Displaced Persons 2 of 3

Suddenly, several staff women rushed into the room we were sitting in and instructed us -pleaded with us really- to follow them and to move quickly. All seventy of us quickly herded toward the one exit. On the two flights of stairs were more people imploring us to move faster. None of us knew what was going on. I simply gripped my i.d. card and followed the person ahead of me. We were all ushered into a room with Persian rugs and tapestries on the wall.

A man -who I was about to find out was the head of our village- started addressing the group. He told us that he had been to the neighboring village and seen the devastation with his own eyes. He said that he feared that the rebels were coming here next. He said that he knew about a refugee camp just over the . . .

Suddenly, there was a deafening bang and all the lights went out. In complete darkness, we could here soldiers entering the room, yelling orders, telling us to put our heads down. Knowledge that this was a simulation left me. Instinct took over. I did what they said.

Suddenly the lights came back up. I could see that where a taipestry had once been a large six-foot hole in the concrete wall now stood. The soldiers were dressed in fatigues and carrying automatic weapons. The barked at us to move, move, move. As we stepped through the hole in the concrete wall into the next dimly-lit room, the soldiers told us to separate into two line of men and women. We did what we were told. None of us talked among ourselves. I gripped my i.d. card.

When it was my turn, I handed my i.d. to the guard who alternated between shining his flashlight on my i.d. card and in my face. It seemed like he was taking longer than what should have been necessary. I was wishing that he would simply wave me forward so that I could rejoin the rest of my group. I was afraid that he was going to send me somewhere else or detain me for some reason.

In the next room, we were told that we had to get ourselves into groups of seven or eight people and at the same time to keep an eye out for possible relatives. Finally, something constructive to do. I started milling around, approaching various groups of people, and quietly calling out the name "Chelab" hoping that someone would hold up his or her card and show me that he too was a Chelab. I knew that it was just a simulation but I really wanted to find somebody who had the last name as I did. Not quite sure how to explain it but, but I really, really wanted to find somebody who was a family member.