Death in the Queue/ short story

Death in the Queue

By Imad Alyounis

Fallujah city Always been targeted by Industrialists ,Traders and jobseeker for its situation on the motorway from Baghdad to the western borders of Iraq and on the cross way to the tourism places ( Habbania & Therthar Lakes). It is also well known of making the Iraqi traditional food ( Kebab). Besides the generosity , moderate behavior of its people and their honest patriotic record in the history of Iraq.
For all the previous reasons many people from all over Iraq come to reside in Fallujah. One of those people was Samad` s father who came from Mosel in the forties, liked Fallujah and stayed here.Samad` s father & mother died later on left their son Samad alone he was supposed to go back to his relatives in Mosel but he didn’t.” I was born here in Fallujah and will be buried here I ,m just like a fish can t live out of water so am I can t ever live out of Fallujah” he always said.
Samad got used to the society of Fallujah, people like him very much for he was too loyal to his job as a flat iron man and cloth mender. Also he was, honest ,simple, comical, generous and good hearted man.Samad had nothing to care about no intention to get married.” I don’t want to commit Kareem s fault “he said, Kareem was his colleague in fishing the only hobby that he was keen on, they could spend all night fishing and drinking by the Euphrates. That is why Kareem divorce his wife when she nagged and asked him to choose either her or the Euphrates.
When US troops invaded Iraq Samad like other Iraqis, his life suddenly turned upside down since he lost his two dears; Fallujah and the Euphrates. He had to get an ID badge from the US base in Fallujah, besides fishing in the Euphrates by now is prohibited. Last time I saw old Samad was in the queue trying to get his ID badge. I said hello to him couldn’t recognize me, he was very tired, weak and sad. Waiting many hours in the queue hurted the old man, he fell on the floor, took him to the nearby hospital, but it was too late, the old Samad dropped dead.