If you have no place to stay in Tehran, come to our place with family.”

SABAH (81)

Memoirs of Sabah Vatankhah

It was the second month of winter but we had no news of Ali. We had all accepted that he has been held prisoner. My mother and father had become calmer. Each was trying to comfort the other and make the acceptance easier for the other one. My mothers name was Farang Banou but my father called her Farang and said: “Farang! We think that we were in Karbala dessert and we sacrificed a boy for Imam Hossein.”

SABAH (80)

Memoirs of Sabah Vatankhah

Fouziyeh and Shahnaz could not believe that I wanted to do such a thing. Fouziyeh said: “Sabbah, are not you really afraid?!” I said: “What else we can do sister?! Poor woman is left here for two days. If we do not do it, nobody knows if anybody will be ready to do it. You can come with me and stand beside me so that I don’t feel frightened. I can see you and not feel lonely and frightened.”

SABAH (79)

Memoirs of Sabah Vatankhah

A few days after joining emergency ward, Fatemeh Bandari and Noosheen Najar came and said: “Please talk to the manager so that we can also join this hospital. The personnel in OPD hospital are sufficient and we have nothing special to do and our presence is more required here.” I talked to Mr. Hassani. He said: “You know how sensitive medical sections are during the war. There is the possibility that the enemy might want to enter these sections and we have to be ...

SABAH (78)

Memoirs of Sabah Vatankhah

We had no news of Ali. One day Shahnaz and I decided to go to the army base and meet Jahan Ara and ask him for updates on Ali. At the entrance of Persian hotel, we were stopped. They asked whom we wanted to meet. We said: “We are sisters of Ali Vatan Khah and it is quite a while that we have not heard anything from him. We have come to ask Brother Jahan Ara if he ...