It was a chilly day here in Philly. The sun was hiding behind dark grey clouds and the wind was cuddling the newly born small leaves around the bare trees. The mail vehicle was parked at the corner of the opposite street. A group of school children were making their way to their homes, chattering out loud. I was on my way to the house after work. My iPod was on and my mood was singing with a traditional Turkish song that I used to listen to when I was young. I looked at everything around me: how normal it looked. God! How I miss it at home. The sounds of vehicles, the chatters of the neighbors’ kids coming back from school and the spring mood that surrounded our house’s garden and its trees.
As I stepped on the front stairs of the house where I live, my eyes caught a big package, a white box addressed to me. It took me a few seconds to think who sent it while the music was still playing. I turned off the iPod and glanced at the box. Then, I knew who sent it to me. It was from my friend and regular reader of my blog, Annie.
When I saw Annie’s name, I knew what inside the box was. I went to my room upstairs and unwrapped it. There it was a beautiful piece of art. A blend of humanity, history and heritage made with affection, not by Iraqi hands but by American.
Last year, I wrote a piece about how I miss my mother and our house’s garden which she took care of. Annie fell in love with the post and the way I reflected my feelings and nostalgia. My mother is the queen of my life and she is the treasure that represents all the wonderful women in Iraq. And that’s how Annie named the piece “Treasure’s Queen.”
The main curved body represents a woman (Treasure's Queen), reclining and supporting the Samarra spiral minaret on her belly. To Annie, the woman is a symbol of the women in Iraq. The entire piece also looks like Aladdin’s magic lamp, something we grew up fond of, as it was part of heritage.
I put the piece next to the window shelf where I have my desk settled so that I look at it all the time along with pictures of my family and friends whom I terribly miss. It’s amazing how one thing, one present and even one simple word can make a difference. It definitely leaves a great impact in beautifying our lives, and tells us that humanity is still alive and that friendship and solidarity know no borders or limits.
Thank you, Annie. My Queen will love it when she sees it.
