i s h t a r r i a........

The torrent of love, comfort and reassurance that my parents showered so generously upon me, along with my twenty-first birthday, which was just around the corner effectually contributed to the swift fadeout of that vile incident of submitting our applications. I found myself in a relatively short time overwhelmed by a long list of hectic preparations that permitted no other thinking beyond being on track for this occasion. In just over two weeks’ time, I expected most of my girlfriends to be gathered at my place to celebrate my birthday. It was to be the third birthday in a row that the whole bunch would attend in less than a month. The event was marked by loud, vigorous and cheerful merriment that sounded pretty much like Soug Al sufaffeer —Baghdad’s traditional market and the Mecca for tourists, who seek beautiful Iraqi souvenirs, most renowned for its day-long collective hammering and beating, and for the copper that’s shaped into wonderful patterns for souvenirs, which the touris