Category: Arts & Lifestyle

Some mornings, I wake up and my body feels light. I make breakfast without thinking about it—toast, coffee, a banana. I reply to texts quickly, even crack a joke.

The word “Kukyala” means “to visit” in Luganda. It is essentially an official visit by the prospective groom (and a small delegation) to the home of the bride-to-be’s family to declare his intention to marry her.

The broken plate is still in the sink. Eventually, I’ll get up from under the table. My hands will stop shaking.

As the years passed, Aleppo crumbled around us. Buildings turned to rubble, streets to dust. But life didn’t stop. Mama kept us..

In Dubai, summer never truly ends. The heat lingers like a heavy blanket, even in December when other places see snow. I used to love watching the sun set behind the skyscrapers, turning the glass towers into columns of fire. That was before. Now, at twenty-five, I haven’t watched a sunset in thirteen years.

The day I almost gave up became the day I truly learned to fight. Sometimes, rock bottom becomes the solid foundation upon which you rebuild everything.