Hadi Hussam al-Dabakeh

Hadoush, beloved by everyone. His name suited him perfectly: Hadi, which means calm, and he truly was so calm. I have never loved a child as much as I loved him. He was polite, gentle, and always so neat. His mother took such wonderful care of him; he was always clean and impeccably groomed. His grandfather loved him a great deal and delighted in him, and would always tell his mother, 'I swear, I love your children.' Oh, how happy she was when he said such sweet things about him. Two days before he was killed, he was at our house. At night, he told his mother, "Mama, I'm 'faid, 'faid," trying to say he was afraid. I can't imagine it, when the missile fell on him. He must have been terrified, my darling. My love, you have gone to a better place. You are a little bird in Paradise now.