She turned 22 on December 10. Dense smoke, dust, debris, rubble, broken windows, discarded memories, lost homes, unidentified photo albums 바카라these were her birthday gifts. She posted videos, photos, and journal entries chronicling the war and its impact on her homeland since October 7. Her Instagram handle @byplestia that used to be a space for posting her social life updates 바카라her spending time at libraries, restaurants, or the beach at Gaza with her friends바카라 is no longer a virtual space for giving 바카라life updates바카라. It now works as evidence that she is still alive.
This is Plestia바카라s journey 바카라 from the day her house was bombed to the present moment when she awaits a ceasefire.
October 9: Plestia walks through her neighbours바카라 houses and rushes to check on her parents. Deafening sounds of bombs, shaky window panes and smoke are the witnesses. The sounds of sirens intensify. A pause. Another bomb. Fortunately, she is still alive. Â
October 10: In the impenetrable darkness, Plestia runs for her life. They have bombed some apartments in her building. But there is an update: 바카라I still don바카라t know how I made it out alive. TURNS OUT NOT THE WHOLE HOUSE IS BURNED.바카라 Â
October 11: No electricity, no internet. No water. Ambulance can바카라t even reach any place. She went to her house. Though it is still there, it is ravaged. Within the rubble of a nearby house, she finds family photographs, albums of unidentified people. Who are these people lost in the dust?
October 12: 바카라You have 3 minutes to evacuate바카라 is what they hear every morning besides the sounds of sirens and bombs. Sometimes, one doesn바카라t even get the warning. You have to run, but where to? Nobody knows. Plestia writes, 바카라Basically I바카라m talking about how I바카라m feeling with all the evacuation that바카라s going on. I met a young girl. Her name is Dana and she shared her experience with me 바카라 how she had to evacuate as well, turns out we바카라re neighbours. Literally every Gazan at least had to evacuate once during this war.바카라 Â
October 17: People are taking shelters across schools and hospitals in Gaza. Food, water, shelter 바카라 the basic necessities, are a privilege for them. Even then, a few children are smiling and trying to play바카라perhaps in the hope that someday there will be light.
바카라Now in Gaza, you바카라re lucky if you바카라re able to secure a place to sleep, food to eat, and water to drink,바카라 notes the young scribe.
October 18: Israelis have already bombed Al Ahly Hospital aka Al Maamdani Hospital. Around 1,000 civilians have been martyred according to eyewitnesses.
바카라My beautiful hometown Gaza is becoming a ghost town...where u walk and smell death바카라Šwhere u look and everything around you is bombed and destroyed바카라Šwhere all u can hear are the sound of bombs, airstrikes, and kids crying and screaming from fear and pain바카라Š바카라
October 21: Two big trucks with humanitarian aid have entered Gaza. But that is nothing in terms of the requirement. They don바카라t know whether they will wake up the next morning.
October 23: Plestia uploads photos of her diary. But truly everything is not to be shared for the stench of blood doesn바카라t demand words anymore. Still, she writes because words may be the only way to express even at a time when words are not enough: 바카라I lost words to describe what is happening. I have lost energy to even give a reaction.바카라
October 29: Pages from her journal gradually becoming the courier of despondence. She wanted to be a writer바카라one like Rupi Kaur. 바카라But now, whenever I try to write a poem, nothing, literally nothing. The poem is a blank page with tears.바카라 Â
October 30: She survived another day.
October 31: The nightmares are not over. But can there be hope at least in dreams? At 10.19 am after waking up, she writes, 바카라Good morning. For the first time in weeks, I dreamt a nice dream. I don바카라t really remember it, but what I know is I woke up happy because of the dream. I hope something good happens today.바카라
November 5: As four peaceful swans were passing by the seashore, Plestia asked the car to stop once. There is still peace. There is still beauty in nature바카라in surviving. Two seconds바카라 pause. Bombed again.
Plestia writes, 바카라2 seconds later the sounds of bombs woke me up from the dreams that I바카라m living in바카라Štrying to find peace or a beautiful scene in Gaza doesn바카라t last for more than two seconds바카라Šits a dream바카라Šan unrealistic dream.바카라
November 9: They are now making bracelets with their names embossed on it. What if they die and nobody could identify? Still tying the bracelet is fun바카라a bit of fun in the time of mourning.
In her words, 바카라On the bright side, my cousins are keeping themselves busy with making bracelets바카라Šon the negative side, they바카라re making bracelets with everyone바카라s name on it in case any family member dies, people will know his/her name바카라Ševeryone is traumatized.바카라
November 12: A home painted on the wall of a hospital cubicle바카라is it a dream of homecoming? Plestia zooms in: 바카라Every Gazan is just dreaming of returning to his/her home바카라ŠI miss my house, I miss sleeping in my bed, I miss fighting with my sister on who will sleep on the couch, I miss making lunch in the kitchen, and I miss the sleepovers I used to have with my friends in my house바카라ŠI miss everything.바카라
December 2: A man is kissing a gas cylinder! After weeks, it was his chance to fill it up. Is it enough to survive another few weeks or months maybe?
December 13: A little girl is trying to hide under a table. It is raining! Plestia used to love the rain. But now it is no longer the same. 바카라Gaza doesn바카라t have water so when it rains they get access to water, but at the same time people are in tents and whenever it rains, the tents drown바카라Šit just feels that people in Gaza might die of the cold or starvation, not only from airstrikes.바카라
December 17: 바카라We are not numbers, we are people.바카라 There were lives바카라there was laughter바카라not only the headcounts. Plestia goes on to recount the time that was not today, not tomorrow, not yesterday maybe바카라Š
바카라I miss my life before the 7th of October바카라ŠI miss being able to sleep, I miss waking up in my bed every day, I miss doing my morning routine, I miss taking a shower, I miss going out with my friends, I miss tea time with my mom and sister in our living room, I miss staying up all night with my neighbour, and I miss having clothes to wear...I miss my house바카라ŠI miss Gaza and its sea and sunsets바카라ŠI literally miss everything.바카라
It is 78 days and fortunately, she is still alive!
(Compiled by Abhik Bhattacharya from Instagram)
