Taim may have fled to the Netherlands, but he is having trouble leaving Aleppo behind. He is in contact nearly every day with friends and family in the besieged city. Taim is restless. Worried. The only thing that calms him down are the brief chats he has with those he left behind.
Paradoxically, his friends in Aleppo are more optimistic than Taim. They are the ones trying to cheer him up.
And it’s pretty weird that you can just talk with someone using Whatsapp or Facebook, even though eastern part of the city is completely under siege and being bombed. Certainly, there are interruptions, but the internet connection functions quite well.
Monday night Taim spoke with his friend Hozaifa, who lives in the Bustan alQasr neighbourhood. Taim sent him a selfie, and asked for one in return.
But when they were done with their chat, and he looked at the photo he sent, it was totally black!
It’s probably nothing, he told himself. But unease and anxiety stormed through his head. First thing tomorrow, check how Hozaifa is doing…