I Shall Not Emerge In A Land Where Injustice Prevails: A Mystic Power In A Lamp

By Nardeane Ahmed

The author was devastated when she returned to her home country after several decades and experienced firsthand the misery, poverty and injustice that had permeated the country as a consequence of countless wars, sanctions, terrorism and corrupt governments.

During her visit to an antique shop in the city of Basra, her fate brought her to an innocent-looking lamp that turned out to host a being with mystical powers. With her newfound acquaintance, she goes on a quest to positively impact the cities that have defined her past and present.

The story is in a modern, low-fantasy world, where certain magical elements interfere with the real world and bring the audience a unique adventure.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tellwell Talent
• Release date: Jan 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9780228843276

Nardeane Ahmed

Nardeane Ahmed was born in Basra, Iraq. As a teenager, she left the country with her family before Iran-Iraq war and lived in Europe, the Middle East, and North America. She has a bachelor's degree in Administrative Management from Concordia University in Montreal. She is an entrepreneur and a certified yoga educator. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and writing. She has a passion for travelling and discovering different cultures and traditions.

Book preview

I Shall Not Emerge In A Land Where Injustice Prevails

A Mystic Power In A Lamp

Nardeane Ahmed

I Shall Not Emerge In A Land Where Injustice Prevails

Copyright © 2020 by Nardeane Ahmed

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Tellwell Talent

www.tellwell.ca

ISBN

978-0-2288-4326-9 (Paperback)

978-0-2288-4327-6 (eBook)

To

my mother and father,

whose love and support are

indescribable.

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 - Nostalgia for Iraq

Chapter 2 - At Home in Canada

Chapter 3 - Wishes

Chapter 4 - Secrets

Chapter 5 - Sanity

Chapter 6 - The End Draws Near

Chapter 7 - Life Begins Anew

Introduction

I saw myself standing at a high elevation somewhere in Iraq, carefully investigating my surroundings. As I gazed down, I noticed people running frightfully in many directions, as though trying to escape from something evil. Then an old man approached me, handed me a bag of soil, and said, This is the soil of Iraq. Keep it safe. You will be the one to save Iraq. Then he disappeared.

What did I just see? I hope it’s nothing bad, I said to myself, not understanding what was going on. What happened to the people, and what was the reason for their seemingly fearful attitude? Who was the old man, and what did he mean when he said I’d be the one to save the country? How did he vanish so suddenly? Why did this place become a barren desert after it was a paradise as I knew it decades ago?

Many questions came to mind as I repeatedly recalled what I saw. It did not make me feel comfortable. I did not talk to anyone about it and tried my best to find a reasonable explanation. But I remained trapped in a cycle of questions and feelings of sadness and anxiety.

Chapter 1

Nostalgia for Iraq

The long-lasting memories of my beautiful childhood back in Basra, Iraq, still strike me to this day. I spent thirty-nine years abroad, living in Europe, the Middle East, and then finally settled in Vancouver, Canada. After all those years abroad, I felt it was time to visit Iraq, the cradle of civilizations and the country where I was born.

It came as a surprise to both my husband and me when I suddenly began insisting on visiting. My family and I had left Iraq in July 1980, two months before the Iran–Iraq War. I was fifteen years old at the time. We travelled between continents frequently after that, until I decided to settle down with my husband and children in the beautiful city of Vancouver.

On the morning of March 20th, 2019, I awoke with a strange but positive flow of energy. It reminded me of my childhood and the years I spent in Iraq. Although I could not explain this warm, comforting feeling, it encouraged me to suggest the trip to my husband as the timing felt right.

What do you think of visiting Iraq at the end of this month? I asked.

He looked surprised for a moment, then asked, Did you dream of Iraq last night?

Yes, I said, how did you know? It happened a few days ago, though, and I’m still unsure of its interpretation.

I remained silent for a while, attempting to remember the details of the dream, then said, In the dream, I saw myself standing at a high altitude somewhere in Iraq examining the region that lay beneath me. As I gazed down, I observed the frantic distancing of the populace from something seemingly dark and wicked. While contemplating this puzzling situation, I noticed an old man walking quickly in my direction, and as he approached me, he handed me a bag full of soil. ‘This is the soil of Iraq. Keep it safe. You will be the one to save Iraq,’ he explained, then immediately vanished right before my eyes.

I was overwhelmed with the memory of that dream, so I asked my husband, What do you think it means?

He looked at me with a smile.

Then I said, I’m serious about visiting Iraq this time. What are your thoughts on going before the weather changes and it gets hotter over there?

Well, I’m busy with work these days, and I was not planning on travelling anytime soon. Let’s talk about this another time, he replied. I was saddened to hear this but decided to try convincing him again at a more suitable date.

Days passed, and I didn’t give up. Most of the time, he was busy with work, and travelling was the last thing on his mind.

After ten days had passed, I came up with what I thought was an intriguing plan. I presented the idea to him, saying, So what do you think about visiting our relatives in the United Arab Emirates and travelling to Iraq afterwards? His seemingly unfavourable responses seemed to get more favourable by the day.

After a while, my husband announced, I’m ready to travel. Let’s book the flight to Abu Dhabi. I was happy about his sudden change of heart as we reserved our departing flight on April 8th, 2019.

We arrived after twenty-five hours, flying from Vancouver to Europe, finally landing in Abu Dhabi. We took a break for several days, then booked the flight to Iraq. As our plane approached the city of Najaf, I looked down over the beautiful land and the river that divided it.

I had mixed feelings when we arrived at Najaf Airport. Seeing the land of Iraq for the first time after so many years greatly impacted me. As we started to land, I experienced a sweeping feeling of longing and unspeakable love for the country, then whispered to myself, At last, after a very long thirty-nine years, I am finally here.

My Time in Iraq

It felt unreal when the plane landed at Najaf Airport. I’m finally back, I thought to myself as we started to deplane and head into the airport. The weather outside was just right, and everyone we spoke to seemed very nice. I was glad to see how the airport staff politely welcomed everyone and how willing they were to help.

We went to the waiting area after we collected our suitcases and met up with my husband’s relatives who were waiting there. They helped us load our things into their car and drove us to Karbala to spend several days with them.

It took about an hour to drive directly to my sister-in-law’s house. The whole family greeted us as we arrived.

After our entry greetings, remarks, and lengthy catch-up conversations, my sister-in-law led us to the guest room she had set up for our stay in Karbala.

Later, everyone, including my sister-in-law’s sons, daughters, and grandchildren, contributed to the dinner preparation. They arranged various dishes of fish, chicken, biryani, bean stew, and dolma (stuffed vegetables with rice and meat) beautifully on the table, as well as salads, fresh bread, and hot samoon (a kind of Iraqi bread) brought directly from the bakery.

After we finished eating, everyone helped clean the table, wash the dishes, and tidy up the place. Here, everyone contributes and helps. This is how life should be. Every person should have a role in helping their family at home, indicated my sister-in-law.

After lunch, tea was ready. They prepared it by putting the teapot on a circular tray with beautifully coordinated stones. The tray rested directly on the stove burner. Steeping the tea this way gave it a distinct and unique aroma.

Our days in Karbala passed quickly. We visited the city’s tourist attractions as well as many of my husband’s relatives. We took the time to discover the city as we frequented the markets and shops.

It was a beautiful city, energized with life and visitors from everywhere.

We enjoyed being with the family in Karbala. Every day was pleasant as we met up with many friends and family we haven’t seen in years. The kindness and generosity of my relatives and the city folk were authentic and beautiful.

Despite the harsh conditions that had affected the Iraqi people since the 1980s, their generous and giving nature hadn’t faded.

After two weeks of spending time with my in-laws and husband’s relatives in Karbala, we decided to make our way to Basra to visit my relatives there.

The Road to Basra

The next morning, the taxi waited for us outside. Once inside, the driver drove to Basra, my childhood hometown. As we made our way there, we passed through many agricultural areas full of palm trees, and I sat there admiring their beauty.

It took us five hours to get to Basra. When we entered the city, it was immediately evident that the region had been neglected, and it broke my