Nobonita Chowdhury
Nobonita is a college bound Bangladeshi preppie (two words that you probably never thought you’d see beside each other) who likes headbanging to musical scores and travelling when she has the time, money and friends for it.
I find myself sitting in an airplane, praying for it to take off. My heart is beating so wildly that I’m surprised it hasn’t exploded yet.
I look at the boarding pass clutched in my hands, damp with sweat. My eyes focus on the words TO ANKARA printed in block letters. Am I making the right decision? I ask myself. I can’t go back on it once the plane takes off.
‘It’s going to be okay dear,’ the old lady beside me says, probably thinking that I’ve never flown before. I reply with a constipated smile. The guilt of not telling my parents gnaws at my chest, and I silently recite every single prayer I can remember, hoping they would understand.
When I first read about the Syrian war, I didn’t react much. To me, it was all just a bunch of words strewn together in the front page of the daily news. My awareness of the issue grew when I went to a local exhibit where a photographer was showcasing the photos of Syrian victims, with a small quotation underneath each photo.
particular quote, below the photograph of a small injured boy wailing, read: ” I’m gonna tell God everything.” The quote had a huge impact on me; I felt ashamed for being so ignorant and realised that I had to help somehow.
The plane takes off. Everything goes numb. I am doing the right thing, I tell myself. These people need volunteers to help them. I am just going as far as the Turkish border, after all.
I’ll be back soon.