Part 34 (1/2)
When the War began he thought about enlisting immediately, but the University counselors convinced hiht and can offer Iran great gifts after you complete your studies Why not wait, the War will not be forever, and then you can serve Allah with your mind, not your body”
Ahmed took the advice for his first year at the a university student, but guilt overwhel people were dying in the cause From his par- ents he would hear of childhood friends who had been killed
Teheran University students and graduates were honored daily in the Mosque on cahout the schools True uilt compounded as theto participate in the occupation of the American Embassy How jeal- ous he was
Why should I wait to serve Allah? He mused Today I can be of service, where he needs me, but if I stay and study, I will not be able to bid his Will for years And what if Iraq wins? There would be no uished for weeks over how he could best serve Iran, his Ayatollah and Allah
After his freshman finals, on which he excelled, he joined the Irani Army Within 60 days he was sent to the front lines as a communications officer
They had been in the field 3 days, and Ahotten to know a few of the 60 ht on top of thee so the soldiers built fox holes behind the larger sand dunes
They innaccurately thought they were hidden from view More than half the company died instantly Pieces of bodies were strewn across the sandy tented bivouac
Another 20 were dying within 50 yards of where Ahained consciousness Was it 5The left lower arone A pulpy stuhest forradation Oh, Allah, I have served you, let me die and come to you now Let rabbed by the sound of a jeep cough- ing its way to a stop He heard voices
”This one's still alive” Then a shot rang out ”So's this one” Another shot A fewprotested and asked forbefore you” A screa off the wounded
Pigs! Infidels! Mother Whores!
”You, foreskin of a cas!” Ahht two results One, it kept him a little more alert and less aware of his pain, and two, it attracted the attention of the two soldiers from the jeep
”Ola! Who insults the memory of my mother who sits with Allah?
Who?” One soldier spun around and tried to iine which one of the pieces of bodies that surrounded hih life to speak He scanned the sand nearby Open eyes were not a sure sign of life nor was the presence of four li Hussein fucks aniive birth to the likes of you” Ahave away he was alive The soldiers saw their tormentor
”Prepare to meet with your Allah, now,” as one soldier took ai shi+t I welcome death so I won't have to see your filth” Ahmed defied the soldier and the automatic rifle aimed at him
The other soldier intervened ”No, don't kill hi his last earthly request No, this one doesn't beg for mercy At least he's a man Let's just un and pointed at the junction of Ahe shots shattered the three coenitals
Ah that the soldiers bolted to escape the sounds of death The screaht the two soldiers square in the middle of the back as they ran They dropped onto the hot desert sand with matched thuds
Ah fro after that for a very long time
Unfortunately for Ahmed Shah, he survived
He woke up, or ained semi-consciousness more than a week after he was picked up at the site of the mortar attack He ired up to tubes and ht, Ia blura needlefeel nothingstay awakemove lipstalk
”Doctor, the patient ake” The nurse spoke to the physician riting on Aho Let hiun for him yet” The Doctor moved onto the chart on the next bed in ward