Word reached the newspaper street of Akersgata, and by Sunday morning, the same day Sadiq had left, reporters from VG, the country’s biggest tabloid, rang the doorbell. Ismael opened the door and told them that yes, my sisters said they were going to Syria. No, they are not picking up when we call, but my dad has gone after them. We hope they have not crossed the border into Syria. No, our family is not particularly religious but my sisters have become more radical lately. Among other things, they have both started wearing a niqab. Mom was very opposed to that and they argued about it.
Ismael told all this to the journalists but appealed to them not to reveal their names or where they lived.
That night, VG was the first newspaper to break the story: “Sixteen-year-old travels with big sister to help Muslims in Syria.” Below the headline, in slightly smaller print, it read: “International search” and “Police Security Service raise alarm.”
“The family, who reside in Akershus county, fear that two teenage daughters aged sixteen and nineteen traveled to Syria just before the weekend to play their part in the war currently ravishing the country,” the story began, citing the anonymous brother as the main source. It went on to say that a small group of investigators were working round the clock to try to determine the girls’ exact whereabouts abroad.
Martin Bernsen, the head of media relations in PST, was quoted as saying, “Since last summer we’ve been seeing an increase in the number of people traveling to conflict areas, especially Syria. Many of these are young. We suspect, and fear, that some of them intend to fight alongside al-Qaida-linked groups in Syria. This is a source of concern. Moreover, it is dangerous. We are aware of several people from Norway who have lost their lives. We’re also concerned at the prospect of people with extremist views having experience of war and then one day returning to Norway, still suffering perhaps from postconflict stress and trauma.”
* * *
In his room in a house in Bærum, a sixteen-year-old boy sat reading the story about the “two sisters from a small urban area in Akershus county.” He immediately posted the link to a discussion group run by Leila’s former classmates.
“This is too tragic to be true,” Joakim wrote beneath the link. “The rumors weren’t bogus … crazy stuff.”
The first comments came right away.
Alexander: Leila.….…
Sofie: HOLYSHITTHISISBAD
Emilie: Really is it Leila?
Alexander: it’s genuine
Joakim: It’s fucking worse than bad.
Emilie: Does it say it’s her?
Sofie: of course it’s her
Silje: wow
Sofie: she is 16 AND she had a big sister aged 19, she and the sister both went around in hijabs
Emilie: omg the poor family!
Henrik: fuck me, I knew something like this would happen … she was a member of some kind of organization in oslo, they were probably the ones put her up to it …
Synne: shit that is completely nuts
Theodor: she did say she was going to Somalia when she turned 18
Henrik: somalia is in syria now is it?
Emilie: don’t diss each other pls
Alexander: what is she trying to achieve? How is a 16 year old going to help in an actual war?
Emilie: she must have thought it was so horrible seeing all those people being killed that she felt she had to do more than just send money …
The comments streamed in, with exclamation marks and capital letters, questions and replies tumbling through the thread as more people logged on.
Storm: Leila wasn’t quite right in the head and her religious beliefs were not altogether healthy, we could see that in class.
Synne: I think writing that kind of thing shows a lack of respect, we are all passionate about different things in our lives! I think it’s a brave thing to do. But scary. Imagine something happens to Leila?
Alexander: She’s made her own choice. It’s the family I feel sorry for not her, not in any way.
Joakim: I’m pretty sure it can only end badly for Leila … we need to prepare for the worst!
Alexander: seems so
Ulrik: She is an extremist though
Synne: a person is missing? and you guys talk shit about her. Wow you all need to get real
Alexander: saying she is an extremist is not talking shit about her. Just because she is missing doesn’t mean people should suddenly have a load of respect for her
Theodor: This was unbelievably not thought through, it’s a fucking war. It’s not going to be like “hi will you help carry the wounded,” she’ll be lucky not to end up as one of them …
Around midnight the comments abated. Monday was a school day for the sixteen-year-olds. The discussions would continue in the schoolyard.
3
BLINDMAN’S BUFF
A stench hit him as he stepped down off the bus. It was still dark, the night air was humid, and his skin felt clammy. Once he was standing on the asphalt, exhaust fumes replaced the rank breeze that had initially assailed him. He straightened up, searched through his pockets, and found a cigarette.
The trip had taken half the night. Finally, he drove through darkened suburbs, then in toward the city center where the lights were on, street after street, so many places to hide.
He inhaled the nicotine as people hurried past, lugging large rucksacks and suitcases, as bus drivers called out their destinations. The passengers moved along like ants, struggling with their burdens, crisscrossing one another, knowing well where they were going. He himself had no route to take.
He did not know a word of Turkish, but surely here on the border to Syria there must be people who spoke Arabic. He collected his thoughts, put out the cigarette, hailed a taxi, and asked the driver to take him to the Arab part of town.
“I want a hotel that’s cheap and clean,” he said.
“How cheap?” the driver shot back. The cheapest rooms cost from twenty lira
