The Toys They Carried: Syrian Children Under Siege
"When I asked her to keep them in the house, she refused
and asked me to bring them with us to the basement." Last week when Ms. Hotary grabbed her children and supplies, Maya, mimicking her mom, collected her toys.
Maram, who asked that her last name not be published
because of safety concerns, said she had not thought to bring the cars at first: With 150 people sharing the windowless space, she assumed there would be no time or space for toys.
"I’m so happy she found a way to defy the weakness
and fear and adapt to the situation." In a basement across town, Ahmad cried and pleaded with his mother to bring him his toy cars from home.
"She’s determined to protect her children, too." "But I can’t tell her
that her toys will stay safe." Maya was born two years into the war, her days defined by the conflict unfolding around her.
Marwan Habaq and his infant daughter, Yasmina, would spend hours at home watching their fish swimming in circles in a tank at home.
When the airstrikes intensified, Mr. Habaq and his wife grabbed their daughter
and fled into the basement, leaving the aquarium and stuffed bumblebee upstairs.
" he said. that Me and Yasmina loved the fish, but my wife used to get jealous, because we were paying more attention to the fish than her,
