Chapter 5
The nomads
I see Karisan standing on a chair and is calming the crowd with his hands. Here, the crowd is doubled. Some people have come down from the first floor to hear the Karisan’s words.
There is no sign of the tables and chairs. People of the shelter are standing in disorderly rows in front of Karisan, so that they reach at the half a meter distance from him. Even, some people are sitting on the counter to be able to see him.
The steps that lead to the first floor are not exception to this condition. Some are sitting on the banisters, some are stooped and has brought their heads out of the crowd. They are waiting for Karisan’s speech. A tumult spreads among the crowd. You can only hear near voices. Expectation, stress, thoughtlessness, and even fear can be seen in all faces which are saying ‘what do you think, what has happened?’ Karisan’s colleagues are trying to quiet the crowd.
I am just behind Karisan, at the 1.5 meter distance from him. I go toward the row which is next to him. I stand between the crowd and his colleagues so that I can see his face. When I walk, my feet ache a little. The pain of my feet is being forgotten gradually like a smell that after a while becomes normal to us.
Finally, by beginning of the speech, the people become quiet. Karisan takes a paper out of his pocket and looks at it before talking. Then he gulps down his saliva and says loudly:
Quiet! Please be quiet…quiet..quiet. I know that the things I want to tell you would disquiet you but here is called the frozen desert. It means we should expect all kinds of events. I tried hard to prevent this event, but we can’t help it. People, from different places, are migrating here ever since. The population of here is increasing. As you see, here is too crowded. Even the people who have come here from other places are much more than the dwellers. It is out of our control, we can’t prevent it.
Now the thirst for hearing his words can be seen in all faces.
It’s a long time that they give us negative response. They can’t do anything for us. We should leave here gradually. Today is almost three weeks we haven’t received any foodstuffs. Day by day, our store is running low more and more. If we stay here more, it becomes emptier. It means we should leave here as soon as possible. We can’t choose but doing this. They can’t support us anymore. Yet, we waited until now may we receive help, but there is no way to choose anymore.
Again, a tumult begins to spread out and everyone speaks to each another. Karisan, again tries to calm them with his hands. His colleagues also try to quiet them again. Finally, after a rather long time, the atmosphere becomes calm again. Karisan looks at the paper one more time and without noticing it, says:
Look, the more we stay here, the closer we get to death. They have a valid reason for they are disable to send us foodstuffs. We must leave here tonight till 9:00 o’clock, that is to say, four hours later. So do your job if you have anything to do. Leave here as soon as possible. My colleagues will help you.
Then after a short pause, he continues:
I know that all of you are eager to know the reason why we don’t receive foodstuffs anymore. Here is the farthest place from the main shelter, that is to say, “Hope” shelter, and from “Life” shelter. For this, it is too hard to send the foodstuffs here, and because of this much immigrants, they have a little foodstuffs and manpower. Here is a stopover shelter, here is not a place to live in. It is just a place for the travelers who need to rest for a while and receive some foodstuffs.
No one protests but it is apparent in these faces that they don’t agree with this case entirely. This is not the first time that such case happens, so, like the sheep that know their way because of frequent come and go, all of the people understand this case and it has no novelty for them. karisan puts his hand into his pocket and takes out a white paper and while is showing it to the crowd, says:
I know that some of you are strangers and don’t know here. My colleagues and I have made a small map. The shelters which you can go there are specified on it. You can see the locations of the “Life”, “Horizon”, “Ray” and “Hope” shelters. “Ray” shelter is the closest one. By the way, we’ve written the capacity of each shelter below of them. Please be coordinate with each other and divide between these four shelters. In addition, there are other shelters, such as “Light” shelter that you can also go there. Some of them are indicated on maps. The closest subsidiary shelter is “Rain” and after that, “Light” shelter. You should reach to these two shelters to get food. Well, any question about the shelters?
The man who is standing in the first row of the crowd and his clean and bright face conflicts with his dirty clothes, wipes the sweat off his face with his sleeve, and says:
Then what about the people who are sick?
Karisan, again coolly, replies:
We’ll help them insofar as we be able and will do anything to make them feel better. For the time being, the number of our sick persons are very small, just four or five of them have serious illness. But if they wouldn’t feel better by that time, we can’t do anything more for them. Just we leave foodstuffs for them. In addition,…
The man who is standing by me raises his hand, and while his eyebrows has been closed together, cuts Karisan’s words and says:
You mean we leave them and go just like this? Isn’t it important what will happen to them? Isn’t important at all that they may die? If they were your family, would you tell the same things? I haven’t travelled this long way to leave my family here.
Karisan gives two papers to one of his colleagues, and says:
I’m really sorry I tell this. We have sent some people to main base to ask for some cars. They’ll send us the cars as soon as they can. But till then you should wait here; we can’t do anything more.
All the people begin to object. All of a sudden a familiar voice among the crowd says ridiculously:
I don’t think so.
The tumult becomes silent at once, and all heads turn toward the center of the crowd. Karisan’s face becomes frozen and he looks toward the voice. The owner of the voice forces his way through the crowd and reaches the front row. His hatted friend comes near him and then together hold the crowd under rein like two rioter leaders. Their eyes are the presage of two devils who are breeding ominous thoughts:
Each day we pass through, many people of us pass away. Just look around yourself. We are dying thus at random. You are killing us like this.
Karisan’s face is calm and only his eyes move.
We don’t leave here.
A tumult confirms his words. Some other protest with loud voice.
We’ve travelled half the world. With this condition outside equal death.
Karisan says:
If you’ve travelled half the world, so you can manage the other half too. We feel no enmity toward you. We try to take care of you.
You name it care? If it’s not enmity so what is it?
It just means protect you against the likely dangers.
Likely danger? Likely danger is going out of here. Don’t you see so many weak people? As soon as they step out, they would die.
Now the red-eyed dare and each one tells a sentence to confirm his words. Suddenly Rakovan appears next to Karisan.
It was planned your chief establishes the support and helping camp, what happened then? If you have to leave here now it is just because that your chief have withdrawn it and now is watching your misery. All of facilities you have now has come from “Hope” shelter.
Rakovan points to all:
Just have a look at yourself. What do you see? The red refugees, that is, the reason of foodstuffs shortage. If your chief helped us, maybe you wouldn’t have to leave here…
Karisan stops him from talking with his hand:
We are trying to do the best. My colleagues will give your ration. It’s your choice to stay or leave here. I should mention it that you only can count on your chief help, otherwise “Hope” shelter can’t do more than this.
Suddenly the entrance door is opened with a rather loud sound. All heads turn toward the man who has appeared on the doorstep. His clothes are bloody and his hand is bleeding. A knife is stabbed into his leg. While his face has turned pallid and his body trembles, he says:
The nomads have returned.
All the people take one step behind unconsciously soon after they hear this. Their eyes become wide open and look at each other.
What do you mean?
Karisan comes down the chair, forces his way through the crowd and goes toward the wounded man.
What happened?
They’ve returned. This time they’ll kill all and wouldn’t leave anyone alive.
Do speak, what happened?
The wounded man, while is trembling, says:
They killed six of us. I managed to escape. They’re following me. The nomads have returned. They’ll kill all.
His words agitate the crowd like an explosion.
How many are they?
I could see one of them where ever I looked at. They…
Suddenly he loses his balance and falls down. Two waiters go toward him and take him to the first floor. I try to read Karisan’s mind through his face, but just find him thinking. He comes to Yatilan, whispers to him something, then, by giving a sign to his colleagues, infers that he want to go to his room. Yatilan stands on the chair instead of Karisan and says:
There is no difference between our people and you. They eat the same food as you do. Where you lie down and sleep is like the place they do. I think everything is said. Now my colleagues help you to be ready to go bed. If you have any question, ask.
It seems the appearance of the nomads has been such a shocking news that everybody has forgotten the events in few minutes ago.
One thing else. Unfortunately, as you know, because of high number of travelers we haven’t no more glassy clothes. So don’t talk about it anymore. As Karisan said, when we get at the shelter if there be any, I’ll send you along with cars, but I don’t give you any promise because they have the same problem there.
And after a pause, he continues:
Those who are disable, stay here. Our messenger tries to get at “Life” shelter as fast as possible and send some clothes with the vehicles which would come here for the patients. Just for those who are old and disable. Because finding clothes is as difficult as finding food and isn’t the easy job.
He waits for a while and when sees no one heeds his words, begins to talk with his two colleagues who are still by him. I approach them.
It’s incredible.
Yatilan, while is thinking, says:
It is long time that there was no news of the nomads. What are they doing here?
His colleague replies:
There should be a reason for this. It isn’t good at all. Put all forces on full alert. I can’t see a happy ending for it. The red-eyed on one hand and the nomads on the other hand.
Yatilan says:
They’ve begun killing the people again. This time they have a new plan. They likely do everything.
One of his colleagues says:
May they attack here?
I said that everything is likely. We must be equipped for the battle. Ready for war. You must stand guard. Collect your thoughts well. Stand by your guns. Try to be calm and cool. By the way, call some other who you know them well and trust them fully to come for help.
Then he goes toward Karisan’s room. I must see karisan before I go to bed. But I don’t think it’s a right time to do this, so I go toward the toilet. After a while standing in the queue in front of toilet, I enter and use it. I take the letters out of my pocket and look at them. I’m happy that I haven’t lost them. The letters that my life depends on them.
I take one of the letter and aim to open it but suddenly I see my face in the mirror. The stitches show my face otherwise. A harsh and cruel face. I need time to accept this face. I return the letter into my pocket when I hear knocking on the door. I look at the mirror and go out of toilet after a slight hesitation.
Few lamps and candles are on and inside of the shelter is rather in darkness. The crowd which had been aggregated here now are scattered and tables and chairs can be seen which are heaped on the corner of the wall. But the number of heaped tables and chairs is less than the number which were arranged before. The rest of them must be in other place
All the people have lay down beside each other like in the mass graves and some of them are asleep. Some are snoring but their snores fade in the light sound which is flowing in the shelter. Some are thinking in their bed which is a thin and dirty blanket as a mattress, and another blanket with different design as a coverlet. A man is playing with the hair of his son who is asleep and smiles once in a while; and only he knows its reason.
There is no flaunting flames in fireplace. The light which radiates from below the door, indicates the shift exchange between night and day. The waiters search through the people for those who need help. They also have some blankets in their hands to give those who have not any.
Fatigue can be observed in people’s languid faces who even don’t care about someone who has lay down near them. They are the people who had not hand in these difficulties but have adapted to them. Why it should be like this and why we should be tortured this much?
These altogether, cooperates to dissuade me from my decision, but I should finish the job which is relegated to me. I sit down on the ground and wait for an occasion. Time passes but I don’t see Karisan. I stand up, and before I take my first step, I feel that my trousers is moving.
A little girl staring at my belt and the pone near it. She isn’t over five. She looks at there still. Then she stares at me. I have to sit on my legs to be rather equal in height. I take her arm, try to make my voice childish as far as I can, and say:
Hello ladykin, what’s your name?
The little girl points with her finger to that place on my belt, as though she wants something which is on my belt. I tuck my shirt upward and my eyes cast on a small toy key bunch. I unfasten it and give it to her without knowing where I have found it. Then ask her:
Would you accept it as a gift from me?
She shakes her head in token of approval. I give her the toy. She takes it eagerly. She has a spick and span appearance and is like a little angel. She is dressed in a long red shirt, and the border of her white skirt is purfled.
She has a beautiful long curly black hair which reaches her arms. My eyes cast on a paper which is attached on her shirt but just half of it is visible. I can only read Kari… on it. I push her hair aside and the rest of the name appears: Karisan.
I ask her:
Let me see, are you Karisan’s daughter?
The little girl is quite busy with the toy. I ask her:
Look ladykin, do you know where Karisan is? Can you take me to him?
Again, she confirms with shaking her head. Then she turns quickly and goes up the staircase which ends with the first floor.