Episode 36 : Paramnesia

"So, Mr. Zawaq wants to buy a house?" asked a man dressed neatly in his office. It was a real estate agency.

"Yes," replied Zawaq.

"Are you married or still single, Mr. Zawaq?" the real estate agent inquired.

"Single," answered Zawaq.

"So, you've got a job as a doctor at the border? I heard the border has been expanded, and many lands and houses are now available. We're actually working on acquiring properties at the border because they're very affordable," the agent explained.

"How was the border expanded?" Zawaq asked.

"Our country is resisting Arab colonization. We've managed to connect one state to another on land given by the United Nations. You're lucky, Mr. Zawaq, to be seeking my assistance to buy a house," said the man.

"What's the price of the house and land?" asked Zawaq.

"If you buy a house, you'll get the land along with it. Many soldiers want to seize the land because it's cheap, but we need to prevent that because real estate companies also need to earn a living. We buy the land and houses from the government," explained the agent.

"So, how much does it cost?" Zawaq asked again.

"$2,000 for a house with the land included," the agent replied.

A few days later, Zawaq purchased a car equipped with air conditioning. He drove along the highway toward the country's border, where he had been assigned to his new job.

Upon reaching the border, Zawaq showed his work permit to an Israhell soldier guarding the border. One of them inspected the document handed to him through the car window.

After returning the document, the soldier lifted the barrier blocking the road. Zawaq drove into the border area.

He searched for the address of his house, which was provided with a photo. After driving for some time, Zawaq found himself lost. He ventured further into the border area.

Eventually, he arrived in a deserted town. Windows and doors were all shut. Looking around, he noticed the eerie silence. A few teenagers were playing soccer in the middle of the town. They watched as Zawaq's car passed by them.

Quickly, they fled in fear, abandoning the area where they had been playing soccer. The ball rolled away and came to a stop. Zawaq was puzzled.

He stopped his car in the middle of the deserted town. The surroundings featured a beautiful park in the heart of the town, yet no one was around.

A few children appeared, playing tag. Zawaq observed the children joyfully playing in the empty town square.

A woman in a red headscarf and red traditional dress chased after her children, scolding and spanking them with a stick, urging them to return home.

Suddenly, several Israhell soldiers appeared, chasing them away.

"Murderers! Murderers!" yelled one of the boys at the soldiers, picking up a stone nearby and hurling it, hitting one of the soldiers squarely in the face.

The mother quickly ran to embrace her son from the front, pulling another nearby boy into her arms to shield them from the soldiers. Zawaq felt uneasy watching the situation unfold before him.

One of the Israhell soldiers raised an FN FAL rifle and fired ten shots into the mother's back as she protected her children. She collapsed forward, falling onto her two sons. The boys cried and screamed in fear.

The other children nearby began to run away as they saw their friend's mother fall, shot by the Israhell soldiers.

One of the soldiers also raised his FN FAL and began firing at the fleeing children.

"No!!!" screamed Zawaq as he sprinted forward, placing himself in the line of fire to shield the children from further bullets.

Several shots struck Zawaq's body. He fell to his knees in pain, blocking the soldiers' advance toward the fleeing children.

The two boys who had been shielded by their mother's body continued crying loudly, hugging their mother and begging her to wake up and take them home.

"No…" muttered Zawaq in pain as he saw one of the soldiers aim a Luger P08 pistol at the boys.

Bleeding profusely, Zawaq forced himself to stand and lunged toward the two boys crying over their mother's lifeless body.

"Don't, you bastard! What are you doing?!" yelled Zawaq at the soldier.

Two shots rang out, hitting the boys in the head. They collapsed where they stood, lying on the road.

"No!!!" shouted Zawaq at the sight of the lifeless boys.

The pistol was then pointed at Zawaq's face. He looked at the Israhell soldier.

"Don't," pleaded Zawaq.

A shot was fired. A bullet pierced Zawaq's head, and everything went dark.

Sometime later, Zawaq awoke from a coma in the middle of the night in a hospital, screaming in pain as he clutched his head.

"What happened?" he asked himself.

"Do you remember anything that happened?" asked a female doctor the next morning, accompanied by Zawaq's parents.

"No," replied Zawaq, though he was lying.

He vividly remembered being shot in the forehead and the mother and children being killed while protecting each other.

"You were involved in a terrorist attack. Luckily, you weren't injured. Your car was completely destroyed, but it's alright; the government has awarded you a new car for your service to the country," explained the doctor.

"My service is only as a doctor? The government is being very generous," said Zawaq, confused.

"Indeed. You've been granted a great honor by the government. I can't reveal more as it involves politics and state secrets. In summary, you're an important figure to our nation," the female doctor elaborated.

"Understood, doctor," said Zawaq.

"Are you still single?" the doctor suddenly asked.

"Huh? Yes? Why?" Zawaq asked, puzzled by the unexpected question.

The female doctor adjusted her glasses and brushed back her long black ponytail, looking slightly nervous. Her delicate lips bloomed like freshly blossomed petals. Her smooth, fair skin complemented her sharp, petite features, and her slender frame gave her a slightly taller appearance.

"I'm single too," said the doctor.

"Single? That's impossible," said Zawaq, finding it hard to believe her statement.