Tonight it was about the lovers. They were sitting on a park bench in Kara Tepe. They have been here for 2 days. They are from the city of Latakia – Assad’s city – in Syria. They are Alaa and Mustafa and they are both 26 years old. She was an English teacher, he was a sailor on a merchant ship. He left Syria three years ago and has been living in Turkey. She left Syria 3 months ago to come to Turkey and marry him. She is two months pregnant. I asked her what made her leave now – the war has been going on for five years – and she said it was because he would never be able to come back to Syria. Three years was a long time to be apart. And she gave a smile.  

Mai, who was translating for me said, “Elhob Elhob,” and Alaa laughed and said yes. “The love of my life.” They are waiting on the island of Lesvos for Mustafa’s brother. He is coming to “the point of escape,” as Mustafa put it, and will hopefully arrive tomorrow. They were separated as they made their way to the Turkish shore to get on a smuggler’s boat. It was like a movie, Mustafa said, a horrible movie. I thought his car was behind us all the way to the point of escape but when we arrived it wasn't him. I called him. I said where are you and he said no, no, I’m not behind you.  

It is the expressions on people’s faces. The horror of that moment. There was no time to wait, no chance to change their ride. With his brother’s blessing, Mustafa, Alaa, his brother’s wife, their children and their neighbor’s wife all got on the boat and came to the island of Lesvos where they wait and hope. “I can’t leave here without him,” Mustafa said.  

Ideally they would go to Belgium or to Britain. They are afraid of what is happening at the Macedonia border. I asked them what they would do if they couldn't get through, if they were forced to go back to Turkey. "Suicide," Mustafa said. Alaa said no. They would live in Turkey but they would not find work. I asked them what they would do if Turkey was given the funding to provide jobs for them, and school for their children. Would that make it better? Yes, Mustafa said. "We have been hoping for that since 5 years." Alaa nodded. "We had gotten fed up with waiting."  

March 2016