29/10/2024
🐪 The sun was beginning to rise over the vast, golden plains of Helmand, casting a golden glow over the rolling sand dunes that stretched endlessly toward the horizon. The air was crisp, carrying the familiar scent of dry earth and dust—signaling the start of another journey for Nawid's tribe.
Nawid paused for a moment, adjusting the load on one of the camels, his eyes drifting toward his son who stood a short distance away. Omid's laughter rang out, a burst of pure joy that broke the stillness of the quiet morning. In his hands, he gripped the reins of Shamshir, the old Raigi camel who would lead the group onwards.
Omid was no more than six, yet already filled with the curiosity and wisdom that came naturally to a young child of the Kuchi tribe. His small hands tugged confidently at Shamshir’s reins. As the camel lowered his head, meeting Omid’s gaze, there was an unspoken understanding between them—the kind of innocent exchange that could only belong to a child and his faithful animal companion. Omid’s tiny fingers patted Shamshir’s broad, dusty muzzle, and the camel let out a low grunt, a sound of affection that was both familiar and comforting to Omid. He giggled.
Watching from afar, Nawid felt a deep, swelling pride for his son. Nawid had learned this silent language as a child himself, from his own father, and now he saw Omid learning it too—learning to listen to the desert's quiet whispers and to trust the steady presence of the camels that carried their world across the dunes and shifting sands, year after year.
As the caravan finally set off across the dunes and they began their journey, Nawid felt a strange sense of peace. His people were travelers of the desert, and this journey was more than a necessity; it was a way of being, showing the endurance, wisdom, and the unwavering spirit of a people who called the shifting sands their home. And so, father, son, and camel rhythmically moved forward together, in unison with their caravan and people, into the vastness of the land that was theirs to wander, in search of their new home.
