Stockholm four PM and almost dark. My Iphone vibrates.
The caller-ID begins with +49, that’s Germany.
Who of my siblings could it be? Lila maybe.
“Hello, who’s it?”
“Is this Achmed?”
Female voice, not Lila.
“Yes”.
“Oh, I’m Sarah, Lila gave me you number… before… “.
“Before what?”
“… before the truck came.”
“What?”
“Achmed, she’s dead”.
“My father’s still in Turkey. I need Skype to reach him, can I call you back in an hour?”.
“Yes…. it’s my own phone.”
In Damascus we lived in the same street, now we’re scattered everywhere.
Do we need death to bring us together again?
When I saw the stumps it made me think of a scattered family, and how many families become scattered among the refugees. I assume that’s chain migration can be about family values too.
Rochelle hosts Friday Fictioneers each week, and on Wednesday we all can start to link up new stories. I will try to read as many as possible from now and through the weekend.
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January 31, 2018
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Touching story of a family plight. A shame that it is something like death that brings people back together, even without the refugee element.
There is the added dimension that refugees might end up in many different countries by sheer chance… and no way to travel until you have a residence.
Tragic story, cleverly crafted…
Thank you, indeed a tragedy.
Some families only get together for weddings and funerals.
Especially refugees ending up in separate countries.
Our family only got together for funerals. I met most of my extended family one time at a funeral. The acorns do fall far from the tree sometimes
Indeed.
Your well crafted take on the photo prompt was like a punch in the guts. Well done.
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
Thank you.. tragedies come in many forms…
Unfortunately that’s typical of how many families take each other for granted
Or being separated by borders they have not chosen
Yes those larger political battles can destroy lives
An interesting idea, Bjorn, being brought together again by death
I think death is one thing that always unite… much more than life alas.
Wow, that sounds like one impossible phone call to make to your dad.
Impossible but necessary I think.
Sheesh. What if he doesn’t answer?
I like your take on this..scattered families. It also applies to many families. A good reminder to spend that quality time with each other…while we still have breath.
My thought was that they were scattered through no choice of their own…
That’s the worst kind of all. 😯
terribly sad
Yes very much so.
This photo brought to me the image of a scattered family too.
Your story is heartwrenching, so terrible to have a stranger announce the death of a family member.
I see her calling from a refugee shelter… hard to reach all the relatives when everyone is in different places.
Sad and yet so common among many families – that spreading and dislocation that distance brings. Well told tale Bjorn
Especially when you are forced apart into different places… war is terrible.
Very, very true
Cleverly devised story, Bjorn.
Thank you.. there is something so simple with a phone call… so much tragedy can come from a few words.
Dear Björn,
Why is it that death seems to be the only thing that brings a scattered family together? Beautifully crafted story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
I think many times it’s just our lives that come between… among refugees many are separated by borders and it’s impossible to meet.
I have several relatives that I only see at funerals. We always bemoan the fact that it’s the only time we see each other, then go back to our daily lives and do nothing to change.
Hope you had a great Birthday.
I hope we can take the chance… there are those who cannot.
First off, happy birthday!
And, this was brilliantly done. Like so many families, the gatherings happen at funerals – even more so than weddings. A few years ago my aunt got fed up and decided to hold a BBQ. Was nice to see people gather for a reason other than death…
Indeed… I think that’s why i sometimes feel that funerals can be quite joyful… in this case the added dimension is that they couldn’t see each other as they were separated by borders… when you wait to gain residence you are not allowed to leave the country… so the brother and sister had not a chance to meet….
Indeed. Borders make a huge difference.
Death does have a way of bringing people together. Death and weddings.
Indeed… alas so many are separated these days.
Nice take on the prompt. Life often tears us apart, but death has a way of bringing us back together.
Yes, it’s so much easier to unite in death than in life (alas)
What a tragedy. Your story raises an important issue as well. This family are probably not scattered by choice, but by the accident of which country would accept them at the time they were fleeing. Nations’ policies towards asylum seekers lead to much heartache, I fear.
Thank you, yes that was indeed my thought.. as asylum seekers you cannot leave the country you have ended up in… so it’s not unlikely that a family is scattered all over Europe waiting for the decision.
So sad but so true. Beautifully written Björn
It is sad… but in the world today it happens.
a story for our times. well done.
Indeed… unfortunately, thank you
So sad. So true of life for many today. I’ve had one of those phone calls and all you want is to be enveloped in family but you are so scattered. Well done.
I know… being close to someone changes all.
Such a sad but lovely tale, and so true for today’s times.
I wish it would be different…
Scattered but still together, if not in body, in spirit. Excellent Björn
I hope so… hope reuniting families can happen.
I love your take on the prompt. So sad that it takes a death to reunite a scattered family.
They might not be allowed to travel…. not if they are waiting for asylum
The sad reality of today. Well done.
I think the possibility of staying with the roots would be better sometimes.
A very interesting interpretation of the photo prompt. The plight of asylum seekers in our violent world is heartbreaking, especially when families are separated and displaced. Heavy sigh. Very nice story! =)
Thank you… and sometimes not even death can bring them together.
Some families, that’s the only time they get together any more.
Good take on the prompt.
Yes.. and separations run all over the world today.
I loved your take. So true but sometimes it is only the death that brings us together.
Alas … death is the great uniter…
So true – now families are so scattered only weddings and funerals bring us together.
If only we could let people be more together…
The dreaded phone call… one of the reasons I no longer have a phone, it never rang unless it was bad news.
I can relate to this totally. My mom went back to her hometown for a holiday. And tragically passed away there. My siblings and I came from four corners of the globe to arrange her funeral. Not only did death bring us together again, but my mum was adventurous and we had to travel to arrange her funeral in a foreign country. How we did it, God knows. She took us on one last adventure is how I like to see it.
Thank you for this thought provoking piece. Brought back memories for me.
Scattered pieces. You see things others do not Björn. One might say, “You are a real cut up.”
That sort of thing really makes you aware of your mortality.
Refugees, migrants and even people in same cities have this problem now – of separated, scattered lives. Well told story.
such an original take – and I felt their separation and it is sad when family is apart – and funny – but I see much migration here in the states and it is not from war or calamity – just from moving by choice…
hm
You certainly got this right. So sad about victims of war. Ongoing, I’m afraid (ashamed) to say.
Unfortunately, a timely tale and the reality for many. I can’t imagine the heartbreak of being displaced by war compounded by the scattering of loved ones. Excellent take.
Oh so sad Bjorn.
A moving and powerfully told story, sadly so topical.