Death Journey

Summary

A woman recounts her perilous journey from her homeland to Europe, which ended in tragedy when she lost her husband during their attempt to reach Kos island by sea.

Abstract

The narrative "Death Journey" details the harrowing experience of a couple who sold all their belongings and borrowed money from family to escape their harsh life. They paid a significant sum to a smuggler for passage to Europe, only to face the terrifying reality of a dangerous sea crossing in an overcrowded boat. Amidst the chaos, the woman was rescued by the coast police, but her husband remains missing, presumed dead. Despite the odds, she clings to hope, waiting for her husband and refusing to believe he perished, determined to honor their promise of starting a new life together.

Opinions

The couple believed that traveling to Europe would significantly improve their lives, as their existence was extremely difficult and dehumanizing.
The journey was fraught with fear and uncertainty, with the woman describing the life jackets as "shrouds of the dead" and the faces of those embarking as "yellow" with dread.
The woman's husband was a source of strength and encouragement during the journey, reassuring her despite his own visible fear.
The smuggler's role is highlighted as a necessary but morally ambiguous part of their journey, as he facilitated the dangerous passage.
The woman's emotional state is one of deep sorrow and persistent hope, as she refuses to accept her husband's death and waits for him against all odds.
The narrative conveys a sense of betrayal by fate, as the couple's dream of a better life was met with a life-altering loss.

Death Journey

When we started thinking about traveling to Europe, We agreed that traveling was the best way to improve our life because life was hard. My husband used to work 16 or 18 horses to buy food or what we needed.

We sold everything we had. My family helped us with money to travel. But we didn’t ask about our life because we weren’t living like any human.

We paid £750 per person to the man who will send us to Europe.

When I was on the beach and watching the people. It was a hard time because they were wearing swim vest that was like a shroud of the dead. All the faces were yellow.

They didn’t know if they would die or not.

My husband was with me and spurred me all the time. He said to me, ‘don’t be scared we will arrive, because I was shaking or afraid and my eyes were like red blood. How will we travel by death boat?

All the people went on the boat. There were children and women, men, and older people.

And the man pushed the boat to the sea

The people were holding their children. Trying to close their eyes because they didn’t want the children to see the sea. My husband was holding my hand.

It was Saturday at 12.

We started drowning at 1:30 the next day at sunrise. The coast police helped me. I’m alive on Kos island in the Aegean sea, but I didn’t see my husband. I know he can swim, but where is he? Some people said ‘they saw him where we were drawing,

I started trying to call him all the time, but he didn’t answer! I don’t know why

I was crying all night and waiting for him. I was asking all the people who came from the different islands if they had seen him.

And show them his picture.

But unfortunately, they didn’t.

The next day, the weather changed. The rain started and the weather got colder. I couldn’t go anyway

I was waiting at the beach and looking at the people who came from drowning. The swim vest over the sea without people and how many people died.

I have to wait for him because I promised him! we could start a new life together. I can’t continue my journey without him. He will not say he died.