The Resurrection of Iraq: The Cradle of Civilization

By Nardeane Ahmed

After she had set the genie free and fulfilled the last of her promised wishes, Nardeane found herself periodically struggling with depressive states, longing to relive the heights of the experiences she had endured with her mystic friend. Though she was left with an artistic talent that allowed her to express herself, when she was not painting, she was reminiscing. Unable to find comfort in sharing the truth with her loved ones due to the promise she had made to the creature, and pressured with the consequence of having all of her good-willed wishes nullified, she constantly battled between her desire for expression and what she knew was for the best. However, a mission to save nine lives in a far land presents itself and provides her with an opportunity to escape her emotions and experience adventure once again. Will she accept it?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tellwell Talent
• Release date: May 7, 2021
• ISBN: 9780228850960

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.

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The Resurrection of Iraq

The Cradle of Civilization

Nardeane Ahmed

The Resurrection of Iraq

Copyright © 2021 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

978-0-2288-5097-7 (Hardcover)

978-0-2288-5095-3 (Paperback)

978-0-2288-5096-0 (eBook)

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 - The Magic Lamp Artist

Chapter 2 - The Marshes and The Lamps

Chapter 3 - The Lamps in Baghdad

Chapter 4 - Mosul City and the Lamps

Chapter 5 - The Sinjar Mountains and the Final Lamps

Chapter 6 - The Expedition to the Genie’s World

About the Author

To my husband and children—thank you for all your love, encouragement, and support.

Special thanks to my brother Ali whose encouragement, love, and support are much appreciated.

Introduction

For one year, I kept myself busy by painting every day. The depression I fell into after my friend left the human world was unbearable. Against my will, I could not disclose anything about him or the wishes he had granted me. However, expressing myself through painting helped me heal. I slowly became famous for my special paintings. No other artist had painted the way I did. I was later known as the magic lamp artist. Many people worldwide were interested in my unique art, and many art galleries in Canada and the US came to know me.

Indulging in this art form every day gave me a sense of freedom, contentment, and happiness that eased the pain I felt whenever I thought about the genie’s departure. I knew I would never get to see him again, as he had told me that it was forbidden for genies to approach the human world.

My appreciation for him and his lamp was reflected in my paintings, but no one knew why I included these two elements in my art. That was a secret I had to carry to keep my granted wishes valid.

After I began to paint every day, my family and I felt we needed a bigger place. So, we bought a stunning house in a calm area in Vancouver, which helped me relax and paint even more.

I accepted that life must go on. Therefore, I decided that no pain or sadness should continue to shape my life. I had to achieve things that would benefit me and others and celebrate the time I spent with the good genie who converted the misery of many into happiness.

Chapter 1

The Magic Lamp Artist

On the fourteenth of January 2020, I was getting ready to attend the opening of a new gallery in Vancouver. Two days before the opening, I transferred ninety of my selected paintings to the gallery, where they beautifully decorated its walls. I was excited and ready to meet the artists who were sharing the venue with me and the public that would come to appreciate our paintings.

Ready for the big day, all dolled-up, I put on my coat and picked up my handbag. As soon as I opened the front door, a refreshing breeze blew, and the smell of cardamom enriched the air. I stopped for a moment, baffled, as this smell reminded me of a dear friend. I looked around, and as I did, the smell of cardamom got stronger, as though someone was grinding the spice right next to me. I felt my heartbeat start to accelerate. I looked around excitedly to see if my genie friend was waiting for me somewhere close by. Looking and searching in all directions, I was disappointed when I didn’t see him anywhere. Sadly, after a few minutes, I reminded myself that it would be impossible for him to return, as it was forbidden for him to enter our world again.

Disheartened, I walked to my car, got in, and drove in the gallery’s direction. During the twenty-minute drive, I could not stop thinking of the good deeds the kind-hearted genie granted. With my support, he solved many pressing problems within a short amount of time.

Suppressing those emotions, I arrived excitedly at the gallery; the door was open, and many people were already going in. It was five o’clock.

Once inside, I rushed to the section where my art was showcased on the gallery’s brick walls. My main painting, the star of the show, was hidden behind a velvet burgundy curtain.

Two other artists shared the gallery with me to present their masterpieces. They were also standing in their designated sections, greeting and conversing with the gallery’s visitors.

At 5:15 p.m., my husband Faisal and my sons Lateef and Hamad arrived and joined me at the gallery, bringing me lovely flowers to wish me good luck and to congratulate me for my efforts in participating in this new venue. I was delighted to see them there on this important day.

At 5:30 p.m., a violinist started playing as she walked through the spacious aisles of the gallery. She strolled among the people admiring the unique art and enjoying the magical atmospheric music.

At 6 p.m., I announced that it was time to draw back the special painting’s curtain, which the visitors were eager to see.

As I drew back the curtain, a striking painting of a big blue genie holding the globe in his hands and a gold background, giving the impression of the sun shining behind him, was revealed.

Everyone was stunned by the painting’s beauty, and some asked about the significance of the genie in it. My responses, although vague, conveyed an obvious degree of appreciation and gratitude to the mysterious character.

Later, I announced that this painting had already been sold to a museum in Egypt.

Many people gathered to admire the paintings, and several reporters were also present, conducting interviews with the visitors and artists and taking pictures of the venue.

One of the visitors was an owner of a famous art gallery in England. He was amazed by the distinctive art that I brought to the gallery. Like everyone else who encountered my artwork, he too wondered about the inspiration behind my paintings. He was interested in many pieces and was ready to approach me with an offer.

As my conversation with one of the visitors ended, he greeted me and said, The energy portrayed in your art is phenomenal. I have examined many paintings during my career, but yours has a magical liveliness. I think your artwork would be highly appreciated by many people in my country. Would you like to participate in the upcoming art exhibition in England, taking place in five months in London?

Oh my God! I would love to participate. It is my dream to bring my paintings to England! I said with excitement.

He told me that he would happily add me to the line-up of artists and painters for the event, but that to qualify, I must participate with a minimum of fifty paintings.

Immediately, I accepted the deal and promised that I would work hard to achieve that.

Faisal and my sons were proud to be in the gallery, as they spent their time talking to the visitors and providing explanations about the paintings. I was delighted to see them engaged and making a positive impact at the event. I could feel that visitors were content and appreciative to learn more about my art.

The event carried on for seven days. Despite the long hours and the hustle, the days seemed to pass by very quickly. Luckily, the other artists and I had a successful experience, and by the final day, we had sold several paintings. I was thrilled to sell seventy of my original pieces.

On the last night at the gallery and after all the visitors had left at 6 p.m., we began to clear our sections. Carefully, we took down the paintings and wrapped them, then set them aside. My family could not come to the gallery to help me, as each of them had commitments with their work.

By 8 p.m., the janitor had switched off all the lights and locked the doors, leaving the two other artists and me standing in front of the gallery’s front entrance. I was delighted to have participated in the event with them. We had supported each other throughout, and everyone felt it was a worthwhile experience. We decided to meet up in the coming weeks for a coffee and talk about future events and businesses. Then we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways.

I placed the rest of the unsold paintings in the truck with care. While I was occupied with loading the last of my paintings, a nice cool breeze blew, and the familiar cardamom aroma energized the atmosphere. I abruptly stopped what I was doing to look around, trying to see where the smell was coming from. This was the second time I had smelled the distinct cardamom scent recently—tonight and seven days ago when I was on my way to attend the art gallery opening ceremony.

I closed the tailgate, hopped into the truck, and started the engine. As I was about to drive home, I saw a little grey Siberian kitten hiding behind the bushes a few feet away from where I was parked. I was surprised to see it there as it didn’t look like a stray. I rolled down the window and started speaking to it gently, saying, "Hello, cutie. Where is