Ayala-
I never thought things would devolve the way they did, and I never wanted to leave Basra. But after a new nation was formed, my life was forever changed.
My name is Ayala Abraham. My comfortable life was disrupted by the growing tensions in my home country of Iraq. After a terrifying ordeal and a shocking act of bravery by a British soldier named Brody McAllister, who protected me, a series of events unfolded that would change my life forever. It wasn’t what I wanted, but the reality of our situation altered the course of my family’s future.
As the situation worsened and my community faced vicious persecution, my family was forced to make a harrowing escape—leaving behind everything, including the soldier who had saved us. In a place of refuge, something I never expected happened: I formed a deep, unexpected bond with another woman. Together, we shared the pain of loss and the fragile hope for a new beginning.
Brody-
I didn’t want to leave her, but what I wanted no longer mattered. Ayala’s safety was my top priority, and leaving her behind was the only choice I had. But I couldn’t deny how I felt about her.
Years—years—have gone by…yet I can’t get her out of my head. Did she think about me? Did she miss me the way I missed her?
I never thought things would devolve the way they did, and I never wanted to leave Basra. But after a new nation was formed, my life was forever changed.
My name is Ayala Abraham. My comfortable life was disrupted by the growing tensions in my home country of Iraq. After a terrifying ordeal and a shocking act of bravery by a British soldier named Brody McAllister, who protected me, a series of events unfolded that would change my life forever. It wasn’t what I wanted, but the reality of our situation altered the course of my family’s future.
As the situation worsened and my community faced vicious persecution, my family was forced to make a harrowing escape—leaving behind everything, including the soldier who had saved us. In a place of refuge, something I never expected happened: I formed a deep, unexpected bond with another woman. Together, we shared the pain of loss and the fragile hope for a new beginning.
Brody-
I didn’t want to leave her, but what I wanted no longer mattered. Ayala’s safety was my top priority, and leaving her behind was the only choice I had. But I couldn’t deny how I felt about her.
Years—years—have gone by…yet I can’t get her out of my head. Did she think about me? Did she miss me the way I missed her?
Used availability for Alexandra Shaw's The Exodus of Ayala